Meet Lisa Diane Kastner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Lisa Diane Kastner and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lisa Diane, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
It was literally the first time I hung out with my husband. I had been telling him about how I knew so many incredible authors who couldn’t get book deals and I didn’t understand why. He said, “why don’t you start your own press?”

That had never occurred to me. “Does it work that way?” I asked him.

He shrugged and said, “I don’t know. It works that way in music. If something is missing then you go ahead and start it.”

I spent the next several years interviewing agents and publishers to find out how they made their acquisition decisions, which is how I discovered there were definitely gaps in how new stories were found within the publishing industry. So we started Running Wild to fill those gaps and to change the world through storytelling.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I’m incredibly proud of all the amazing stories we’ve published. We have former New York Times bestsellers and award winning authors seek us out to be published by us and to work with us, as well as up-and-coming authors. Our team has worked incredibly hard to attract truly amazing storytellers and worked with them to make their stories the best they can be.

This definitely hasn’t been an easy road. This said, each time we were ready to give up, something happened that reinforced that we need to exist. An example is that a few years into us existing, I was ready to close our doors. We had been spending insane hours working with new talent, publicizing and promoting our titles, and it felt like we had very little responses. And then I got a phone call that not one, but three of our books were named among the best of the year by Kirkus Reviews. I literally cried with gratefulness.

What do I want the world to know about me and my brand and story? That at Running Wild and RIZE we seek out incredible storytellers who don’t fit neatly in a box and new voices from individuals who are from underrepresented groups, and we work with them to make their stories the absolute best they can be. And then we get them out into the world in a variety of formats – ebook, paperback, audiobook, and sometimes hardback special edition – and make those same fantastic stories available for use in other formats whether it be translation, TV, film, games or other forms. Fans want their stories wherever they are.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
What a fun question. Admittedly, I’ve provided this response before the Los Angeles fires. As far as I know, these incredible experiences are still available. That said, I ask for your patience and in this harrowing time, I ask for kindness, patience, and empathy for so many impacted by the fires and the after affects from them. Under the assumption that these places are still available, here’s my take at a fun week in LA: Sunday – Brunch at Circe 55 followed by visiting the Griffith Observatory and hiking the hills nearby to close the visit out by watching the sun go down at the observatory
Monday – tour Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank followed by lunch at The Smokehouse to dine on their amazing ribs, shop the incredible Dark Delicacies, get a snack at Portos, and then wander around Universal Walk, possibly closing the night out with a movie
Tuesday – take a classic gondola ride in Venice, bike ride along the beach, dine at Marino’s restaurant in Hollywood. Splurge on the zucchini blossom, fettuccine lobster or pappardelle bolognese
Wednesday – walk along the rose gardens near the California Science Center, tour the California Science Center, the California African American Museum, the Natural History Museum and then hit up the 23rd St. Cafe for their breakfast burrito that’s a fusion of Mexican, Indian, and American fare.
Thursday – wander around The Grove, see a movie, and dine at American Beauty
Friday – spend the day at the Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens
Saturday – take the business class Amtrak train ride for a day trip to San Diego to wander the beaches, shop at Mysterious Galaxy bookstore, and take a harbor cruise

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I’d like to recognize my husband, Bobbie Rae, because none of this would exist without his incredible inspiration and support. I’d like to recognize my core team, Peter Wright, Ben White, Cody Cisco, Joelle Mitchell, Evangeline Estropia, and many other who really create the heart of our company. I want to thank Jonathan Maberry for his incredible friendship, mentorship, and inspiration. I’d like to thank IBPA (Independent Book Publishers Association) and IPG (Independent Publishers Group) for all of the amazing opportunities to get our fantastic stories out into the world. I want to thank our family of authors, editors, and readers at Running Wild and RIZE, as well as our extended families in Pennwriters, Horror Writers Association, The Writers Coffeehouse(s), San Diego ComicFest, San Diego ComicCon, Los Angeles Book Festival, Yale Writers Workshop, Breadloaf Writers Conference, Chautauqua Writers’ Festival, our incredible advisors – Chris Ryall, Jonathan Maberry, Mary Ellen Thomas, Brett Cohen, Hank Kanalz. I’d also like to thank our extended family of artists in Fairfield University, Drexel University, and Alma College.

Website: https://www.lisadkastner.com https://www.runningwildpublishing.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runningwildpressllc/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-kastner/

Twitter: https://x.com/RunWildBooks

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/runningwildpress

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@runningwildpress3124

Image Credits
All cover designs created by Emir from Pulp Studio Designs Headshot provided by the incredible Ines Piquet