Tu Books Explained

Tu Books
Parent:Lee & Low Books
Status:Active
Predecessor:Tu Publishing
Founder:Stacy Whitman
Country:United States
Headquarters:New York City
Distribution:North America
Keypeople:Stacy Whitman
Topics:Diversity

Tu Books is a young adult and middle grade publishing imprint of Lee & Low Books. The company was founded by Stacy Whitman in 2009 as Tu Publishing before being acquired by Lee & Low in 2010. It focuses on publishing works featuring diverse characters and works written by diverse writers. Since 2012, it has administered the New Visions Award to recognize new talent in the field.

Etymology

"Tu" means "you" in several languages.[1] [2] [3] According to the Tu Books website, "tu" means "many" in Ainu, and their focus is to "reach the 'you' in every reader".[4]

History

Tu Publishing was founded in Orem, Utah, by Stacy Whitman as an independent young adult and middle grade fiction science fiction and fantasy book publisher through a Kickstarter campaign in December 2009.[5] [6] Whitman stated she wanted to increase the diversity in young adult and middle grade fiction works—including both works containing diverse characters and works written by diverse authors—and market them to a broad audience.[7] [8] After being laid off from Mirrorstone Books, and having many discussions regarding under-representation of people of color in published works, Whitman founded it to be "a small press dedicated to YA fantasy and science fiction featuring characters of color."[7] [9]

After the Kickstarter successfully funded the startup, Lee & Low Books acquired the company in March 2010, changed its name to Tu Books, and moved operations to the Lee & Low offices in New York City.[5] [10] They initially focused on only science fiction and fantasy, but have since expanded to include all genres.[11]

In 2012, Tu Books established the New Visions Award.[11]

New Visions Award

Tu created the New Visions Award in 2012 for "a debut novel by a new writer of color".[11] [12] Past winners include Ink and Ashes by Valynne Maetani (published 2015),[13] Rebel Seoul by Axie Oh (published 2017, originally titled The Amaterasu Project),[14] and Ahimsa by Supriya Kelkar (published 2017).[15]

Awards

A number of works published by Tu Books have won or been nominated for awards. Summer of the Mariposas, by Guadalupe Garcia McCall, was nominated for the Andre Norton Award in 2013.[16] Joseph Bruchac's Killer of Enemies was nominated for the 2014 Mythopoeic Fantasy Award.[17]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: TU : Définition de TU. Centre National de Ressources Textuelles et Lexicales. French. August 1, 2018 . August 3, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200803212500/https://www.cnrtl.fr/definition/tu. live.
  2. Web site: tū . Charlton T. Lewis, Charles Short, A Latin Dictionary . Latin. August 1, 2018 . September 18, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200918075459/https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0059%3Aentry%3Dtu. live.
  3. Web site: Definition of tu in Spanish by Oxford Dictionaries . Oxford University Press . Spanish Oxford Living Dictionaries . Spanish. August 1, 2018 . August 16, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180816194643/https://es.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/tu. dead.
  4. Web site: Tu Books. Lee & Low Books. August 1, 2018. August 1, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180801023834/https://www.leeandlow.com/imprints/3. live.
  5. Web site: Tu Publishing: a small, independent multicultural SFF press for children and YA . September 15, 2009 . March 19, 2018 . . August 13, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180813143905/https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1586632165/tu-publishing-a-small-independent-multicultural/description. live.
  6. Web site: Company Overview of TU Books . August 1, 2018 . . August 13, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180813144001/https://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=99358381. live.
  7. Web site: Inside Tu Books, a new publisher focusing on multicultural SF and fantasy books for kids . Charlie Jane . Anders . Charlie Jane Anders . November 5, 2010 . . August 1, 2018 . August 13, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180813175334/https://io9.gizmodo.com/5682953/inside-tu-books-a-new-publisher-focusing-on-multicultural-sf-and-fantasy-books-for-kids. live.
  8. Web site: Current Representations of American Indians in Children's Publishing . November 24, 2015 . Natasha . Gilmore . . August 1, 2018 . May 15, 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170515170843/http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-industry-news/article/68791-current-representations-of-american-indians-in-children-s-publishing.html. live.
  9. Web site: Opening New Doors: SF/Fantasy Publishing 2010 . JoSelle . Vanderhooft . April 12, 2010 . March 19, 2018 . . January 26, 2014 . https://archive.today/20140126112932/http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/publisher-news/article/42792-opening-new-doors.html. live.
  10. Web site: Lee & Low Gets New Imprint . John A. . Sellers . March 10, 2010 . March 19, 2018 . . August 13, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180813174754/https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-industry-news/article/42386-lee-low-gets-new-imprint.html. live.
  11. Web site: Q&A: Sacy Whitman of Tu Books. September 23, 2015. March 19, 2018. Kirkus Reviews. August 13, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180813143954/https://www.kirkusreviews.com/features/stacy-whitman-tu-books/. live.
  12. Web site: New Visions Award for Authors of Color . March 19, 2018 . . April 19, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180419205357/https://www.leeandlow.com/writers-illustrators/new-visions-award. live.
  13. Web site: 2013 New Visions Award Winners . April 11, 2013 . March 19, 2018 . . August 16, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180816194602/https://www.leeandlow.com/writers-illustrators/new-visions-award/2013-new-visions-award-winners. live.
  14. Web site: 2014 New Visions Award Winners . May 7, 2015 . March 19, 2018 . . April 21, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180421092545/https://www.leeandlow.com/writers-illustrators/new-visions-award/2014-new-visions-award-winners. live.
  15. Web site: 2015 New Visions Award Winners . May 23, 2016 . March 19, 2018 . . August 16, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180816194814/https://www.leeandlow.com/writers-illustrators/new-visions-award/2015-new-visions-award-winners. live.
  16. Web site: 2013 Andre Norton Award for Young Adult Science Fiction and Fantasy . . March 13, 2017.
  17. Web site: Award Category: Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Children's Literature (Mythopoeic Award). March 13, 2017. Internet Speculative Fiction Database.

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