Publisher Profile: Tielmour Press
The CBC asks Jon Seymour, Publishers, questions about the publisher.
How did your publishing house start out?
As most businesses, we started out as an idea. We knew the landscape of the children’s literature industry (i.e., kidlit), and we wanted to try getting involved beyond just writing books. Furthermore, we wanted to try and do something different. After almost 2 years of planning and prep, we soft-launched in late 2023 as a new traditional publishing press that also has a focus on environmental stewardship.
What is your publishing house most known for?
One thing we might be known for (or at least something we are very proud of) is that in partnership with various organizations, we are able to plant a tree for every book sold!
Where in the country is your house based? What do you love about being based there?
We’re stationed out of Ontario, Canada, and we love being located close to our nation’s capital, where there is so much culture and diversity.
What conventions and conferences does your publishing house usually attend?
Since we are a new press, we have our sights on being active in attending SCBWI conferences and events.
How many employees does your house have?
We have 3 staff, and we also work with a number of talented freelance support staff.
How many books does your house aim to publish per season/year?
We are selective in how many books we publish per year, but our business target is to increase the total number of titles published every year. Right now, we are hovering around 3-6 titles.
Which genres does your house prefer to publish?
While we exclusively publish children’s books, we have a keen interest in non-fiction and informational fiction stories. We always love a good fiction title, too.
Which formats does your house prefer to publish?
Our preferred formats are picture books, chapter books, and middle grade but we also keep our options open.
What are some of your house’s publishing priorities over the next few years?
Our current priorities are sustainable growth of the company while simultaneously focusing on new ways to support environmental programs and initiatives.
Which title does your house feel deserved more love than it got?
A Morning with Blueburry is a story that has yet to disappoint children. However, because it is a monochrome story (black and white), it’s hard to compete visually against flashy, more vibrant titles on a shelf.
Which upcoming titles is your house buzzing about?
Frankly, all of our titles! But we are also excited to welcome our first non-fiction title, Fungi Are…More Than Mushrooms, in early 2025.
Which of your frontlist titles would be great for a school or public library? Which grade?
No School, My Rules! by Stephanie Henson will be a must-have for schools and libraries as it beautifully navigates the emotions associated with school refusal by incorporating beautiful and imaginative text that compares the challenges of going to school with the surrounding world.
Which of your frontlist titles would be great for a classroom? Which grade?
Blink and Glow by Raven Howell is a great classroom title for grades 1-3 as it explores the concepts of appreciating the natural world without being impactful.
Which of your frontlist tiles would you like to see get more attention from bookstores?
Kathi Q. Builds A Time Machine? By Jo-Ann Scranton is a great bookstore addition! It has a strong and quirky female lead, it’s STEM-based, and it’s a brilliant and original twist of a picture book (flipping standard picture book conventions upside-down)!
Name a few of your favorite backlist titles that people should check out.
People should definitely check out Isaac And The Boulder by Jo-Ann Scranton!
Thank you, Tielmour Press!
