3: A Taos Press—Behind the Scenes of a Small Independent Southwestern Press with Founder, poet Andrea Watson
KW: Looking through the 3: A Taos Press website is a pleasure. The cover art and design of all forty-seven of your current books are artistically stunning. I noticed that you have three Consultants of the Arts listed on your editor page, two of whom are quite accomplished artists, Seamus Berkeley and Jerome Jim, and Judith Rane, who is deeply associated with the arts and the former owner/director of the RANE Gallery in Taos. I don’t think I’ve often seen artists given such a prominent presence in a literary press. Madelyn Garner’s new book, The Luminous Between, has not only a beautiful cover image by Cole Thompson, but very beautiful section images by a Denver photographer, Desanka Beslic (and a little bird tells me that this might be a granddaughter of Madelyn’s). Obviously, you have created this press with a very definite aesthetic in mind, which, I would guess, is not deterred by the high cost of designing and producing such a book. Can you talk about your vision and its inception and transformation over the last 16 years or so of the press’s existence?
AW: Founded fifteen years ago, the mission of 3: A Taos Press has been, from its inception, “the beauty of the word” and “the beauty of the work.” From our first book*, Collecting Life: Poets on* Objects Known and Imagined, which revealed the unique personal collections of both well- and lesser-known poets, to our newest book just published on June 5th, Lorca to the Umpteenth Power, by Cyrus Cassells, we have honored that mission. I consider each of the books we have published to be an art piece. Of course, one cannot do this alone. We have three talented book designers, each with her or his personal approach: Lesley Cox, of FEEL Design Associates, in Arroyo Seco, New Mexico, reads each book with an eye toward bringing the poet’s theme to life. Michele Braverman, of BraveStudio, Inc., in Denver, utilizes her many years of graphic design and branding experience with a modernist approach. William Watson, of Castro Watson Architects, who teaches at Parsons and Pratt in New York, constructs each book with perfect attention to detail. All of our poetry books have been printed by Cottrell Printing Company, in Centennial, under the eye of Jimmy Shiels, who advises us on the countless details of production. And building a website is no mean feat. Melissa Lind, of Dwelling Creative, in Taos, responds to new books instantly, allowing us to showcase each new work as it comes off the printing press. As you mentioned, we have consultants who work in different art forms and genres because it is important to me to have a variety of approaches within the Arts. Central to all of this—and most important—are the words of each of our authors, always remembering to emphasize the poet’s true voice. From each poem, to the flow of the book, to cover artwork, to final proofs, there is a process of collaboration that can take months and even years to being a book to our readers. Over these years, we have grown to understand the ways in which we can shepherd a book through its many stages into the hands of our readers while staying true to our particular aesthetic.
KW: You have chosen a specific acquisition model for your press, which might disappoint some poets out there. Manuscript submission is by invitation only. You host some impressive poets, including Colorado poets whom I recognize: Sheryl Luna, Seth Brady Tucker, Leslie Ullman, and Eleanor Swanson, to name a few. The 3: A Taos Press site lists two consultants for acquisitions. Part of the 3: A Taos Press mission statement is its dedication to “fostering and honoring the work of writers of all cultures.” I think the most common means for a small press to acquire manuscripts is through an open submission call or a literary contest. Two questions: Why this means of acquiring manuscripts and how does it, or not, contribute to your business and aesthetic models of publishing? And, for the poet who would love to be published by your press, how can that poet get their work noticed by 3: A Taos Press?
AW: Manuscript submission by invitation only was our acquisition model when we first began to publish our poetry books. We were concerned about handling a large influx of submissions when we were just really getting our feet under us and understanding all of the steps with which a manuscript could become a book. We began by talking with and making inquiries to poets of the West and Southwest with whom we were familiar and admired. We were, and continue to be, dedicated to “fostering and honoring the work of writers of all cultures,” and so our focus soon became even wider to receive manuscripts from across the United States and far beyond. Many of our authors are well published while some come to us with a debut book. I have learned, much to my amusement, that many people ignore the “by invitation only” statement and send a query anyway. I never mind that approach because some of our books have come to us in just that way. I do admire a query email that offers a précis of the work and a brief bio. I might then ask to see ten pages of a manuscript. I always am mindful that I have sat at the other side of the table as a poet; I am sympathetic with how difficult it is to have a publisher consider one’s work when there are countless manuscripts crossing desks and appearing in emails each and every day.
For those who wish to submit a manuscript to 3: A Taos Press, it is important to know that all of our poetry books are tightly themed—expressing all of the joys and sorrows of what it means to be human. We encourage our authors to get close to the difficult—even different—issues of life. We bring to our readers such themes as fascinating cultures, cultural traditions, and religious or spiritual experiences with which they may not be familiar. We also have published poetry books about controversial historical events and figures; domestic, sexual, or elder abuse; health, aging, and loss in the age of pandemic; concern and caring for the environment; the intertwining of science and poetry; poems of diaspora; and poems of homecoming and healing.
I welcome a manuscript that is professionally presented, with surprise of theme and style. I want to understand the ways in which a manuscript’s design mirrors its theme: Is it sectioned, and why? If it is un-sectioned, does its thread foster the overall theme and enable a flow. How does the play of poetry and prose function beautifully in a hybrid manuscript? As for appreciating a poet, I ask the publication of a book to be a collaboration—with editorial suggestions, discussions of art, several drafts (actually many drafts), and the ability for both poet and publisher to reflect on the evolution of the manuscript. I admire a poet who has studied other poets and displays craft with sophisticated poetic techniques. I always am praying for a distinct poetic voice! I would ask that poets familiarize themselves with our mission statement and visit our website to learn about our authors and our books.
*For advice and mentoring on a manuscript, I will be teaching a full-day workshop on The Art of the Poetry Manuscript at SOMOS, in Taos, NM, at the 10th Annual Taos Writers Conference, on Friday, July 24, 2026. somos@somostaos.org
KW: You mention that you “have sat at the other side of the table as a poet.” Do you think of yourself first and foremost as a poet or as a publisher? What was the road like for you as a poet? Who were your early influences, and who do you enjoy reading now? How does a poem come to be for you, and what are you working on currently? What were your experiences in the publishing world that led you to become an editor? Then a publisher? What sage advice would you give to other writers who might consider founding a press in these unsettled times?
AW: I consider myself foremost a poet and then a publisher. I believe that one could not found an independent press dedicated to poetry without having experience as a poet and the love of poetry. For me, it is always about The Poem. While I enjoy teaching and mentoring, attending conferences and networking, designing events that combine many aspects of the Arts, it all comes back to The Poem. When a poem begins to nudge at you—when it tells you what it wants and when you tell it what you are wanting too—there is nothing better. I have held that exact belief from a young age when I first read Edgar Allan Poe, as so many of us were taught in the early school years, then discovered the poetry of Sylvia Plath and Anne Sexton, then studied Elizabeth Bishop. I wandered into the French symbolists in college— Baudelaire, Rimbaud, and Mallarmé. Later, I came to adore the poets of magical realism: Octavio Paz. Pablo Neruda. Federico García Lorca. There I found my voice. One could only dream of matching them! With my own work, there is always the editor’s eye with each new poem: Some come whole while others stay in my head for many weeks. That editor’s eye gets in the way sometimes, so a poetry group with feedback is helpful. During the year, with concentrating on the work of the press, writing new poems is sporadic; I like to take off a month in the summer to concentrate on my own poetry. I currently am working on a new book, many years in the writing, titled Memory in a House, about the magical, even mystical, aspects of our home. What could be more perfect than that for realismo mágico?
Before I came to live in the West and Southwest, I was lucky enough to work in New York in the exciting world of book and magazine publishing and to work for a literary agent. All of those invaluable experiences taught me to respect each author, to understand the dynamics of a publishing house, to recognize what is needed to found an independent press, and how to hopefully sustain it.
For poets who are thinking that their next step might be to found a small, independent press, here are my thoughts:
Think long and hard about the mission of your press. Write it down, and look at it frequently to remind yourself of your purpose. Understand the world of what your authors might be like and whom your readers could be. Glean advice from other publishers, from other authors, from other consultants in a variety of the Arts. Gather around you the best book designers who understand and value your aesthetic. A web designer is mandatory, one who can work quickly to feature your new authors and books. Will you be a for profit or a non-profit? How will you offer your books to your readership: via Square or Amazon or bookstores. Do careful research about the costs involved with each company. And, most terrifyingly, how much money will you need to begin the work of a small press? People say these are difficult times for authors and publishers. I cannot let myself think that way. If it truly is about The Poem, if it is about finding the commonality and kinship within people, then poetry will sustain.
