I met Ron Starbuck of Saint Julian Press at AWP, the national writer’s conference, in spring of 2024. I was near to finishing my Master of Fine Arts at the Institute of American Indian Arts. As a career journalist, earlier in my career, I know how to pitch editors. Ron, who I didn’t know at the time, looked kindly. I walked about his table and pitched my book that didn’t even have a title, nor did I have print out of the manuscript on me. I said I have a collection about my tribes and the lands and waters we come from. I am a career writer, who has returned to poetry through my MFA program. I said skilled at writing in poetic forms from around the world, and this writing skill I have was honed as a journalist at leading Northwest newspaper for two decades. By the time I said all that I had to take a breath. Ron asked me what newspapers I had worked at. And then he told that there was an open call for submission for about another week and suggested I submit my manuscript. I submitted, I think a day late, and about a week later Ron contacted me and offered to publish Rivers in My Veins.
Ron, who is retired from the banking industry, is very focused upon fairness and clear communication with writers. In the first meeting he told me what to expect in income from this poetry collection, he told me how we were split the small profit margin, and he sent me directions about how to copyright my book with the U.S. Copyright Office. What I appreciated about this approach is that I own my copyright on this these poems from first publication. And while I am contracted year to year with Saint. Julian, what happens with my poems is ultimately up to me.
I also appreciate the care that Ron took with my manuscript, as a poet himself. His suggestions primarily for printed page where good ones that respected my work.
St. Julian Press has built a stable of writers that I am proud to be part of. He keeps in touch with us via a Facebook group where he shares best practices. I feel grateful to have joined this carings and respectful community.
For other writers, finding a publisher can be like a finding a family. The questions that you should ask including who holds the copyright, how is the money split, what am I responsible for paying for, what is the publisher responsible for.
https://www.saintjulianpress.com/index.html
