A New Chapter: Signing with Livingston Press

Bringing Samaná’s history into the classroom, the catalog, and the culture.

Publishing is full of choices that look simple on the surface but cut deep when you sit with them. Big press or small press? Commercial reach or literary alignment? Fast money or lasting catalog? On paper, it sounds like business. In practice, it’s about respect.

For months, I was right in the middle of that tension. My manuscript, Samaná: Seven Generations, was moving through different hands. I had updates, I had emails, I had readers already responding to the story through the condensed Story Letters editions. And while some doors closed, what mattered most was the one that opened at the right time.

Enter Livingston Press.

From the very beginning, the energy was different. Quick replies. Real conversations. They even sent me books—One Hundred Pearls by Barry Michael Cole and The Alleged Woman by Joe Taylor himself. When I showed them the Amazon momentum, they didn’t hesitate—they moved my release date up by an entire year, now aiming for Spring 2026.

They recognized the hustle. And more importantly, they respected it.

That’s prestige. Not in the sense of glitz or big headlines, but in the sense of how you treat people, how you treat the work, how you honor the effort. Prestige is respect. Respect is everything.

Distribution vs. Alignment

A giant publisher could have offered me distribution. Livingston offered me alignment.
A giant could have offered catalog placement. Livingston gave me catalog permanence.
A giant might have tried to reshape the story into something more commercial. Livingston embraced it exactly as it was meant to be told.

And for my brand, my mission, and my readers—that alignment matters more than anything.

Cultural Distribution > Commercial Distribution

I don’t need a massive machine to validate my story. I already have cultural distribution. Black readers, Dominican readers, Caribbean readers, diaspora kids. These communities carry the story, pass it on, and archive it in their hearts. That is distribution money cannot buy.

So I did not lose anything along the way. I gained everything when Livingston said yes. Because one yes from the right place is worth more than a hundred maybes from the wrong ones.

Respect is everything. And with Livingston Press, I have found it.

I am beyond excited to step into this new chapter as a traditionally published author. This is the beginning of a journey I have dreamed about for years, and now it is finally real. Expect to hear much more from me as the process unfolds, from edits to cover design to watching Samaná: Seven Generations find its place in the world. I cannot wait to bring you along for every step.

📖 Read Story Letters from Samaná

While the full novel is coming with Livingston Press in 2026, you can already experience the condensed editions that built the momentum:

• Story Letters from Samaná (10K English edition on Amazon) – A 10,000-word condensed version of the novel, designed as an entry point into the Samaná story world.

• Cartas de Samaná (10K Spanish edition on Amazon) – The same condensed story in Spanish, carrying a different emotional resonance for Spanish-speaking readers.

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🌀 Digital Edition + Extras on Gumroad

• Story Letters from Samaná (Gumroad) – Includes the condensed story plus a historical Pan Cocolo (Johnny Cake) recipe, preserved from Samaná’s cultural memory. Price: $7+ (pay what you want). This version is for readers who want both the story and a taste of heritage.

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✍🏽 The Root Verse: A Legacy in Seven Poems

• The Root Verse (Poetry Collection on Gumroad) – A companion to the Samaná universe, this collection captures seven intergenerational poems that echo the themes of memory, silence, diaspora, and inheritance. Price: $3.99. Perfect for readers who want the lyrical heart of the project.

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These shorter versions, digital editions, and poetry companion are the blueprint that proved the story could reach readers—and they’re the reason Livingston saw the vision.

👉 If you believe in cultural distribution, in literary architecture, in legacy storytelling—start here. Because this isn’t just publishing. This is preservation.