Vegan Publishers: making sure veganism has a place on the bookshelf
I came across Vegan Publishers a little while ago. Although I've seen many different types of vegan businesses, I hadn't come across an outright vegan publisher before! How cool is that?
Casey is going to tell you more about the company. He's been so honest and open. It's a lovely, humbling piece, which is full of hope and compassion.
What does Vegan Publishers specialise in selling?
We sell vegan-themed books, which is broader than one might think. We are coming out with children's fairy tales, books with children's raw vegan recipes, books for adults focusing on veganism and animal rights, vegan travel books, and other more specialised books like the first comprehensive raw vegan avocado book.
Where is Vegan Publishers based?
My wife (Christen Mailler) and I, (Casey Taft) co-own the company. We live in the greater Boston area but we have team members all over the world.
Do you exclusively serve those who are local to you or can others who are further away access your products too? If so, how?
We're not bound by geography. We sell our books to folks all over the world.
What inspired you to create a business that solely focuses on stories and information about plant-based living?
We really wanted to elevate the voices of vegans in some way, and thought that a vegan-themed publishing company was the perfect way to do so. There are so many brilliant and talented vegans out there with important things to say and show us. We wanted to help them share their message. We believe that we are about to see a large shift towards veganism, and we want to help speed up that process in any way possible. It goes without saying that our inspiration is the animals that are needlessly tortured and killed every second of every day. Like other vegans, the injustice that animals experience saddens us immensely but also pushes us to find a way to make a change for the better.
From the glue to the paper, how easy is it for you to source cruelty free ingredients to make your books?
It is easier than you might think. We've located a printer who guarantees us that their materials are all animal ingredient free, and they also offer the option of 100% recycled paper.
Who writes the stories? Do you have authors in-house?
Our books come from outside authors. We have a section on our website for submissions, and we have, on occasion, reached out to contact potential authors if we thought there might be a good opportunity for collaboration. We are also very fortunate to have immensely talented writers who are rising stars in their own right.
For someone who hasn't read any of your publications before & is indecisive about what to buy; is there a particularly popular one you can name?
Since we are a new company, we don't have many titles out in print just yet, but it really depends on the person. If you're a vegan family with a young child, you'd definitely want Dave Loves Chickens, How to Eat a Rainbow: Raw Vegan Recipes for Kids, and Lena of Vegitopia and the Mystery of the Missing Animals. If you're interested in learning more about veganism and how it's connected with other social movements, Circles of Compassion: Connecting Issues of Justice would be a good fit. For vegan travel, our Will Travel for Vegan Food will likely be considered THE book to get.
Is Vegan Publishers owned by, or in partnership with, another company that tests on animals or sell non-vegan products?
We are just a small LLC owned by myself and my wife.
Tell me a bit about yourself before you launched Vegan Publishers?
In addition to the work I do for Vegan Publishers, I'm also a clinical psychologist and professor/researcher. My work has been focused on finding ways to prevent and end domestic violence, and I've spent the better part of the last 10 years leading clinical trials to examine the effectiveness of programs that I've helped develop for that purpose. I got into that field because I have always felt strongly about preventing violence and helping those who experience unnecessary violence. It's the same way that I feel about my work with Vegan Publishers. Outside of work, Christen and I are happily raising our vegan baby girl who is almost 15 months old!
What is your vision for the future of Vegan Publishers?
I will be honest - I don't know where this will all lead. I believe that we have all of the ingredients for Vegan Publishers to be a big success. By success; I'm not really thinking about the financial side of it. We have some incredibly talented people on our team, great support on social media, brilliant authors and illustrators who have signed on with us, and all for the purpose of ending the suffering of others. With all of that good intention and support on our side, how can we not be successful?
Sometimes I feel overwhelmed with a strong sense that we're on the verge of seeing a big change, and I start to tear up thinking that we're going to be a part of it. We're already seeing it happen, and I know, that as more light gets shed on the issues, the world will go vegan.
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Fancy ordering something from the Vegan Publishers as a gift for you or someone else? Wouldn't it be nice to save a huge 50%? Well...Casey and Christen have been kind enough to create the code VEGANPUB, which will give you 50% off any order placed by 5th December.