Today we’d like to introduce you to J. Whalen.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I started a production company called Torasu Productions, LLC in 2006, with the primary focus on creating narrative films. We produced several films and a television pilot for a reality show. During the pandemic, and the subsequent shutdown, I pivoted to the publishing world and released 4 children’s books and a Twilight Zone-inspired novella. The children’s book imprint is called Pisces Rising Press and the other imprint is called Latent Prints Publishing that will focus more on crime and pulp stories.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Film production was always a rocky road, having to deal with the number one problem all filmmakers face: raising money! There’s no shortage of great stories to tell, but there is a shortage of finance out there. Most of the films we made were financed through corporate jobs and an investor here and there.
For publishing, it has been far easier! No budget restrictions on your imagination! Your books will cost as much as they cost to print if they are set under the sea or in a fantasy world. Getting the books into stores is a challenge because there is one massive distributor for all books in every bookstore, but selling at open markets is very profitable, and I truly enjoy meeting and signing books for all the kids. Selling online is currently a challenge, as I’m not that good at marketing. haha. I need to get some partners!
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I got into the world of publishing because I couldn’t stand all the new books that were being released and pushed onto children. There didn’t seem to be anything that had a mission to just tell an entertaining story about friends and overcoming challenges. There was a mentality out there in the kids’ publishing world that said, “You’re great! You don’t have to work hard to be better at anything!’ There was no sense of community and pulling together. That’s one of the reasons I wrote Mark and His Magical Camera of Awesomeness. That and I love photography.
I also have picture books for the really little ones, and the most recent title I released, The Cat Who Couldn’t Care Less, does really well, not just with kids but also with cat people. haha.
Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
Mentors are vitally important, and I wish I had one, but since I didn’t, I had to read as many interviews with entrepreneurs as i could. What i found was that every one of them had to dig deep and just push ahead. Keep building the business and stay as lean as you can.
Pricing:
- 12.99 – All Titles
Contact Info:
- Website: https://piscesrisingpress.wordpress.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pisces_rising_press
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/piscesrisingpress/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@piscesrisingpress
