Kristen Morris is looking for the finest literary talent imaginable.

The West Seattle book publisher/packager is quite simply able to offer the kind of creative outlet which authors usually only dream about. Through Tigress Publishing, Morris and her authors work together to choose every feature of the book from the type of paper to the font to the cover art. The author pays for a portion of the cost of printing, and in exchange, Morris stages creative publicity events, such as wine and hors d'oeuvres at the Seattle Police Museum and a "ghost tour" of Pioneer Square to promote author Neil Low's book Thick as Thieves.

Self-publishing is the way for a first-time author to achieve both success and control, and history shows it works.

"Everybody you know self-published in the beginning," says Morris, interviewed recently at Cafe Nouveau. "People like Steven King began by publishing their own work."

This is because the big New York publishing houses focus their marketing budgets on about four titles a year, so most authors receive very little publicity, she says. A good friend of Morris with a successful book discovered that she felt wined and dined by her agent, but not so nurtured by her publishing house. With Morris, it's different.

At a recent event, Morris herself catered and even prepared the food, and her son Mike poured the fine wine. Morris coached author Low about his reading, and they practiced the tour he would give later that evening of the haunts and foul behavior of the old Pioneer Square residents.

After an interview, Morris kindly calls up another author, Jeffry W. Myers, chatting in a friendly way about the edits on his photography book. Every aspect of Tigress bespeaks of this level of protective care and respect for the author.

"To me," Morris says, "The artist is the art."

With a background which includes working for a self-publisher, Morris is one of those people who breathe books. Now 38, she grew up loving books.

"I do have a passion for books; I always have," she said. "There is something about the eyes looking at the page and taking in the words, which become sentences which strung together create a movie in the mind. Books are a place where people come together and create community, talking about their impressions of the book. In this day of the Internet, we are so disconnected, and books bring back that connection."

In Pioneer Square, author Low is clearly enjoying his work. A captain of the Seattle Police Department, Low signs copies of Thick as Thieves, reads a few excerpts in the Seattle Police Museum and then guides a large group out into the cold October air for a tour.

He reads from note cards and speaks of a rich knowledge of the past. Guests at the event paid $30 apiece to attend - money which goes right back into the book. Thick as Thieves is the No. 1 mystery paperback sold in Seattle and the No. 5 nationwide for July 2008, according to Tigress.

"All of my authors realize that to be successful, writing must be a business to them," Morris said. "We treat writing exactly like a business; each title is set up as a business."

Morris sometimes asks her authors to adjust their work based on the market.

"I have seen beautiful books that could not be published because they did not fit in any genre. All of the Tigress books are designed to be successful. There is no magical formula to guarantee success: we design the books to take advantage of every possible angle we can to get that book in front of an audience and an appropriate audience."

Morris looks for authors that understand this.

"I am looking for authors who write exceptionally well, and who are willing to stand up behind their stories," Morris said. "And this is a marathon; not a sprint. I am looking for authors with more than one book in mind."

In her career, Morris has been a part of the publication of 56 books. She was dissatisfied with the devotion to the actual product and so in December 2007 she created Tigress Publishing, operating out of West Seattle.

She's released three books thus far, with four more in production.

Morris pools freelance artists, editors and designers.

"I really strive to work with the best editors, printing companies and proof readers, artists and book designers," she said. In the past companies where she worked, this was not true and she is proud of the difference.

Morris views herself as the partner of her authors and to her, the books are works of art.

"It's all really an art," she says. "It's all very high quality. And for my first-time authors it makes sense to come to me."

The Tigress roster so far includes Thick as Thieves, Neil Low's 1940s murder mystery set in Seattle; Lend Me Your Ear, a guide for getting heard and understood in the public arena; Intermezzo for Solo Viola by Henriette Mendels, a 1930s coming of age love story, tolerance and acceptance set in Manhattan; Mysteries and Meaning in the Universe, Jeffry W. Myers' photography book; Echoes of Time, Luis Castillo's modern-day thriller wrapped around a love story and the sinking of the Spanish Galleon the San Jose.

She also owns the Merlot Murder Mystery Series.

"This is a very exciting project set in the vineyards of Eastern Washington written by horror novelist Peter Atkins and local author Michael Tomkins. It features the award-winning Kestrell Vineyard of Prosser. The series showcases original artwork by world-renowned artist Steve Montiglio (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Sex and the City, Sky Vodka).

"We have all this amazing talent coming together. Hopefully we'll be selling a screenplay from it and we will be selling this Murder Merlot series. It caught fire and everything fell into place."

Kristen Morris seems determined to leave a mark on the literary marketplace, and to find a respectful way for an author to cultivate a career.

"The author is the brand I am trying to build," she says. "It's not just the actual manuscript; I have to like the person. This is a partnership; I have to really be inspired by the manuscript and this is a business. They have to be passionate about their writing as a career, not just something to do behind closed doors as a hobby."

Morris seems devoted to her vision of assembling, releasing and supporting fine art and the authors who create it.

"Books are a place where a sense of community returns, where people can get together and talk about their experience of a book. In a way, the whole purpose of the book is social. It's to get you to think about it. I love it."

Lesley Holdcroft may be reached via wseditor@robinsonnews.com