Born in 1991, Taote Publishing came about by default in conjunction with a first book effort. Not having a clue would be an understatement but after a number of rejections, and encouragement from a self-published friend, I decided to take the plunge. My bible was Dan Poynterʻs Self-Publishing Manual, and after making liberal use of the trial and error method, Bac-si: A Doctor Remembers Vietnam came into existence. Scrambling for a name for my fledgling publishing company, I settled on Taote, which is a Tahitian word for doctor. When the dust settled and the reality of funding, marketing, shipping, and finding a place for boxes of books hit home, I thought that my company could ride off into the sunset with a one-book claim to fame! Well, maybe one more book I thought since I had learned the ropes, and I had an extensive collection of slides and stories from hiking and kayaking adventures in Hawaiʻi. Book #2 proved to be a bigger challenge with its many color images, but a year later, in 1992, Adventurerʻs Hawaiʻi was completed.
Mission accomplished?? Nope! More book ideas popped up, and Taote Publishing just wouldnʻt go away as the enjoyment and satisfaction of creating and seeing the project through outweighed the frustrations and minor headaches of a one-man operation. Fortunately, I was able to find a willing partner in crime with an
invaluable assist from talented book designer Cindy Turner (hotpixels.com). Now, looking back on eight books and one authored book for another publisher and editing assist on another, the bottom line is in this digital age, itʻs easier than ever to feed your book-loving addiction. Breaking new ground recently with my last book put together as an eBook and print on demand title, I got to experience a more current side of publishing. Overall I feel really fortunate to have had the opportunity to explore and participate in the ever-changing and exciting world of the small publisher.
Submissions
Although to date we have not published other author’s works, we are always open to new ideas and book projects especially those focusing on the history, culture, and landscape of the Hawaiian Islands and the Pacific. Please contact us below and include basic information about your project, target audience, uniqueness, outline and sample chapter. We will generally be able to get back to you within three weeks.