I am writing to ask you to support 2Leaf Press. We were supposed to receive a nice chunk of money to help pay our operational costs a couple of weeks ago. Everything was set to go but at the twelfth hour, the money was withdrawn. This has put us in an incredible bind, because the money was earmarked to pay for our immediate expenses, as well as cover the promotional and marketing costs of our books. Without this money, we are sunk. That is why I am writing this open letter to appeal to each and everyone of you for your help. Our online fundraiser is at http://fundly.com/2leaf-press-fall-winter-fundraiser.
As you go through our website, you can see first hand the quality of writers we are committed to publishing. In addition to the books we have already published, and our Fall/Winter 2013 lineup, in Spring 2014, we are publishing Lisa Sanchez Gonzalez, Dylcia Pagan, Adam Wier, J.L. Torres, Ana Rossetti and Carmela Ferradáns, M. Julian Cola, Claire Millikin. Vagabond Beaumont, and Omar Villegas, with a few surprises in between. In addition, we’re publishing translated works from the Spanish and the Portuguese to English in Spring under our 2LP Translations series, continuing to publish authors under our Nuyorican World Series (including a bilingual book under this series), and we’re releasing books in both print and eBook formats.
Our small band of volunteers are pushing the limits to bring to the public a broad range of writers who are often ignored by mainstream publishers. Besides publishing poetry, we’re also publishing children’s books, anthologies, memoirs and historical nonfiction works. The writers we’re publishing like 2Leaf Press’ mission and enjoy how we work alongside them to produce high quality books. But we need your help. I need your help so that we can keep going.
We’re using the latest technology to publish and design the books. Our books are available on Kindle and Amazon.com and other online outlets. And that’s the easy part. The hard part is gaining access to traditional markets such as chain bookstores, libraries and independent booksellers, because that’s where we’ll generate the most income and that’s how our writers get paid. We also have to mail out catalogues and postcards to promote our books as well as mail out copies of books so they can get reviewed. This costs quite a bit of money. On the bright side, you should know that since 2Leaf Press is an imprint of the Intercultural Alliance of Artists & Scholars, Inc. (IAAS) a NY-based nonprofit organization, so your donation is TAX DEDUCTIBLE.
I just want to point out that we are one of the few viable small presses in the country that is being run primarily by African Americans and Latinos who are working side–by-side to publish ethnically diverse emerging and established writers, so we can’t afford to fail.
So please support 2Leaf Press. Help us innovate, create and provide great works of stunning diversity that will thrill book readers everywhere. 2Leaf Press is proof of the vibrancy of small presses, and of their vital integration in the book reading experience. By helping to sustain 2Leaf Press, there’ll always be a treasure of books just waiting to be discovered and loved and shared.
Cheers and many, many thanks for your help and support.
— Gabrielle David
PHOTO: VAGABOND
