“I don’t know why they call this self-publishing. I couldn’t have done this without you.”
That’s an actual quote from an author I helped. It’s one of my favorites, but I’m not sharing it to toot my own horn. Rather, I’m highlighting it to acknowledge all the players who contribute to bringing a book to life. And believe me, it is a team effort.
So cheers to my colleagues in the independent publishing biz — those I know and those I have yet to meet — for the many ways you support authors. Together we enable them to teach, entertain and transform the lives of their readers.
Accomplishing that tall task can involve writing and book coaches, consultants, ghostwriters, editors, proofreaders, designers, illustrators, formatters, coders, project managers, printers, distributors, narrators, tech specialists and marketers (whew, did I miss anyone?).
Of course, not every book requires this full court press, and some players wear multiple hats. But the fact remains that despite the moniker, self-publishing is not a solitary game. Done well, it does take a village to produce a professional-grade book.
And here’s the kicker — it’s a two-way street. Without authors, none of the afore-mentioned contributors would even have a service to provide. So, the reality is that we can’t do what we do without authors either. We are all in this together.
I am honored and humbled every day to be a part of someone’s publishing journey. And I’m equally appreciative to collaborate with talented colleagues who are committed to making each book we touch the best it can be.
May we all have many more opportunities to write, edit, design, produce, promote and publish stories that matter. Readers are counting on us. All of us.
