What's one risk you took in your publishing career that paid off, and what did you learn from it?

"I hired pros, making a substantial personal investment with a book marketing firm that knew how to develop a targeted branding strategy that illuminated my book’s unique message, expanded my reach, and gave me a HUGE competitive edge to take to market. This team of experts not only equipped me with DOZENS of specific, actionable strategies to help my book rise above the thundering herd of other books flooding the marketplace, but they also amplified my voice as a thought leader and helped take my book to levels I never dreamed possible. Our marketing plan was so successful that I earned multiple Amazon best-seller banners, influential press opportunities, and even a “Best Motivational Read for 2023” nod on NBC’s Today Show." Author and Life Coach, Andrea Mein DeWitt, inspires leaders to step into their power, their potential, and their truth. Featured on the TODAY Show as the best motivational read for 2023, her book, "Name, Claim & Reframe-Your Path to a Well-Lived Life" is a practical approach to navigating life's challenges- NAME the emotions that are causing you to react instead of respond, CLAIM actions that match your core values, and REFRAME your mindset so you can resourcefully and strategically take your power back. Andrea holds a M.Ed. in Reading Leadership from UC Berkeley and is a Professional Certified Coach through the International Coaching Federation and the Co-Active Training Institute. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Between 2013 to 2015, I was able to publish more than eighty poems and short stories in over thirty literary magazines. However, by the end of 2015, I realized that simply amassing more publishing credits wouldn't lead to being able to sustain myself as a working (i.e. non-starving) creative writer. So when a mutual friend told me that someone she knew was looking for a writer, I was intrigued. I agreed to partner with Vakasha Brenman on her vision: The Book of the Magical Mythical Unicorn, a historical, cross-cultural anthology of information and legends about the beloved mystical creature. Vakasha was just like me: hard-working, unorthodox, and drawn to the big and bold in writing (and everything else). Together, we were able to secure a publishing contract with O-Books, which led to my appearances on programs like Coast to Coast AM with George Noory and a vastly larger author platform than before I took that risk. Vakasha couldn't pay me, but we did get published on a traditional press, significantly advancing my writing career by solidifying my ability to generate the income I desire when I choose to work in the writing space as an editor or ghostwriter. Looking back on this experience, it solidified my belief that when the front door is closed (as someone who doesn't have an MFA nor a desire to obtain one), find a way in through the back door, do your due diligence, and, if everything checks out, go hard because you'll have a real good chance of moving your publishing career forward if you're adventurous enough to try.

I selected an incredible cover designer. I paid more than I wanted to but her work - through her portfolio - was outstanding. I took the risk, and the result was incredible. They say not to judge a book by its cover, but readers definitely do! It has gotten my debut fiction novel so much awareness and attention, it was definitely worth the extra couple hundred dollars for an expert hand!

Navigating Risks: Reinventing Publishing Narratives through the Gamble. In the rapidly changing publishing domain, taking calculated risks sometimes result in being transforming. Thinking over my career as a fiction publisher, an important risking moment can be highlighted- an audacious step to make it digital-first at the time when print ruled the roost. The Risk: The Acceptance of Digital-First Publishing in an Era that is Further Comic Prints. During the 20th century, which was printing century, I defended that we should proceed to digital-first publishing approach. This decision included shifts in resource allocation, introduction of new technologies and experimentations on content delivery mechanisms. The risks were high: In addition to the vagaries of securing acceptance for digital formats in general, the industry was well known for its anxiety about anything posing a threat to traditional print standards. Key Learnings: 1. Anticipating Industry Trends: In that way, the risk emphasized the need to predict shifts in industry trends and practices while keeping pace with changing tastes of target audiences. The whole thing with ‘digital-first’ was a new approach to the different ways in which audiences were consuming content, leading to making sure that an effort is made at all times to ensure staying ahead in terms of digital. 2. Agility in Adaptation: The skills and training developed in the organization have turned out to be enlightening as far as pitfalls capable of facing organizational agility. These changes in workdirows, skillsets, and editorial strategies had to be undertaken rapidly to match the digital-first model of publishing. 3. Audience-Centric Approach: Digital-first switching underlined the importance of an effective communication of making out and serving consumer wants. The turnaround was not wholly a matter of establishing an affinity for technology but one of positioning publishing practices. The high risk emphasizes the need to embark on an alternative revenue generation strategy. Even as print maintained its validity, this transition into the digital realm provided numerous opportunities for monetization ever since such as subscriptions from clients, internet marketing ads and partnerships. To conclude, this opportunity of digital-first publishers proved to be worth the risk because it associated the organization with the advancements of new times.