Whatcom Writers and Publishers serves the local writing and literary community in Bellingham, Washington, and the surrounding area. WWP is an amalgam of wannabe writers, freelance professionals, book authors, self-publishers, publishers, editors, proofreaders, book designers, booksellers, web designers, and others, all of whom are dedicated to promoting the written word, whether through fiction, nonfiction, or poetry.
Date: Wednesday, February 15, 2012, 6 PM
Where: Windows on the Bay, 2625 S. Harbor Loop (Bellingham Yacht Club Building)
Topic: “The Inner Workings of a Micro Press”
Who: Gary McKinney
Gary McKinney, Publisher and Managing Editor, will give a brief history of Kearney Street Books, a proud neighborhood artisan producing national-quality books. He and his wife, Karen Parker (design and marketing), work out of their tiny attic office in their home in the Lettered Street neighborhood. Publishing for ten years now, Gary has some stories to tell. He’ll discuss the learning curve with plenty of show-and-tell visuals. They have published nine books to date, with three books due out in 2012, including Cows with Guns, a reprint from the Penguin original. Topics will include on-demand publishing, interior layout quirks, their unintentional non-profit business model, and the joys of working closely with authors. In addition to publishing books, Kearney Street Books offers editing and graphic services (both interior and exterior) to the northwest community.
Gary is a writer, publisher, and musician. He holds a master’s degree in creative writing and works as a technical writer for Western Washington University. His mystery series features Sheriff Gavin Pruitt, Deadhead, and includes Slipknot and Darkness Bids the Dead Goodbye. In a starred review, Booklist noted that Pruitt is one of the most original characters to appear in the police-procedural genre. Once a full-time professional musician, McKinney now plays acoustic-based rock-and-roll on the weekends with his band Fritz & the Freeloaders. He will continue to do so until they pry the guitar from his cold, dead fingers.
kearneystreetbooks.com.
This is a dinner event and reservations are required.
A no-host cash bar will be available serving beer, wine, and soft drinks.
For information and reservations, contact Carolyn Leeper,
(360) 714-8901 or cdleeper@hotmail.com. Reservations are required by noon, Friday, February 10.
