Last week I launched the website for Logos & Mythos Press. This public declaration of my future intentions comes after about a year and a half of behind-the-scenes work. The most frequent question I receive when I tell people I’m setting up my own publishing company is “Why? Why set up a Press?”  

I decided at the end of 2017 to take the Indie Author route to publishing. After a lot of research into the process and soul-searching about my own goals and dreams and desires, I decided to build my own Press. Here are some of my reasons.

Professionalism 

Anywhere books are for sale, you’ll find all sorts of information about them. How many pages they have. When they were published. Who published them. 

While it is completely acceptable for the author’s name to go on the publisher line, I decided at the beginning that I wanted more there. As I thought through the publisher name I would use, I started paying closer attention to this information on books. What I discovered was, some authors are using great company names. The thing was, when I went to look up the press they’d listed, I found nothing. 

I may be one of the few to check into this, but I know I’m not entirely alone. So, I want readers (or potential readers) to be able to find out more about Logos & Mythos Press. It’s not just a name. It’s a business—an LLC to be exact. And, under the umbrella of my press name, I have other projects and services that aren’t as visible on my author website. 

[Insert shameless plug for the QWERTY Writing Life Podcast (launching June 4, 2019) and the QWERTY writing craft book series (releasing Fall 2019)! Plus, don’t forget I am a book editor, now focused primarily on my fellow Indie Authors. Check out all the details!] 

Credibility 

In a saturated marketplace, authors need to stand out. From the beginning, my goal has been to be professional in everything I do. I want to be taken seriously. I’m not just here for a book or two. I’m here for life. This is my chosen profession. I love literature. I love the literary community. I love readers and other writers. I am here for the long haul and want to make sure others know I am. 

That’s why you’ll notice a few of the choices I make on this publishing journey may be slightly outside of the norm for both self-published and traditional authors. I’m doing as much research as I can, observing what the big companies are doing, what readers seem to like and what others have shown works. In small but intentional ways, I will be producing my work in a way that shows I am committed to my craft and serious about my longevity in the literary world. 

I’m here to add to the millenia-old tapestry of literature, and I take that responsibility seriously. 

Legalities 

Filing my business as an LLC allows me certain opportunities from a legal and financial standpoint. Keeping bank accounts and such under my LLC relieves any worry about my family coming under attack from crazy sue-happy people. Of course, at this point in the venture, it would be easy to focus on all the fees and taxes and hoops required of a small business attempting to set up properly, but I’ll keep reminding myself of the need to obey the law (while mumbling and grumbling under my breath). 

Marketing 

If you ask a room full of authors what their least favorite part of the job is, chances are high you’ll get a unified chorus of “marketing.” It feels weird to ask people to buy your books. It just does. I mean, we come up with cute, fun graphics and cheesy comments to do it. We make it as fun as we can, but it’s still asking people to take some of their hard-earned money and take a chance on us and our words. It’s hard! 

As a publisher, I’m expected to market the books I produce. Somehow, it doesn’t feel quite so uncomfortable and awkward. Yes, as an Indie Author, I will market myself; but I’ll also have a publishing company behind my books marketing for me as well. That’s a great feeling. 

And, while (for the foreseeable future) I’ll be the one writing that marketing copy, it just makes it easier to write in third person as if I’m marketing one of my other authors’ work instead of my own. Basically, I’m tricking my own brain into coming up with less awkward marketing copy. 

Promoting 

Although our industry leans a great deal to one side with vast numbers of indie-published authors emerging every week, much of the process remains stuck in a traditional mindset. If you hope to appear at speaking events, conferences and festivals, it’s the publisher who’s got to act. Want to get your book reviewed by credible reviewers or have your book considered for one of a zillion awards? Publisher. 

Thankfully, I’ve got a publisher! I believe having the press name behind submissions and requests will open at least a few doors that would have originally remained closed to me as an Indie Author.  

Future opportunities 

If you’ve followed my journey for a while, you’ll know I’m full of plans and dreams. Logos & Mythos Press will produce more than just books by me. In fact, plans are in place for my first co-authored book to launch later this year. I’ve got two co-authors right now and cannot wait to see how far our books go. Beyond that, I’d like to one day have a literary magazine and publish other authors’ work. While those two things are much further down the road, I’m building the foundation for them now by setting up a solid business. 

This model goes beyond me, too. Logos & Mythos Press will be a family business that I will pass down to my own children, should they want it. Currently, my oldest shows interest in marketing and design work and my youngest has written more books than I have. So, I think this will be an investment in their future as well as my own. 

Underneath the umbrella of the Press, I have my editing services. From both this aspect and one of the co-authored series, I plan to produce courses or retreats or coaching. I’m full of ideas and plans. Thanks to this business, I will be able to tackle many of them with professionalism and credibility. I cannot wait to see where Logos & Mythos Press takes me!

Thank you for joining me on this new venture. It’s already been an amazing journey, and I know the road ahead is full of unexpected delights!

Now that I’ve written a post with the “why” of the press, I’m considering writing a series on the “hows.” What questions would you like me to answer? It could be anything from the business setup process itself to the production of the books to the steps to get from concept to book-on-shelf. I’ll do my best to answer them!

If you’ve started your own Press, I’d love to hear about it! Drop your site link in the comments and tell us what you’ve learned on the journey!