Founded in 1977 in Illinois as The Owl Network, Inc., Joshua Tree Publishing has been in the media and publishing field since 1985. With the first edition of the Nevada Media Directory, Publisher John Paul Owles embarked on a career providing updated, comprehensive media information in the state of Nevada.
Joshua Tree Publishing has 27 years of expertise and experience in publishing books. We
offer authors access to our experts—while our authors concentrate on
writing books. Publishing a book is a process. We guide our authors
through that process: from the initial preparation of their manuscript,
editing the book, designing the cover, formatting the text and cover for
the printer, printing the galley proof, and printing the finished book.
But we do not stop there. We help the authors with promoting their
books. We give our authors access to media lists which specialize in
book promotion. We provide information on book
stores, direct mail outlets, and alternative sources where authors can
market their books. We design and host websites for authors and their books. We offer training seminars throughout the year which
focus on writing, editing, and marketing books. We remain committed to our authors and their success. Because if they
aren't successful, we aren't.
Joshua Tree Publishing's books are available through the Ingram Book Group in the United States and internationally. We are on Amazon with Search Inside, BN.com and major online retailers. With the emerging eBook market, we convert our books into Kindle and ePub formats with distribution through Amazon, Google, and major eBook wholesalers.
A Self-Publishing Success Story by John Paul Owles
"As a special project for my Masters degree in Journalism, I had developed a very primitive list of Reno news media for the Reno Rodeo and MS Society of Norther Nevada with my Commodore 64. As a tech guy, I wanted to learn how to use a database. The information was well received, and my professors encouraged me to publish the information.
"As all writers know, research is very important to success. After a year, I decided to try to publish a statewide news media directory. In order to do that, I thought the best way to become an expert was to interview every news media outlet in Nevada...in person. I traveled the state and sat in the offices of over 100 newspaper, magazine, radio, and television
station offices. By interviewing them, I discovered what and how they wanted to receive news and press releases, public service annoucements, and advertising copy. Without that experience, I would never had known what information was essential for my subscriber's success. After six months, I was prepared to put the directory together when I experienced a very lucky break in the world of computers.
"With the advent of Apple's Mac and laser printer, I was able to control the publishing of the directory and its contents without having to use typesetters. It was truly revolutionary. Rather than owning a machine costing several tens of thousands of dollars, as such, I was able to self-publish my directory. In those days, we designed the pages as 5-1/2" x 8-1/2" sheets which fit into a binder with tabs. As we updated the directory, we reprinted all the pages and sent them to subscribers to replace the old listings. Within minutes, subscribers had an entirely new, up-to-date directory."
"However, just having the capability to print a directory was not enough. We still needed to find subscribers to support the directory. I had decided that the directory would be a reference book with no advertising. By offering a subscription on an annual basis, we were able to keep subscribers current with the fast changing news media. The question became: who would benefit from this information and how could we reach them? By knowing who our target audience was, we were able to identify them. After printing the custom binders and tabs, I made my first sales call with the directory. I made an appointment with a man I met through the school who was the public relations director at the main hospital in Reno. After handing him the directory and anxiously waiting for him to say something, all he asked was how much the directory cost. When I told him $100.00 for an annual subscription, he asked me who to make the check out to. I was in business.
"In 2012, we published the 25th Anniversary Nevada Media Directory, which now costs $200.00. Little did I know that first sales call would start a 25-year publishing career."
Specializing in Fiction
Based in Chicago, Centaur Books is an independent imprint of Joshua Tree Publishing. Specializing in fiction, Centaur Books is dedicated to helping first-time and seasoned authors in their writing careers.
Centaur Books are available through the Ingram Book Group in the United States and internationally. Centaur Books are on Amazon with Search Inside, BN.com and major online retailers. With the emerging eBook market, we convert our books into Kindle and ePub formats with distribution through Amazon, Google, and major eBook wholesalers.
Dedicated to Transforming Writers into Published Authors
Chiral House is an indepedent imprint of Joshua Tree Publishing, a traditional publisher dedicated to making your dreams of being a published author a reality. Not tomorrow. Not next year. But today.
"When I first started Joshua Tree Publishing, I received calls from first-time authors seeking help getting their books published. While I helped many self-publish their books, there were several I worked with to help them get their book ready...and published them. But our emphasis was not there. We were looking for authors whose manuscripts were ready to publish.
"As years went on, I became concerned how authors were being taken advantage of—dare I say, ripped off—by the vanity presses. Today of course, they disguise themselves as helping authors 'self-publish' their books...while attaching their ISBN numbers to those books, which in reality makes them the publisher. So much for honesty in business. And yet, these presses are upfront about who they are. They tell you to pick your package, provide your financial information (credit card preferred), and pay them. Oh yeah, send in your book...if the card is approved. The goal is not to help the author, rather it is to prey on authors who have a genuine desire to express themselves in words.
"We decided to use Chiral House to help writers become published authors. During the selection process for Joshua Tree Publishing, Heroides Publishing, and Centaur Books, we found many excellent books which needed editing beyond what we offered as traditional publishers. We believed in the books but could not offer the author a solution. Today we can.
"Today, if we find a book we want to publish, we will offer the author two contracts: one for editing by an approved freelance editor guaranteeing our purpose in publishing the book, and the second, a publishing contract. Rather than a rejection letter, the writer has an opportunity to be published...once the book is ready for prime time. So how many times do we offer this opportunity? At this point, about one time in every ten submissions. Yes, that is only 10% but we value those authors and their work. We want to make their dream of being a published author a reality."
Specializing in Heroes of our Time
"We are pleased to announce that Heroides Publishing, LLC, has become an imprint of Joshua Tree Publishing," John Paul Owles, President & CEO of Joshua Tree Publishing announced. "I was instrumental in establishing Heroides and was very flattered when Ruchel Louis Coetzee expressed her desire to be part of our company. Her book, PULANI A memoir of a young woman in apartheid South Africa, has been very well received.
"What impressed me the most was that Heroides was dedicated to telling the Stories of the Heroes of our Times. Heroides will continue that pursuit by combining traditional book publishing with new technology, to create an innovative multimedia platform for writers. Each year Heroides will take to market a select group of stories that capture heroic journeys. Heroides produces books in every available print and digital format.
Heroides Publishing and Joshua Tree Publishing offer a unique combination of expertise in the fields of publishing, film, video, music, and marketing that will position Heroides to 'command the space' across a variety of formats, supported with multimedia marketing."