What made you want to be a publisher?
I kind of just fell into it. My entire career had been spent in the corporate world; 11 years in a bank, 27 years in a construction materials distributors corporate office. I was fed up, stressed out and unappreciated. In 2022 I unexpectedly lost both of my parents. This more than anything threw me into a tailspin. Add in a chronic illness that depletes my energy and is impacted by stress…
One weekend I watched a seminar on building a business on Amazon by writing and publishing books. This idea appealed to me. Fast-forward a week or two and I finally hit my breaking point at work. I was telling my husband about work and suddenly he said, “just quit”.
Stunned, I said, “I can’t quit”.
He came back with “Sure you can. We’ll make it work.” I turned in my notice the next day!
Have you always been a reader, and if so, what were your favorite genres?
Absolutely. I loved going to the library. I couldn’t wait for the Book Fairs at school; best days ever. From Dr. Seuss (who doesn’t love Green Eggs and Ham?) to Nancy Drew and a bunch of Hardy Boys to historical romances, thrillers and horror. And the paranormal: Shifter wolves, dragons, and bears. Oh, my.
Do you remember the in-the-mail book clubs? Sign up and get 10 books for a penny then a new one every month at a discount? Yeah, I did that too.
Tell us where you live, and what it’s like. After your move, what effect does the new place have on you?
I’m in North Carolina. The mountains are my happy place, always have been. North Carolina is beautiful, the weather is good and there is lots to do. We’re on the edge of a small town and surrounded by woods and farmland. I love it. It’s so calm and peaceful. The window of my office faces the woods and I see animals and birds all the time. I feel better than I have in many years.
How do you find new writers? (go into how not to find them LOL)
When I first started, I looked for writers on a freelancer site. I had a couple of successes but many more failures. Starting out, I had a limited budget and I quickly learned that if you want good books you need to pay well. I have found writers through friends and Cat, who was my first success, but I’ve tripped up on several.
Explain ‘tripped up’
I learned, the hard way, that writers get fake USA licenses and then have the cajones to write in groups! In other words, you tell them the same thing 5 times until you figure out you’re talking to different people. Cat and I have finally figured out a workaround but that is our secret sauce LOL
What do you look for in a new writer? (this is vitally important)
They need to really love and want to write. It’s important they can create characters who are layered and believable. Of course, they must be able to plot an intriguing story that keeps me turning pages and wanting more. Show me something new and different. The best thing is when you can recognize their talent, even if they’re a little green. The mechanics can be taught but the spark must be there first.
Now that you’ve been in the business for a couple of years, what about publishing what’s the most surprising for you?
Keeping all the parts and pieces organized and moving forward. So many things are constantly in motion. This year we are making a big push forward and to do that we have brought on some help. My husband will begin building up our social media presence and I have a new admin assistant to handle much of the office work. We have found an excellent editor and some new writing talent. Hopefully in a few months we can bring a designer on board. Stick around, it’s going to be a big year.
