Scarletta, a Minnesota Independent Publisher

Since its founding in 2005, Scarletta Press has been known for having a quality eclectic publishing collection. Recently, Scarletta Press has rebranded itself as simply "Scarletta".

The company now features four imprints: Scarletta Press, Scarletta Junior Readers, Scarletta Kids, and Red Portal Press. Scarletta Press, the original flagship, continues to feature adult titles while narrowing its genre focus to autobiographical fiction, creative nonfiction, and memoir. The Junior Readers imprint focuses on fiction and non-fiction books for middle-grade readers, while Scarletta Kids sparks imagination with engaging picture and story books for ages 0 to 8. Red Portal Press, a hybrid self-publishing imprint involving trade distribution, started this past fall with its first title Knives on the Cutting Edge by Bob Macdonald.

Scarletta started publishing children’s titles in 2011 when they acquired their first middle-grade fiction, Lost in Lexicon by Pendred Noyce. The Ice Castle, Noyce’s second book, came out in August 2012 as their second children’s title.

Besides expanding from 2–3 titles annually to 10–12 titles annually, Scarletta has also created a new online store. It has partnered with ABDO Publishing Group for various titles in each season, allowing Scarletta to redesign institutional titles and place them in the trade, special, gift, and mass merchandise markets.


Scarletta’s spring 2013 title list features six titles across three of its imprints, with the majority of authors being from Minnesota. Determined to Matter by Jen O’Hara, an adult nonfiction about facing the loss of a child to an inoperable brain tumor, will be published June 1 in the Scarletta Press imprint. Scarletta Junior Readers features The Mighty Quinn by Robyn Parnell (May 2013), a humorous fiction story about growing up in the fifth grade, and Cool World Cooking by Lisa Wagner (July 2013), a cookbook for young chefs. Their three Scarletta Kids titles Nalah and the Pink Tiger by Anne Sawyer-Aitch (March 2013), A Day at the Lake by Stephanie Wallingford and Dawn Rynders (March 2013), and Betsy’s Day at the Game by Greg Bancroft (April 2013), will all feature ancillary products and interactive activities.

The company’s fall 2013 title list features a similar mix of authors across imprints withan adult fiction title, two junior readers, and three kid’s books.

Scarletta can be thought of as a new company, one with fresh and vibrant ideas driven by consumer-dedicated market strategy. “Publishing is challenging, complex, yet exciting,” says publisher Nancy Tuminelly. “Our goal is to positively and effectively impact our readers’ lives. Our tagline sums it up for us: Publishers by trade. Readers at heart.”

Want to find out more? Check out Scarletta's website.

Rain Taxi - Publisher - Reviewer

RAIN TAXI

PO Box 3840
Minneapolis, MN 55403

RAIN TAXI is a nonprofit organization run by editor and executive director, Eric Lorberer. One of the only large-circulation nonprofit book reviews in the country, RAIN TAXI also sponsors the annual Twin Cities Book Festival.

They often feature MN authors and publishers in RAIN TAXI, and publish reviews of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, graphic novels, and chapbooks, with special attention given to books not receiving attention from mainstream media.

A winner of the Alternative Press Award for Best Arts & Literature Coverage, RAIN TAXI is a quarterly publication that publishes reviews of literary fiction, poetry, and nonfiction with an emphasis on works that push the boundaries of language, narrative, and genre. Essays, interviews, and in-depth reviews reflect RAIN TAXI's commitment to innovative publishing.

Their print journal is distributed in over 250 locations nationwide-mostly independent bookstores-and is also available by subscription. An accompanying online edition, with completely different material, is posted on their website each quarter as well. Together, the two publications offer readers a broad look at the noteworthy writing and art being published today. RAIN TAXI also publishes a chapbook series, and hosts a wide range of literary events in the Twin Cities.

RAIN TAXI has been nominated five times for the Utne Independent Press Award for Arts & Literature Coverage. They won the distinctive award from Utne in 2000.

THE TWIN CITIES BOOK FESTIVAL
Saturday, October 16, 2010
10:00 am to 5:00 pm

Minneapolis Community & Technical College

conveniently located in Downtown Minneapolis

This day-long autumn gala gathers the Twin Cities book community to celebrate and promote our region's literary culture. The Rain Taxi-sponsored Twin Cities Book Festival creates a unique opportunity for the great variety of area publishers, editors, book artists, writers, scholars, and critics to present their work and words.

In addition to an exhibit which showcases a wide range of local, regional, and national publications, regular features of the Twin Cities Book Festival include Book Arts Demonstrations run by the Minnesota Center for Book Arts, a Used Book Sale, Local Author Signings, and a Literary Magazine Fair, all adding to the constant bustle of activity and discovery.

Although still growing, the Twin Cities Book Festival has put Minnesota on the map of national literary events. As Poets & Writers commented, "With events like the annual Twin Cities Book Festival… the Twin Cities are gaining the kind of reputation for scene-setting that the literary hubs of New York, Chicago, and San Francisco have long enjoyed."

WEBSITE
www.raintaxi.com

CONTACT
info@raintaxi.com

Holiday Gift Giving

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

As you scurry through the store trying to find those ideal gifts for your loved ones, don’t forget the gift of words. Whether it’s a mystery, a cook book, poetry, a financial guide, history, children’s book, inspirational, travel, or folk lure, a book never goes out of style. Every turn of a page brings adventure.

I want to thank all the creative folks who participated in my Reading Minnesota Blog during 2009. Authors, illustrators, reviewers, bookstore owners, publishers, and editors—what a tremendous pool of talent!

I also want to thank those who dropped by to read the features and leave comments. I hope you enjoyed them. Maybe you found a new bookstore to visit, added an author or illustrator’s work to your list of books read, enjoyed the explanation of what editors and reviewers face on a weekly basis, or were as amazed as I was at the publishing enterprise in Minnesota.

What will 2010 bring to Reading Minnesota? I bet you’ll find new talent, new locations, and I know you’ll revisit old friends as they produce new works.

Have a joyous holiday season.

Beth Solheim
Reading Minnesota