PUBLISHER SPECIALIZES IN BOOKS WRITTEN BY CHILDREN FOR CHILDREN
Published in The Norman Transcript on Sunday, November, 30, 1997
In Iowa, six-year-old Jon Butler wrote a story about a rainbow losing its colors. Now that story is being published as a picture book to be read by children throughout the country.
In Nashville, Heath Stiles, 5, helped write a song that is being published as a song-storybook called "Bubble Trouble." On October 7, Heath appeared on the Nashville Network's "Crook and Chase" to sing the song.
Both children have written stories that are being published as books. The publisher is based in Norman.
Joy Atkins owns and operates Staircase Publishing, a new book-publishing company at 316 S. Peters. Atkins publishes many categories of fiction and non-fiction, such as historical romances, non-fiction books on the issue of adoption, and children's books. She specializes in stories that are said to be rarely accepted even by small press publishers--children's books written by children.
"We have authors from 5 to 79 years old," Atkins said. "And we've started two new lines of children's books." One is children's books written by children, another is "song storybooks" sung by children. Song storybooks are books packaged with a music cassette tape a child can sing with as he reads.
Atkins held four jobs in 15 years before starting her publishing company. During her last job, at the Kerr-McGee Corporation, she received extensive in-house computer training.
"I've worked in several different environments, learned many things, and met many people from all over the world," Atkins said. "Adult business sense and understanding of a child has helped me go forward with my children's books."
Atkins said she has always been an avid reader and writer.
"I've always loved writing since I was a child. I guess I have a gift, something that has never left me," Atkins said.
Three years ago, Atkins said, she dreamt about a staircase, which she saw as her life.
She found it very hard to get both feet on one step at a time. Whenever she did, the step would light up, and she would feel that she had accomplished a great deal in doing so.
She took her staircase dream as a basis for her wish to become a published author.
"So, I delved into trying to find out how to get a book published on my own," she said. "I found that a lot of stories have to go through New York or some large publishing house, and it might be two years before you get an answer. They didn't pay you very much for your work, and extensive changes and re-writes are required. I didn't feel that was right."
Atkins does not require her authors to make such changes in their books.
Atkins opened her publishing house in the fall of 1996. She liquidated all her assets, got a personal loan, and put her savings from her job into her new business. Until February, she worked full-time at Kerr-McGee and ran her new company with the help of her son. Since February, she has run Staircase Publishing full-time.
Meanwhile, her business has taken a turn for the best.
Staircase is publishing three books: "Down in Cajun Country," a historical romance, written by 79-year-old Joan Frederickson, of Norman; "Bubble Trouble" and "The Day the Rainbow Lost Its Color," by Jon Butler.
Atkins said Staircase Publishing soon will bring out a series of 15 stories, called Rainbow Chub, authored by Butler, who now lives in Minnesota. She said she expects the Rainbow Chub series to be the most successful of her books.
The song-storybooks, such as "Bubble Trouble," consist of books and audiocassettes. Atkins said she intends to package them with novelties.
"We've put a toy in with our packaging, with our book and tape," Atkins said. "We're also making video games, to go along with the books."
Staircase Publishing expects to publish other books authored by children, as well. One is titled Adventures of Herman the Carrot, written by 12-year-old Alisha Ferrel.
"You wouldn't ask Rembrandt to change a color in a painting because you don't like it or you felt it was unmarketable," Atkins said.
"Writers are artists, and what they have in their hearts and souls comes out through pen on paper. We try to give the writer a chance to be published in his own right, not the publisher's."