This has been a momentous year for us. Not only did we succeed at launching our non-profit press, but we also launched our first two books, LEAVINGS: Memoir of a 1920’s Hollywood Love Child by Megan McClard, and Díganle a mi madre que estoy en el paraíso: Memorias de una prisionera política en El Salvador, Aristata Press’s first book in translation, edited by Judy Blankenship and Andrew Wilson.

In addition to these books, we have accepted two additional non-fiction book submissions, and are in discussion with several promising authors about their books, both fiction and non-fiction. We have begun the process of building an online community of authors and publishing professionals who we look forward to working with in the months and years to come.

Our long-term vision for Aristata Press is to provide a publishing home for original writing that is unlikely to be picked up by traditional presses. Our books focus on intercultural, intersectional, and temporally relevant societal topics. Our non-fiction authors, like Megan McClard, Susan Clark, and Abuk Makuac, have singular stories to tell about lived experience. Other authors under consideration communicate through fiction and poetry. Not all of our authors will go on to have long and storied publishing careers, but they all will have written books that the world needs to read. Our selection process is not concerned with commercial viability or brand-building; we  are concerned with quality of writing, and putting publishing within reach of people who would be unable to navigate traditional or self-publishing obstacles.

At the end of the day, publishing costs money. Books need to be designed, edited, marketed, and distributed. Aristata Press depends on a combination of author participation, volunteers and donations to get the job done. Our authors are part of our publishing team. We are not a pay-to-play vanity press, a hybrid press, or a publishing services company; we are a community press – publishing catalysts with a goal of bringing good writing to print.

We want to thank you who have expressed an interest in our activities.

Our deepest gratitude for your support, and best wishes for the year to come.

Anne and Judy (co-publishers and founders)

Aristata Press  | Portland, OR | https://aristatapress.com

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As a non-profit organization, we depend on charitable contributions and volunteers to keep the lights on. We are a tax exempt–501(c)(3)–organization (EIN 92-0281706), which means that your contributions are tax deductible. If you wish to make a donation, please visit our website or click here.