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About Tonto Books
Now in its seventh year, independent publishing house Tonto Books has established a reputation for quirky, off-beat, left-of-centre captivating and driven fiction and non-fiction.

Tonto Books wasn’t set up by Lone Ranger enthusiasts nor was it intended to be an ironic slant on the Spanish word for stupid or fool. Tonto’s true meaning is wild one, which is the ethos behind a ballsy independent that lives by the line ‘You gotta make it happen.’

Tonto Press grew out of an idea formulated by two plucky-yet-frustrated writers sat on the back row of a MA Creative Writing class way back in 2005. That idea was to help support and nurture writers and value them as an integral part of the publishing industry, to create opportunities for writers, to promote them, turn them into authors, source and commission ‘titles we’d like to have on our bookshelves at home’ and to create a buzz around town.

The idea developed. It grew into Tonto Books, which quickly became known in its own back yard as a publisher of that knows what it wants and has the initiative to go after it; a publisher staying true to its roots, but also one that isn’t afraid to take risks and always aiming high. With a keen and eccentric eye, Tonto Books is interested in manuscripts and ideas that don’t quite fit the mould, with a passion for autobiographies and biographies, humour and edgy fiction.

And, just like the moon and the stars and the sun, Tonto Books shines on...

Notable accolades
In 2008, Sin Cities: Adventures of a Sex Reporter writer Ashley Hames was featured in Loaded magazine and Ash was invited to take part in their bacon sandwich-eating competition.

We have been featured in The Bookseller countless times; notably in 2009 when a publisher profile of Stu Wheatman appeared.

Also in 2009, Slimmer Charlie author Charlie Walduck promoted his book on ITV1’s This Morning show and Loose Women and BBC1’s The One Show.

In 2010, The Change Agent by the UK’s most prolific ghost-writer Andrew Crofts generated a five-page feature based around James Martin, the subject of the book, in The Independent magazine.

In 2011, Where’s Whitey? by New York Times best-sellers Kevin Weeks and Phyllis Karas gained worldwide publicity as James ‘Whitey’ Bulger was captured after 16 years on the run from the FBI. It also made front page news in North East press. Other titles making front page newspaper features were Him Off The Viz and Shakespeare and Love.

Also in 2011, Riverside: Newcastle’s Legendary Alternative Music Venue by Hazel Plater and Carl Taylor enjoyed press coverage, reviews and a mention on page three of The Sun, right next to Katie from Liverpool!