'Meticulous About Editing,' Montco Women Run Book Publishing Outfit

ELKINS PARK, PA — Ann Stolinsky and Ruth Littner met at a local writing workshop just over a decade ago.

They became fast friends, bonding over a shared love of the written word.

Fast forward to 2022, and the two have been successfully running their small, selective publishing business venture in Elkins Park, Montgomery County.

The two entered into business together a mere month after meeting each other in the spring of 2011, a testament to their quick connection.

Today, they run a dual enterprise — Celestial Echo Press and Gemini Wordsmiths. One is more of a publishing company and the other the editing wing.

"We do have fun together, and we actually have grown pretty close," Littner said.

Patch recently interviewed the duo about their business venture and close personal bond.

Stolinsky is from the Roslyn section of Abington Township while Littner originally hails from New York but moved to Pennsylvania many years ago to raise her family.

Before starting Celestial Echo Press, Stolinsky was a civilian employee of the U.S. Military while Littner worked as an English teacher, writer and housewife.

The 'Gemini' in Gemini Wordsmiths came from the fact that both share the same astrological sign.

They're also both redheads.

When their partnership began, the initial goal was to strictly offer editing services — everything from novels to documents to other periodicals.

They developed a particular niche in editing things like board games.

They only moved into the publishing sphere in 2019.

"[We] decided to dip our toes in the water with anthologies," Stolinsky said. "We thought that would be a really good way to get our name out there."

Then came the short stories.

"That enabled us to have greater visibility," Stolinsky added.

The two women have already handled their first novel, Time Blinked, a baseball/fantasy story that includes elements of time travel.

And they published two short story collections: The Trench Coat Chronicles and The Twofer Compendium.

They next plan to publish Littner's book, titled Living With Ghosts, a work of nonfiction detailing the account of her parents during the Holocaust under Nazi Germany and how the trauma shaped the family, Littner herself and Littner's own children.

Much of the story, she said, centers around family members being killed by the Nazis and how Littner sort of "lives with" the ghosts of these people even though she never actually knew them in life.

"It's very emotional for me," she said of her book. "I've been doing it for a really long time. It's very difficult for me."

While other relatives perished in the Holocaust, her parents survived. Mom lived to the ripe old age of 92, while dad passed away when he was 76 years old.

"They were survivors for a reason," Littner said.

Stolinsky is a first-generation American; her father emigrated here from Ukraine.

As for their business, Littner called it a "hybrid publisher," offering both publishing and editing services.

She stressed that they are pretty selective about who they take on as clients.

"We are very selective about our catalog," she said. "It's not a matter of just taking whatever comes down the road."

The two said they are hoping to open up for submissions for novels in 2023.

"I don't think we're going to have to wait for very long," Stolinsky said. "People want to get their books published."

The two did caution that when they edit, they pay particularly close attention to detail.

"We are bulldog editors," Stolinsky said. "We are extremely detailed and meticulous about editing. We don't just set our authors adrift."

They try not to charge too much for their services, however, understanding that writing is not the most lucrative profession.

Outside of work, Stolinski and Littner, who both reside in Montgomery County, said the personal friendship they forged even trickled down to their respective families; their daughters are also now close acquaintances.

In the end, both women said they love what they do for a living and wouldn't change anything.

"Both of us love editing and love publishing so much it's almost hard to believe that people pay us for this, but we must insist upon it because we enjoy eating," Littner said with a laugh. "It's really, really, really in our blood. Both of us. And we are the grammar police."