About Ken Press
Ken Press is a small publishing company owned by Ken Graun that specializing in the publication of astronomy books and star charts for beginners. Established in 1988, Ken Press was one of the first businesses that used computers for the complete process to create books and other artwork.
Can I send my astronomy manuscript to Ken Press?
Please do not send unsolicited manuscripts to Ken Press. I am not a publishing company at large. Most of the books/charts that I publish are produced in house. However, l am willing to talk with you about the publishing process. I am best reached by text message at 520-743-3200 or email at ken@kenpress.com. I often miss recorded messages because I spend most of my time on the computer and not the cell phone, so please text or email me.
Who manages this site?
This site was created and is managed by just one person, me, Ken Graun and I use a program called Nicepage to build the pages. Everything on the site is written by me. I do not always update it on time because I might be away or get busy but I try my best. My goal for this site is not as a marketing tool to sell my products—the star charts or planispheres. Its purpose is for outreach, trying to help individuals get started exploring the night sky or to help them get going in the hobby of astronomy.
Some information about Ken Graun
and his current projects.
I am not fully retired. I still have my publishing business, teach part-time at Pima Community College in Tucson, Arizona (I teach statistics in the Psychology Department) and engage in astronomical outreach as much as possible. My wife and I live just east of Tucson, Arizona in Vail. Some of our kids and grandkids live in Tucson, Phoenix and Japan. Our latest granddaughter, Mia, was born in 2023 in Japan, and she is cute!
Currently, I am working/writing on two books. One is an update of my original book titled, The Next Step, Finding and Viewing Messier’s Objects. A good friend of mine, Dr. Victor Beer, MD will be a coauthor. The other book will most likely be titled something like, Shoot for the Stars and if you get to the Moon, you’ve Succeeded. It is a biography about Dr. Alan Binder, Ph.D. and is a motivational book for teenagers thinking about a career in science. Dr. Binder grew up in farm country, attended a high school that did not teach trigonometry and became the first scientist to build and head his own spacecraft mission that circled the Moon for a few years starting in 1998. His Lunar Prospector spacecraft was the first spacecraft to find evidence of water ice at the lunar poles.
Does Ken in Ken Press have a meaning or is it just vanity?
The word Ken means to “see” or “view.” So, Ken, coupled with the eye logo, signifies products that are used to see or view something. Although this definition of Ken is from an older Irish use of the word, it was specifically chosen for its subtlety and difference, distinguishing Ken from other publishers. Now, the owner of Ken Press is Ken Graun and his first name might have heavily influenced his decision to use Ken in the company’s name.
Contacting Ken Press
Ken Graun at Ken Press can be reached best by texting at
(520) 743-3200 or by email at
ken@kenpress.com
. I often miss recorded messages because I spend most of my time on the computer and not the cell phone, so please text or email me.
Mailing Address
Ken Press
14333 E. Sands Ranch Rd.
Vail, AZ 85641
(Vail is just east of Tucson, a 25 minute drive from downtown)