Why Postcard Press?

Before we really get started, we thought it would be best to let you know who we are. After all, why should you be interested in Postcard Press? What is Postcard Press all about?

The short answer: If you love traveling and learning about the world around and you want to be part of that world, then Postcard Press will be a great place to start.

We are setting out to create a press and a community for those whose wanderlust can’t be contained. We are interested in thoughtful, sustainable, respectful cultural travel. But, you may ask, what is cultural travel exactly? Perhaps best described by Gary Langer in a 1977 issue of Transitions Abroad, cultural travel:

“emphasizes experiencing life within a foreign culture, rather than from the outside as a temporary visitor. Cultural travelers leave their home environment at home, bringing only themselves and a desire to become part of the culture they visit. Cultural travel goes beyond cultural exploration or discovery; it involves a transformation in way of life.”

And this idea is what Postcard Press aspires to achieve by publishing content to inspire travelers and ensure their journey is fulfilling.

As our mission statement expresses, Postcard Press is committed to turning tourists into travelers and bringing the world to our readers, providing them with the means to immerse themselves in a new culture even if they never leave their homes. We want to offer a more complete view of unique locations by sharing their stories, delving into their history, and offering up-to-date information. To promote cultural travel, our focus is on customs, food, religion, the arts, history, and the people, not tourist traps or the best-priced resort package.

The current guidebooks on the market are lacking this depth, simply helping tourists see well-known locations with only a cursory introduction to the culture of their destination. Many travel websites exist but many don’t provide the education, passion, and interaction that allows travelers to not only learn about a destination but also reflect on their journey and share their life-changing experiences with others.

Postcard Press wants to fill this hole in the travel niche. Starting out as a website and blog with a quarterly eMagazine, our content will aim to inspire, reflect, educate, and encourage our audience to make a deeper connection with the world and people around them. It will foster a more sustainable and respectful travel environment focusing on experiences, education, and cultures. Eventually, we would like to expand the press to publish travel guidebooks and non-fiction—authored by academics, reputable globetrotters, and knowledgeable locals—that explore destinations and help our readers and travelers leave their home behind and have an immersive experience abroad.

So, how did this idea come about?

Postcard Press was born from a first-semester project in grad school at The George Washington University. Founders Jacqueline Dell, Nicole Lamberson, and Sam Oty, with the rest of our group, were tasked with creating a hypothetical press. The project spanned the entire class and addressed all major aspects of developing a publishing press. We enjoyed our concept and working together so much that, from there, we continued working on this idea throughout the next two years, using it as the basis for several class projects covering editorial, business, marketing, and technology. This attention to the press allowed for an in-depth exploration of what this press could be and expound on our original idea. The passion all founders feel toward this project and the belief that the content Postcard Press will aim to produce is needed and wanted by the target audience led to the decision to turn the project into an actual business. We know that we are simply three young women new to the publishing industry but we have the drive and desire to make an impact.

The inspiration for this press also comes from the founders’ love of travel, culture, learning, and wanderlust. And over the next week, you’ll get to know each of us, the reason we are part of Postcard Press and about our own experiences and love of travel. We hope you’ll not only see how passionate we are about this press and what we hope to accomplish as we grow but that you’ll also be inspired to join our community.

We want to hear from you, too. Feel free to leave us a comment about what interests you and what you would like to see on our website. Or you can always email your ideas and comments to postcardpressorg@gmail.com. We look forward to hearing from you as we get started on our journey!