We’re headed down under for this week’s small press shout-out. And what a trip it is! Even the most seasoned, curmudgeonly book buyer will find it hard to return from the Pantera Press website without wearing a smile. This press exudes friendliness and charm, from their mission-like statement “our passion is publishing books readers rave about by discovering & nurturing talented new authors, & fostering debate,” to their trademarked slogan “good books doing good things,” to their “strong ‘profits for philanthropy’ foundation.”
This is a press that’s unashamed to say, “We’re thrilled about what we’re doing. We hope you get excited too!”
I’m getting there, Pantera!
Actually, their entire statement is worth quoting:
Some great businesses have started in home garages. Think Disney, Amazon and Google. Pantera Press sprang to life around the story-loving Green family’s kitchen table because their garage was full.
We view the so-called ‘slush pile’ of Australian unsolicited manuscripts differently. To us, it’s a valuable resource, an underexplored diamond mine. When we started, we felt that if everyone’s supposed ‘to have a book in them’, Australia must be bursting with 22 million stories, many of them gems waiting to be discovered, polished and set for readers to enjoy! As well as publishing great stories, we aim to contribute to the wider community, hence our unique ‘good books doing good things’ approach.
Awesome! How is it working out?
Pantera Press has grown so fast since our start that we’ve had to quit the kitchen table for a real office, but at least our board table sports a ping pong net. Having released our first titles in 2010 (in print and in e-books), we were short-listed in 2013 for the Australian Book Industry’s Small Publisher of the Year Award. We’ve been developing a stable of talented new authors writing gripping tales getting rave reviews, and assembled a team of seasoned industry professionals from some of the biggest names in publishing, such as editors and designers and our distribution partners at Simon & Schuster.
I’m in! And what kinds of books are they delivering?
Good ones! Of course!
Well, okay, to be more specific, it’s mostly historical crime fiction (think bowler hats and bludgeons, church ladies and candlesticks) and page-turning thrillers on the fiction side:
And engaging political topics on the non-fiction side. Their WHY vs. WHY series offers both sides of a debate (nuclear power, gay marriage, etc.), combined into one book:
Onward and Upward, Pantera Press!
I tried so hard not to make terrible Australia jokes in this post. I hope the tribute to Luc Longley at the end didn’t ruin my post. He’s one of my favorite players, on my all-time favorite team! No irony or backhanded compliments intended! You can read about my own adventures in publishing, including my tips on e-book formatting for 2014, or you can travel to my new author page at Amazon.com to see the latest results.
Who am I missing? What other small presses deserve some attention? Let me know in the comments or shoot me an email at jackewilsonauthor@gmail.com.
Previous Small Press Shout-Outs:
Jacke Wilson 