AuthorHouse of Indiana says it seeks to help writers achieve their publishing goals.

AuthorHouse says it sets out to help writers realize their visions through self-publishing and marketing services. Bryan Smith, president, says that the company has worked with more than 25,000 authors to date. “With that kind of magnitude, we have expertise in almost all genres of books,” he adds.

The company was started by Tim Jacobs, an author who had difficulty getting his manuscript published. “Instead of just accepting that, he started a company to help people get published,” Smith explains.

In 1997, Jacobs founded the company under the name 1st Books. In 2002, the company was purchased by Gazelle TechVentures and Johnson Ventures. In 2004, it changed its name to AuthorHouse, which the company says was “to reaffirm [its] mission as the destination for authors.”

According to Smith, the company's books are available on the Internet at such sources as Amazon.com, Barnes&Noble.com, Borders.com and through the company's own online store, AuthorHouse.com. In addition, the books are available through 25,000 retail outlets worldwide.

“We're, by far, the market leader in our industry and we got there by focusing on the author,” Smith says, noting that the company has sold and published books by celebrities including comedian Rita Rudner and Indiana Senator Richard Lugar. Many of the books published have also been turned into movies, including “Legally Blonde” and “Proof of Life.”

A mission for AuthorHouse is to make sure the company helps achieve the goals of the author. “Before they buy from us, we spend a lot of time trying to understand what it is they're trying to accomplish,” Smith explains. “We view our interaction with the author as a long-term relationship.”

According to the company, each of its authors is assigned a personal advocate, who “spends hours guiding them through each step of the publishing process.”

This level of service is something AuthorHouse is very proud of, Smith says. “This whole company is very focused on providing good customer service and working with the customer to help them achieve their outcome,” he adds.

AuthorHouse also provides marketing and promotional services to the customer, Smith says. “We provide a range of products and services that include things like helping them write and distribute press releases,” he explains.

This includes what he calls “publicist-type service,” such as arranging interviews and book signings, and co-op advertising opportunities. Lynn Zingraf, director of promotional products and services, notes that the company can set up media interviews through its promotional offerings.

In addition, the author retains all rights and editorial controls, and selects the services that suits his or her goals. “With AuthorHouse, every author controls his or her own publishing destiny,” the company says.

Zingraf also says that AuthorHouse's business model “is well suited to the speaker/consultant-type who publishes a book and distributes copies directly through speaking engagements or direct-marketing means.” He notes this is also true for companies that publish books for promotions or sell them to their customers. “In both cases, self-publishing is an ideal solution,” Zingraf says.

Book formats AuthorHouse offers include standard and full-color paperback publishing, and hardcover and electronic distribution. It also offers help with exclusive cover design, custom illustrations, registering the book with the U.S. Copyright Office and having copies sent to the Library of Congress.

Improving Processing
Smith says that last year, AuthorHouse looked at how it could perform services better for authors. “We've totally redesigned the way that we publish a book,” he says.

For example, using an expedite product called Fast Forward, Smith says that AuthorHouse can deliver fully custom, bound proof copies of manuscripts to authors within 30 days. He also notes that the company has expanded its art department, now offering full custom illustrations for books.

Smith describes the working environment as being high energy. “If you were to come and visit, you would find a pretty vibrant, creative environment,” he explains.

Industry Reflections
According to Smith, the publishing industry is in a state of evolution. “It's changing quickly right now, or it's starting to,” he says. “[Larger publishers] are becoming more and more focused on high-profile authors [and] celebrity-style authors.”

This has led, he says, to the publishers being less focused on the mid-list authors. “Those authors will continue to look for new solutions,” Smith states. “Today, what we find is that we have quite a few authors that are just starting out. We have a lot of experienced authors, as well. As we look at our business over time, we're positioned very well,” he concludes.