I’ve been publishing books in some form or fashion for 20 years. There are parts of that 20 years that I’m not exactly proud of. And there are parts that have contributed some of the biggest blessings in my life.
I have conflicting feelings about the publishing industry, but I don’t doubt the powerful positive effect of reading good books. There’s a lot to unpack there, and I’ll probably try eventually. But, the research shows that reading is good for you. It’s good for you if you’re a child, a student, a grown-up, or even an old man or woman. Worried about your memory? Read. Feeling stressed out? Read. Want to perform better at school? Read. Reading is a good drug, y’all.
Publishing, on the other hand, is tough. I’ve never worked for a big five publisher. I’ve worked in the margins of publishing. In fact, I started out working for what was, essentially, a vanity press, although they would’ve denied the term. I’m guessing, or hoping, that the statute of limitations on all of the “holy cow, i can’t believe…” stories are well in the past. Especially since that company no longer exists. The owners were known to be a little litigious, though, so names and identifying details will be changed to protect… well, me.
But, since then, I’ve worked in page layout and design, in marketing, in editing, in distribution, and in production buying and management. I ran a mid-sized non-profit that was publishing a library of resources for the church for a handful of years. I’ve succeeded with some books. I’ve failed with some books. I’ve helped lots of other people succeed with some books, and I’ve helped lots of other people fail with some books.
Which, I’m confident, would be the same thing I’d say if I worked at HarperCollins or Scholastic or Tor. The details might be a little different here and there, but the truth is, publishing is hard, and it seldom feels like anyone knows exactly why anything works.
We’ve often talked about how to help other small creators to figure out whether there might be a business in publishing their books. I’ve resisted for the last ten years or so, because I feel painfully aware of just how much I don’t know. But as I watch people cast about on the internet for answers, I can’t help but think, “Oh, I do know the answer to that question…”
So, here we are. I want to try to be a resource for you. I have no plans to monetize it… I monetize publishing great kids books that are a gift to children and a huge win for parents, teachers, and other people who love those children. So, pull up a chair. Send me your questions, or don’t. I probably don’t know anything. But what I know, I’ll try to share here. Because publishing is hard. And good books are wonderful.