The write stuff / Local author and her husband start publishing company

SHOP TALK   4/24/03

Maria Zate, NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

Like many aspiring novelists, Jolinda Newton Pizzirani dreamed of having her work published, but she was well aware of the difficulty of finding an agent and publisher to represent her.

A class offered through Santa Barbara City College's Adult Education program in January inspired Mrs. Pizzirani and her husband, Patrizio, to start their own publishing company, Journey Publications, based in their Summerland home.

Journey Publications specializes in books that "can inspire readers worldwide, open minds and generate revelations," according to company literature. In March, the company released its first book, "Soul Survivor," which explores the issue of life after death.

"I wanted the company to concentrate on books that can be helpful to people," said Mrs. Pizzirani. "My goal is to leave this world knowing that I've contributed something useful."

Born and raised in Santa Barbara, Mrs. Pizzirani said she first became interested in exploring metaphysical questions after her best friend's husband died. The circumstances of the death were mysterious and tragic, and it led Mrs. Pizzirani on a quest to discover more about the soul and spirituality.

Over the past 20 years, she has written several books about metaphysical topics, including "Soul Survivor" and a collection of poetry. A nonfiction book she co-authored, called "What's a Mother to Do? The ABCs of Raising a Child," was published in 2000, but the publisher went out of business. That experience motivated her to establish Journey Publications. In addition to "Soul Survivor," the company plans to publish five more books by the end of the year.

Mrs. Pizzirani said her publishing house was launched with less than $1,000, with most of the costs going toward registering with the federal government and buying the required ISBNs, or International Standard Book Numbers.

So far, Amazon. com is selling "Soul Survivor," and Barnes & Noble plans to do the same once Journey sets up a relationship with a wholesale distributor, she said.