Community Highlights: Meet Joy Triche of Tiger Stripe Publishing & Darklight Studios

Today we’d like to introduce you to Joy Triche.

Joy Triche has always been a book lover! Her mom is an educator and believes in the power of books. She made sure Ms. Triche had plenty of books around. “My love of books spawned in me an interest in publishing, and a desire to eventually start my own publishing house. I worked in the publishing industry for many years, mostly educational publishing due to my location. I saw each new position as an opportunity to learn more about the industry.” After working various editorial and operations positions with companies such as National Geographic School Publishing, Ms. Triche launched Tiger Stripe Publishing.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Ms. Triche believes that without challenge, we don’t learn. Some of Tiger Stripe’s biggest challenges have been about book discovery and being taken seriously as a traditional publisher, rather than a vanity press. “There are gate keepers in publishing, particularly when it comes to distribution. We continue to push forward and promote our titles loud and proud. We believe that the best thing we can do is to continue to develop high quality, unique books that we think children will love.” Tiger Stripe would love to hear from more authors of color, interested in sharing their beautifully authentic stories.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Tiger Stripe Publishing & Darklight Studios?
Tiger Stripe Publishing (TSP) is an exciting provider of BIPOC children’s books. Their mission is to publish children’s books that celebrate BIPOC people. At Tiger Stripe Publishing they believe that every child deserves to see themselves reflected in a book. And they believe in the power and importance of books for children’s literacy. TSP’s founder and lead publisher is not only passionate about BIPOC children’s books, she is an experienced publisher and a caring mother. “My love of books inspired me to pursue a career in publishing, but my children inspired me to focus on BIPOC children’s books,” said Joy Triche, TSP founder and president. Our current titles include: Picture books for ages 3-8: “Super-Q Series Book 1: Q Saves the Sun”; “Super-Q Series Book 2: Q Tangles With Time”; “Nuri Means Light”; “YAWN”; and “How I Became We” Chapter books: for middle school “Because of Khalid” and for grades 2-4 “A Song for Robin” Tiger Stripe Publishing operates like a traditional indie publisher: They receive and request manuscripts from amazing authors. If the story fits their mission and business needs, they work with the author to bring the book to life. Then we market and sell our books mostly online through retailers B&N.com, Amazon, and, in some cases, through our website tigerstripepub.com. Fall of 2020, Ms. Triche added another business to her portfolio, launching Darklight Studios with author and friend Isaac Perry. Darklight produces original content that transcends a single medium. Through partnerships with publishers, including Tiger Stripe, many of their stories debut in print as novels, picture books, chapter books, or graphic novels. Darklight also manages the licensing of their characters and series.

We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
You can’t be an entrepreneur and be completely risk adverse. I admit that I have not been as courageous as some, but I’ve taken a few risks: In 2014, I quit my job and started freelancing so I could spend more time on Tiger Stripe. In 2018 I moved my business from Chicago to here in Phoenix. Moving to Phoenix was moving back to my childhood home, but my business was founded in Chicago. With some many supporters and clients in Chicago, it was risky to move here, but family comes first! Being a small company, many of our moves are risky, because they can have a big impact.

Contact Info:

• Email: jet@tigerstripepub.com
• Website: tigerstripepub.com
• Instagram: tigerstripebks
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/tigerstripebooks
• Twitter: @Tigerstripebks

Image Credits
Janet H. Beason