About Us

The Press "side” of Shared Roads is an independent collaborative publishing house that aims to publish high-quality, worthwhile books the larger commercial publishers often ignore. As with traditional publishing houses, authors submit manuscripts to the Press for consideration, and a small percentage of them may be accepted for publication under the Shared Roads Press imprint. (Also as with traditional publishing houses, many more submissions are rejected than accepted.)

Shared Roads Press: A Small, Independent Publisher

As Editor and Publisher, Dr. Diane Kistner makes the final decision on all manuscripts submitted to the Press. With more than thirty years of experience in the various nooks and crannies of the publishing industry, working in both editorial and production capacities, she understands many aspects of the bookmaking process and enjoys helping bring good books into the world.

In the seventies, Diane headed up the critically well received Ali Baba Press and served for a year as the Southern Regional Director of the Committee of Small Press Editors and Publishers (COSMEP). She was one of the movers and shakers who helped launch the vibrant writers’ and artists’ community in the Little Five Points Pub area of Atlanta during this time. She took a decade off from publishing to train and serve as a trauma therapist for military veterans, but returned to independent publishing after retiring from that work.

In addition to running Shared Roads Press, Diane currently also manages Shared Roads’ Productions side, helping to coordinate associates’ activities and ensuring their work meets Shared Roads’ high standards. She also serves as an Associate Editor for FutureCycle Press. Her own writing, including three national award recipients for poetry and essay, has been published in newspapers, literary journals, and scholarly magazines.