We had the good fortune of connecting with Roberto Carlos Garcia and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Roberto Carlos, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I wanted to provide poets with an opportunity to publish, ideally, their first poetry collection. And for that opportunity to exist without charging a submission fee.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Get Fresh Books Publishing is a cooperative press and a 501c3 tax exempt organization, where our poets, editors, and the publisher create and pursue a vision for the writer’s book. Our poets then bring their unique skills to the table to strengthen our mission. Our press does not charge submission fees or run contests. We publish talented authors whose work we respect and admire, and we are interested in publishing your work.

Our chief concern is to provide opportunities for underrepresented voices in publishing, we reject all the “isms” and phobias suppressing our voices. No to racism, sexism, ageism, gender identity discrimination, homophobia, Islamophobia, and economic disenfranchisement.

Get Fresh Books wants manuscripts from People of Color, LGBTQ+, people who are differently abled, people who are blind or deaf, and people living with mental illnesses.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
The first place we’d go is The Village in New York City. Check out Washington Square Park and some local small businesses. Afterwards, we’d go eat at Mamoun’s Falafel Restaurant! The next trip would be to Washington DC to check out the National Mall. After what I’m sure would be a long day of walking and sight seeing, we’d go eat at Jaleo, a restaurant owned by the humanitarian chef Jose Andres.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to thank everyone who has supported Get Fresh Books Publishing. So many people have donated money, their time and resources, emotional support, and an ear to this labor of love. I’m so grateful to each and every one of you. Thank you to my wife and kids, for their generosity. They share me with the world when I know they’d rather keep me all to themselves.

Website: https://gfbpublishing.org/

Instagram: @gfbpublishing

Twitter: @gfbpublishing

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdq8Fi68s7xI8qmaO20fOOg/videos

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutHTX is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.