The chief executive of Australia's leading Indigenous publishing house says it's important to empower First Nations kids through culture and storytelling, now more than ever.

Gumbaynggirr woman Lilly Brown, chief executive of the Aboriginal-owned and operated Magabala Books, said that even today many representations of First Nations people in literature can be negative.

"It's important to have those positive stories reflected back to our kids to support their identity growth and who they are. Post Voice Referendum especially," she said.

"I've got Aboriginal kids and I know the importance of them having stories that reflect back to them their brilliance, because when we tell our stories that complexity is always there.

"And it's also important to ensure we've got that intergenerational love of reading."

Magabala Books was established 40 years ago after more than 500 Aboriginal Elders met in the Kimberley to discuss how to keep First Nations culture strong and to protect the intellectual property and culture of Indigenous people.

The Broome-based publisher has since produced more than 250 titles of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander authors, artists and illustrators including Alexis Wright, Ali Cobby-Eckermann and Alison Whittaker.

Ms Brown said Magabala Books had always ensured First Nations stories and voices were fostered in a safe place.

She said it was imperative that Indigenous people control their own stories and that the benefits flow back to the right people.

"It's one of the reasons why Magabala was established because at the time First Nations voices had existed for millennia in this country but a lot of those voices have been coopted by non-Aboriginal people," she told National Indigenous Times.

"Last year alone we published 24 new authors and illustrators, so we are making it very accessible for First Nations storytellers to have their voices heard."

Magabala Books was recently nominated for the Small Publisher of the Year at the Australian Book Industry Awards, which will be held at Fed Zinc Square in Naarm (Melbourne) on May 9.

Ms Brown said the nomination was important because it celebrated the talent and diversity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices.

"The Australian Book Industry Awards nomination is good for your standing in the industry too because the publishing sector in the country is pretty small," she said.

"Magabala is a not-for-profit, but all our profits do go back into the organisation and our key mandate which is to support First Nations people to tell First Nations stories.

"A lot of people feel they don't know much about First Nations stories so for them to have access to First Nations stories and for those stories to be told in voice is imperative."

The 38-year-old said First Nations literature can also help to educate non-Indigenous people about Aboriginal cultures, history, and experiences.

"A lot of commercial and mainstream publishing houses are now publishing First Nations authors, which wasn't happening five years ago because there wasn't a market for it," she said.

"It's positive because it's a reflection of non-Aboriginal people because if First Nations people were the ones reading them it would only be Magabala publishing them.

"There are a lot of non-Aboriginal people out there that that want to know our stories, especially post the Voice Referendum."