A Is for Activist facts for kids
 |
|
| Author | Innosanto Nagara |
|---|---|
| Audio read by | Tom Morello |
| Illustrator | Innosant Nagara |
| Country | USA |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Triangle Square |
|
Publication date
|
19 November 2013 |
| Pages | 32 |
| ISBN | 978-1-60980-539-5 |
A is for Activist is a bestselling children's alphabet board book by Innosanto Nagara. His debut as both an author and an illustrator, he initially wrote it for his children out of a desire for a political yet educational book, and then, receiving positive responses from both friends and Kickstarter campaign, published it through Triangle Square.
Background
Nagara, heavily involved in activism and social justice initiatives, originally wrote A is for Activist for his son, out of a perceived need for a "pro-activist, pro-social justice, pro-gay, pro-labor, pro-diversity, pro-gressive ABC book." On the recommendation of friends, he sought to publish a larger run of the book, finding that the costs of printing individual board books quickly became prohibitive. Eventually, Nagara started a campaign on Kickstarter that raised $4,501 in 30 days. That allowed him to self-publish and have 3,000 copies of the book printed—he packaged them in his home and sent orders out through the post office, and despite being a one-man operation, sold all 3,000 copies in a matter of months.
Nagara began sending his book to various independent presses, but found that most had "reservations" about the cost of printing and were unfamiliar with the format. Eventually, he found a publisher in Triangle Square, an imprint of Seven Stories Press, and the book has had more than four printings. Seven Stories' Spanish-language imprint, Siete Cuentos, also published an edition translated by the musician Martha Gonzalez in fall 2014. An audiobook version, read by the guitarist and activist Tom Morello, has been made free online.
