Corinne A. Dwyer, Publisher at North Star Press

Welcome, Corinne. What made you go into publishing?

It was in my DNA.

What is the general background of your company?

North Star Press was begun by my inlaws in 1969. I came into the firm in 1976. In the early years we did just a few books a year. Now, for 2014, we have 80 books contracted. We are a typical royalty small press in Central Minnesota and specialize in Minnesota Fiction (set in Minnesota and surrounding states), Minnesota History, Memoirs, Poetry, and Outdoor Books. We publish adult, YA, and some (a few select few) children’s picture books. I work with my daughter as my right-hand-woman. We have a staff of six.

How has the eBook revolution affected your business?

All our books, published in trade paperback or hard covers, are made into ebooks.

Some people think that with more titles available today than at any other time in history, the novel as an art form is dying. Do you agree? Disagree?

The novel isn’t dying. How can it? Storytelling has been around since cavemen days. It’s always going to be with us. How it’s presented is the only thing that might change.

What is your perfect author/client?

Our perfect author is hard-working, professional, dedicated to his or her book(s), enthusiastic, and endlessly creative.

What challenges do you and your company face?

Our challenges are growth, market share, and getting paid.

What is the most difficult part of being a publisher?

Sometimes the hardest thing we have to deal with as a small press publisher is being taken seriously. We’re not a big, New York house (and really don’t want to be), but we’re real, have been around a long time, and plan on making the transitions (whatever they are) to the future.

What is the easiest part of being a publisher?

The easiest part of being a publisher—passion. We love what we do.

What is the most rewarding part of being a publisher?

The most rewarding thing for me and handing a new author his or her first book for the first time. It’s very moving.

What are your goals for the company, your authors, and your readers?

Our goals are: for our company—growth; for our authors—satisfaction and growth in their careers; and for our readers—that they look for us because they know we publish quality books.

Where can we learn more about you, your authors, and the books you publish?

To learn more about us, go to northstarpress.com.

Thanks for the opportunity to get the word out about North Star Press — Corinne A. Dwyer, publisher

Kristofer J Stamp, Publisher at StoneGarden.net Publishing (Interview)

Welcome, Kristofer. Thank you for answering my questions. What made you go into publishing?

I saw a great number of people trying to break into publishing. It seemed like the only voices that were being heard were those that were ALREADY being heard, with no room for innovation. The only option in those days was vanity publishing, and the thought that quality writers were being extorted in such a way was something that did not make any sense to me. When I got my first real computer in the mid 1990′s and got a chance to learn about the internet StoneGarden.net Publishing was born.

What is the general background of your company?

We opened our doors in 1998 publishing downloadable electronic books. We have grown many times over through the years and now produce both traditional paperback novels and ebooks.

How do you decide to publish one book and not another? If some of the classics were subbed to you, would you have pubbed them or snubbed them?

Submissions go through a multiple review process to ensure that the best of the best make it to the publishing phase. In essence, we publish what we like. If the writing is attracts our attention and the author has taken the time to listen to our guidelines we’ll publish. Some of the classics may not have made it through our process, and I’m sure we would have been weeping!

How has the eBook revolution affected your business?

It has allowed us to come back to our roots. We started publishing ebooks in 1998, and feel we have a great feel for how to produce an ebook that is easy on the eyes. I’m personally excited to see ebooks move into the mainstream; it really allows readers to have easy access to so many more exciting authors than they did only ten years ago.

What is the most difficult part of being a publisher?

Sending out rejection notices. StoneGarden.net Publishing prides itself on giving new authors a voice. Sometimes the submission just does not meet what we feel is a good story and we have to send out that rejection. It is definitely more fun to send an acceptance!

What is the most rewarding part of being a publisher?

Seeing readers enjoy the works that we produce is the most rewarding part of owning a publishing house.

Do you publish anything or just certain genres?

We publish nearly every genre, with the exception of children’s books.

What advice you would give to an aspiring author?

If I can tell an aspiring author anything it is this: Expect to work HARD to get your works into the hands of readers. You are going to spend many hours writing your book. Then you’ll spend MONTHS editing your book to have it ready for submission. You might be looking at months before your work makes it through their editing and layout process. Finally, your work will be ready, and you’ll be working harder than ever before. The end result is worth it, but the journey can be a tough one.

Who are the authors you have published so far?

We’ve published approximately 100 authors over the years: Michelle Belanger, Sylvia Shults, Donovan Galway, Gregory Miller and many, many others.

Why should readers check out the books you publish?

I hope that readers find our works worth reading! Our authors offer unique views on a wide array of topics and genres; we offer something for everyone. Our authors, editors and artists take a huge amount of pride in offering readers only the best.

What do authors do that drives you crazy?

Authors that don’t self promote drive me NUTS. Your publisher needs you to help in the promotional efforts; not every house has the ability to promote you like a Stephen King, so you need to be out there promoting yourself as well. Authors that don’t promote don’t sell.

Do you charge your authors for any services?

NO. All services from editing to layout to covers are done in house.

Where can we learn more about you, your authors, and the books you publish?

You can find us at our official site: http://www.stonegarden.net or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/stonegardenpublishing. Our books are available at all major online retailers and by special order at most brick and mortar bookstores.