About Us
Tra Publishing creates beautifully crafted books that celebrate art in all its forms, as well as its creators.
At Tra, each book is a unique experience, meticulously designed and fabricated in response to and with utmost respect for the contents. Tra works closely and often collaboratively with artists and writers to create books about fine and decorative arts, architecture, and design that inspire social, cultural, and environmental awareness. Particular emphasis is placed on the physical components of the bookmaking process, resulting in books that are works of art and modes of expression in and of themselves.
Tra was founded in 2016 in Miami by Swiss-born graphic designer and author Ilona Oppenheim. The publishing company builds on fifteen years of design excellence through Ilona Creative Studio, Oppenheim’s creative consultancy firm. The impetus for Tra was to create beautiful, substantial, and special books that readers experience physically, as opposed to digitally. “In today’s world of excess and technology, we believe that the tactile process of holding and reading a book is a mindful experience that creates a real connection to life,” Oppenheim says. “We want our readers to appreciate details such as the beauty of color on paper, and we want people to share these books with their friends and family.”
Tra’s design aesthetic is one of restraint; the images and words on the pages take precedence. Tra’s award-winning designers treat each title as an entirely original expression—in essence, there is no typical Tra book. The firm works with carefully selected bookmakers around the world and places a premium on ethical bookmaking practices and materials. Once a book is published, the relationship continues: Tra goes beyond traditional publicity practices to bring the contents of each title to life in additional ways, such as through exhibitions, events, and workshops.
Tra is passionate about books and passionate about the contribution each book can make. As part of that commitment, proceeds for many of Tra’s titles are donated to environmental, arts, and activist organizations. In 2020 we made the commitment to only use FSC-certified paper. In addition, every time a book is purchased through our website, a tree will be planted where it's needed most. We have partnered with One Tree Planted to help restore the landscape of old growth forests, encourage the proliferation of species that will be resilient in the face of climate change, and support the essential health of forest ecosystems that create habitats for wildlife species. We are eager to build a more sustainable future, one book––and one tree––at a time.
Tra's books are distributed worldwide through Simon & Schuster.
Team
Tra has assembled an exceptional team of editors, designers, marketing professionals, and consultants who bring a wealth of talent and experience to bear on each title. Tra’s team is multinational and multilingual, lending a unique and global perspective to the endeavor of creating its beautifully crafted books.
Ilona Oppenheim
Publisher & Creative Director
Ilona is a graphic designer and author with over two decades of sophisticated graphic design and high-end branding experience. She grew up in Switzerland, where she began her graphic design career. Tra Publishing builds on her experience as the founder and principal of Ilona Creative Studio (ICS), a branding and graphic design studio that works extensively with clients in art, fashion, real estate, and hospitality. She is also the author of Savor, a cookbook of rustic recipes inspired by forest, field, and farm, published by Artisan. Her love of books and belief in the value of experiencing books as physical objects inspired her to found Tra and to commit to the highest level of quality.
Jessica Faroy
Publishing Director
Jessica is a copywriter, editor, and author. She has worked with a handful of indie publishers and small presses, specializing in nonfiction and children’s literature. At Tra, she divides her time between publicity, sales, and editorial departments. Originally from Havana, Jessica currently lives in Miami.
Jefferson Quintana
Art Director
Jeff is a graphic designer and illustrator. He determines the overall style and tone desired for Tra’s projects and develops design concepts. Prior to joining Tra, Jeff illustrated and designed the children’s book La Tía Berta, which was selected as one of the 2014 White Ravens books by the Internationale Jugendbibliothek (International Youth Library) in Munich. Many of his other works have been recognized in Spain, Germany, Slovakia, Canada, and the United States.
Lisa McGuiness
Editorial Director
Lisa is an editor, author, and project manager with a specialty in editing lifestyle books, cook books and children’s fiction and non-fiction. She has experience working at several publishers during her career including Chronicle Books, Yellow Pear Press, Mango Publishing and now Tra Publishing. She also writes fiction, lifestyle books and children’s books including novels titled Catarina’s Ring and Across the Deep as well as Meaningful Bouquets, the Love Language of Flowers and the Dictionary of Ordinary Extraordinary Animals. She lives in the San Francisco Bay area.
Andrea Gollin
Editor
Andrea is an editor, writer, and project manager with more than twenty years of experience for a variety of publications, organizations, and audiences. She has edited dozens of books, museum exhibition catalogues, and academic journals, primarily in the fields of art, architecture, and urban planning. Her clients include The Wolfsonian Museum, Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, the High Museum of Art, the Dallas Museum of Art, The Bass, University of Miami, Nantucket Island School of Design and the Arts, and multiple graphic design firms. She has been on staff at magazines and newspapers, and her journalism and book reviews have appeared in publications including the Miami Herald, the Washington Post, New York Newsday, Entertainment Weekly, and Salon.com. She also writes fiction, and several of her short stories have been published in literary journals.
Ileana Oroza Copy Editor
Ileana brings decades of extensive editorial experience to Tra. After a career as a lecturer at the University of Miami’s School of Communication and as an editor at The Miami Herald, she is now a freelance editor with a focus on cultural issues and Latin American affairs. Among the positions she held during twenty years at The Herald were arts editor and assistant managing editor. At the University of Miami, Ileana taught a wide variety of journalism classes, including editing and features reporting.
Andrea Burnett
Publicity
Andrea has over twenty years of innovative public relations and marketing experience. She creates highly visible and successful campaigns for award-winning publishers across the globe. With a robust background in publishing, Andrea has worked with authors in virtually every artistic discipline and boasts an impressive list of media contacts.