Photo Book 'We Deserve This' Highlights Transgender Auto Enthusiasts
Preorders are open now for the coffee table book "We Deserve This," exclusively through CarraraBooks.com, with other major retailers to follow.
LONG BEACH, Calif., Feb. 26, 2024—Carrara Media proudly announces the preorder period for its latest release, a coffee table book called We Deserve This, available now. The visually stunning book, photographed by renowned automotive journalist Victoria Scott, features captivating photo spreads of more than 20 transgender models paired with unique and fascinating automobiles.
Following her published debut in 2023 with the fictional photo collection Postcards From the End of the World, Scott serves as the author and photographer for this celebration of diversity, style and the powerful intersection between identity and automotive culture. Through Scott's lens, We Deserve This leads readers on a journey that highlights the beauty of individuality and a shared passion for automobiles.
"We Deserve This is my statement to both my community and the world outside of it," Scott said. "We are letting the world know that we are stylish, beautiful, and powerful, and we deserve to be proud of it and share our joy."
To read the full announcement, click here.
Hot Debut: 'Cult of GT-R' Tops Amazon Charts in Five Different Categories
The latest nonfiction book from Carrara Media is off to a fast start in its first week of sales.
LONG BEACH, Calif., November 13, 2023—Copies of Cult of GT-R: A True Story of Crime, Obsession and the World's Most Coveted Car, are already in high demand. The new nonfiction book from author Ryan K. ZumMallen chronicles the history and controversy of the Nissan Skyline GT-R. Opening sales indicates it is finding an audience, too.
In its first week on the market, Cult of GT-R reached the No. 1 spot on five separate Amazon new releases charts. At one point, the book was the top new release in Transportation books, Automotive books, Automotive Industries books, Automotive History books and Motor Sports books.
In addition to Amazon, the book is also available widely on other online stores and marketplaces. Sales have been particularly strong through CarraraMedia.com directly. The website exclusively offers copies of the Wangan Edition, which features a purple cover and is limited to 250 copies only. Each one is numbered and signed by the author. After one week, fewer than 75 copies of the Wangan Edition remain.
Ryan K. ZumMallen is a veteran automotive journalist and the founder and president of Carrara Media. He has served as Senior Writer for Edmunds.com and Trucks.com, with freelance work appearing in Road & Track magazine, Car And Driver, The Verge and elsewhere. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram at @Zoomy575M.
About Carrara Media
Founded in 2018 in Long Beach, Calif., Carrara Media publishes books and digital content that shine new light on car culture and the automotive industry. Titles include Cult of GT-R (2023), Postcards From the End of the World (2023), a digital re-printing of the 1972 motorsports classic The Stainless Steel Carrot (2021) and Slow Car Fast (2019). The company works with experienced authors, editors and designers to explore our relationship with the automobile. Visit CarraraBooks.com or subscribe to the Race Day Newsletter on Substack for updates about Carrara Media and its titles.
Preorders Open: Nonfiction Book 'Cult of GT-R' Explores Crime and Controversy of the Nissan Skyline
Preorders are open now for paperback and eBook copies through CarraraBooks.com and other major retailers. The book will ship on November 6, 2023.
LONG BEACH, Calif., October 16, 2023 /PRNewswire/—Carrara Media proudly announces the launch of its latest nonfiction title, Cult of GT-R: A True Story of Crime, Obsession and the World's Most Coveted Car, available now. The new book traces the history and legacy of an era-defining sports car, both on and off the track, and the GT-R's rise to become a global and cultural phenomenon immortalized in film, video games and street racing lore.
As the follow-up to his nonfiction debut Slow Car Fast in 2019, author Ryan ZumMallen tackles the GT-R's complicated subculture to meet enthusiasts and fanatics who move the needle in this community — stretching from the U.S. to Japan. Informed by his experiences behind the wheel, in the passenger's seat, and deep inside courthouses from California to Florida, Cult of GT-R moves as briskly as the street racers who pushed the GT-R to its limit… and beyond.
"There is no story in the automotive world quite like that of the Skyline GT-R," ZumMallen said. "I am honored and thrilled to share Cult of GT-R with this global, impassioned fanbase."
To read the full announcement, click here.
Groundbreaking Photobook “Postcards From the End of the World” Publishing Soon in Limited Run – Preorders Open
Inspired by the beauty and vastness of the American west, the debut from author and photographer Victoria Scott combines stunning landscape photography with a fictional tale of love, adventure and survival.
LONG BEACH, Calif., December 12, 2022—Carrara Media will publish Postcards From the End of the World, an inventive photobook combining travel photography with a fictional tale of adventure and loss, by debut author and photographer Victoria Scott.
Releasing in vivid paperback copies, Postcards From the End of the World will deliver to customers in January 2023. The story follows narrator Kate on her travels through a deserted landscape in search of life and meaning, featuring photography on one side of each page and handwritten dispatches to her beloved Lily on the other.
The book is available for preorder now at CarraraBooks.com and each copy will be hand-signed by Scott. Images, excerpts and interview opportunities with Scott are available to the media by request.
“I began my automotive journalism career with a story about my own spin on the Great American Road Trip,” Scott said. “It seemed natural to begin my career as a print author with a fictional journey through the gorgeous expanses of the American West, too.”
Scott’s professional work has appeared in Jalopnik, The Drive, Hemmings and elsewhere. She is also an avid traveler, road-tripping often in a fourth-gen Toyota HiAce van named “Marsha.” She captured the photos used in Postcards From the End of the World over the course of several months while traversing several states – many of them with Marsha.
“It is an honor to play a role in bringing Victoria’s extraordinary vision to life,” said Ryan K. ZumMallen, president and founder of Carrara Media.
“As a fictional photobook, Postcards From the End of the World marks new ground for Carrara titles,” ZumMallen said. “However its adventurous spirit and desire to question our world aligns perfectly with the company’s mission to support innovative creators and deliver groundbreaking, cutting-edge work to our customers.”
An expansive marketing campaign will be carried out through Carrara Media channels on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. Postcards From the End of the World is available for preorder now at CarraraBooks.com.
Victoria Scott is an automotive journalist and photographer. After beginning her career as a software engineer, Scott soon turned to writing and joined the media website The Drive as a staff writer in 2021. Additional work has appeared in Jalopnik, Motor1, Hemmings and elsewhere. In 2022 she published the online-only photobook entitled The Pilgrimage, asking only for suggested donations. Scott lives in rural Idaho with her partner and cat.
About Carrara Media
Founded in 2018 in Long Beach, Calif., Carrara Media publishes books and digital content that shines new light on car culture and the automotive industry, including a digital re-printing of the 1972 motorsports classic The Stainless Steel Carrot (2021) by Silvia Wilkinson and the book of automotive journalism essays Slow Car Fast (2019) by Ryan K. ZumMallen. The company works with experienced authors, editors and designers to explore our relationship with the automobile. Visit CarraraBooks.com or subscribe to the Race Day Newsletter on Substack for updates about Carrara Media and its titles.
Motorsports Classic “The Stainless Steel Carrot” to be Published in Digital eBook for First Time – Preorders Open
The essential nonfiction book by motorsports journalist Sylvia Wilkinson follows the true story of budding racer John Morton during his 1971-72 championships that turned Datsun and Brock Racing Enterprises into household names.
LONG BEACH, Calif., March 8, 2021—Carrara Media will publish the classic motorsports book The Stainless Steel Carrot, by motorsports journalist and author Sylvia Wilkinson, in digital eBook format for the first time.
Releasing in eBook exclusively on April 5, 2021, The Stainless Steel Carrot provides unparalleled access behind the curtain of a championship-winning race team and its star driver, John Morton, chronicling their adventures during the 1971-72 SCCA seasons in iconic vehicles such as the BRE Datsun 510, Datsun 240Z and others.
The eBook is open for preorder now at CarraraBooks.com. In the near future it will also be available wherever eBooks are sold. Excerpts are available for publication by request.
Wilkinson, a longtime advocate and care-provider for animals of all kinds, is donating proceeds from the sale of The Stainless Steel Carrot to animal welfare organizations.
“I never pass up a chance to provide financial aid for food, shelter and care for the wild and tame critters of the earth," Wilkinson said.
The Stainless Steel Carrot was originally published in 1973, with an expanded version publishing in 2012. However, both of these print editions are now extremely rare and difficult to find. They frequently command prices up to $300 in online marketplaces. This will mark the first time that The Stainless Steel Carrot has been published as an eBook, at its most affordable price ever, with hopes to inspire a new generation of automotive enthusiasts.
“Nearly 50 years later, The Stainless Steel Carrot is as relevant as ever due to Wilkinson’s tireless on-scene reporting,” said Ryan K. ZumMallen, president and founder of Carrara Media.
“There is still nothing like The Stainless Steel Carrot, and now it will be available to modern audiences at its most affordable price ever. We are honored to play a role in preserving this classic tale.”
The Stainless Steel Carrot was written over the course of two years, during the 1971 and 1972 racing seasons. Wilkinson embedded herself with the Brock Racing Enterprises team, an upstart band of characters with big dreams and motor oil in their veins. Their leader – Pete Brock, a hard-charging former designer who penned such automobiles as the Shelby Daytona Coupe, and the man in charge. Their star – John Morton, a young driver with glasses and a mop-cut who captured consecutive SCCA championships in the pursuit of motorsports stardom.
Against this backdrop the BRE team hustles to achieve greatness, fend off hungry rivals and establish themselves and the Datsun 510 as forces to be reckoned with. Wilkinson deftly captures their feverish work, all while painting these real-life personalities with depth and compassion, relating their hopes, their fears, their celebrations and frustrations with the craft and care of a premier storyteller.
Racing fans the world over have enjoyed The Stainless Steel Carrot for decades.
“John Morton and the BRE team played a pivotal role in putting Datsun — and Japanese cars in general — on the map for car enthusiasts in America," said Ben Hsu, an automotive historian and journalist. "The fact that their story will now be available to a younger generation ensures that this important story lives on forever.”
An expansive marketing campaign will be carried out through Carrara Media channels on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. Wilkinson will be available for media interviews. The Stainless Steel Carrot is available for preorder now at CarraraBooks.com.
Views on The Stainless Steel Carrot from other notable figures include:
“Wow! What a fantastic, fascinating read! The Stainless Steel Carrot, a chronicle of John Morton’s days as an up-and-coming racer in 1971 and 1972, tells not just Morton’s story, but the story of all race car drivers: talent, ambition, perseverance, luck, and a little bit of rain can change the course of history for anyone. Sylvia Wilkinson’s brilliant book is as relevant now as it was when it was first published in 1973, and it should be read by aspiring racers as well as all readers who love a captivating story.” – Garth Stein, author of The Art of Racing in the Rain.
“This is one of the most innovative motorsports books ever written. From the clever title to the introspective look at what road-racing is all about, Sylvia takes us into the inner sanctum of a driver. This is an extraordinary book that should be even better received today than in 1973.” – H.A. “Humpy” Wheeler, NASCAR promoter and the former President of Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Sylvia Wilkinson is a longtime motorsports journalist and the author of The Stainless Steel Carrot. She is a former correspondent for Autoweek and racing contributor to World Book Encyclopedia among many other publications. Previously, she taught at various universities and was selected for the Guggenheim Fellowship, the National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship, and the Wallace Stegner Creative Writing Fellowship at Stanford University. In addition to numerous automotive books for enthusiasts of all ages, Wilkinson is also the author of several works of fiction including A Killing Frost and Shadow of the Mountain.
About Carrara Media
Founded in 2018 in Long Beach, Calif., Carrara Media publishes digital content that shines new light on modern car culture and the automotive industry. The company works with experienced authors, editors and designers to produce nonfiction media that takes followers deep inside the inner workings of the world they love. Visit CarraraBooks.com or subscribe to the Race Day Newsletter on Substack for frequent updates about Carrara Media and its titles.
Carrara Media to Publish Landmark Look Inside Modern Car Culture from Automotive Journalist Ryan K. ZumMallen Launching Line of Nonfiction eBooks
The publisher’s first digital title, Slow Car Fast, will be published in August 2019
LONG BEACH, Calif., June 5, 2019—Carrara Media will publish Slow Car Fast: The Millennial Mantra Changing Car Culture for Good, the first nonfiction eBook from veteran automotive journalist Ryan K. ZumMallen. Releasing in digital editions on August 19, 2019, Slow Car Fast explores the changing landscape of car culture through the young enthusiasts and vibrant personalities ushering in the new guard. Sarah Bennett, longtime L.A. food and culture writer and Assistant Professor of communications and media at Santa Ana College, will edit.
Drawing from a decade of sportswriting and automotive reporting experience, ZumMallen takes a whirlwind tour through modern car culture and weaves dozens of interviews with auto personalities and icons into a deeply incisive look at our relationship with cars that any enthusiast can enjoy. In Slow Car Fast, readers will ride along in hypercars and enter the rich ecosystem of car shows, rallies, auctions and motorsports that has turned into big business in both the physical and virtual realms.
A new age of auto enthusiasts has screamed onto the scene, fueled by the rise of social media and bringing original trends and tastes to car culture that previous generations could have never imagined. Mixing nostalgia for the 1980s and 90s with advancements in modern technology and engineering, car nuts today are displaying greater depth and diversity in their desire for driving performance that goes far beyond 0-60 mph times and straight-line muscle. Where does this new path leave the beloved all-stars of old, and will car culture survive in an increasingly digital world?
“Our collective idea of what makes a ‘car guy’ has hardly changed over the past 60 years,” said ZumMallen. “The reality is that modern enthusiasts are just as inspired by video games, YouTube videos, podcasts, Nürburgring lap times, vintage design and fashion as they are by magazine covers. Especially as the automotive scene has grown to include more enthusiasts, both men and women, of all backgrounds and cultures it is time someone asked the question: what does it even mean to be a ‘car guy’ in 2020?”
A multi-faceted marketing campaign will carry out on social media through Carrara Media channels on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. ZumMallen will be available for media appearances and in-person events.
Ryan K. ZumMallen is a veteran automotive journalist with a decade of experience in writing and reporting and is the founder and president of Carrara Media. He is currently the Senior Writer at Trucks.com and covers passenger vehicles including crossovers, SUVs and pickup trucks. His work has appeared in Road & Track magazine, and online in Car And Driver, The Verge and Autobytel. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram at @Zoomy575M.
About Carrara Media
Founded in 2018 in Long Beach, Calif., Carrara Media publishes digital content that shines new light on modern car culture and the automotive industry. The company works with experienced authors, editors and designers to produce nonfiction media that takes followers deep inside the inner workings of the world they love. Subscribe to the Race Day Newsletter for frequent updates about Carrara Media and its titles.
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