We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Kayla Jones . We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Kayla below.

Kayla , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today So, naming is such a challenge. How did you come up with the name of your brand?

Funny enough, it was my Mom’s idea! When I first started self-publishing books, she had the idea to create a publishing house based off her maiden name (Fontaine) and she wanted to make it a family thing where everybody could contribute as a graphic designer, formatter, editor, etc. The idea didn’t really pan out, but I still kept the name on all of my work.
Fast forward to December of 2022, I decided to revamp the idea after I quit my first small business (I was making candles at the time), because I was lacking passion for it. I wanted to do something else that was related to writing so I started brainstorming.
I decided on Fontaine Publications since it would be an easier transition for any future work I published. So with my mother’s permission, the business was born!

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Oh wow that’s a good question! Honestly, it’s a bit of a long story considering I’ve been writing for over a decade now.
I actually started writing around the age of twelve because I was looking for a hobby. I was pretty isolated as a kid, so I spent most of my time by myself. I started writing Fanfiction and poetry to kind of get my feet wet and the more I did it, the more I realized I liked it.
Between the age of fourteen to nineteen, I spent most of my time self-publishing my own work. I ended up creating and distributing three poetry books and one novella. Even though I’m still proud of the work I put in, especially at a young age, I realized there were a lot of things that I could’ve done along my journey to make it easier and more profitable. Most of my issues were related to formatting issues, a lack of editing, and marketing my work consistently.
Now I’ve learned my lesson and I’ve been spending the last four years working on various projects to self-publish. But my experiences made me want to help other indie authors, especially those who are getting into the industry for the first time. It’s difficult to navigate when there’s already so much information, so Fontaine Publications was created to help with that.
Right now, since I am a one woman team, I mostly focus on freelance editing, website design/graphic design and consulting. I try to keep the prices relatively fair because I understand everyone is struggling right now and most indie authors don’t have the ability to drop $1000+ on editing/publishing services.
But, as I continue to grow my business and gain more clientele, I eventually want to expand to offering formatting services, book cover designs, and stationary products. And once the business grows, I want to publish other people’s work. I want to be a brand that focuses more on helping the author instead of trying to make a quick buck.
I may still be small, but the clients I’ve had so far have been so amazing! And it’s been so fun to be able to help people take their work to the next level. I really try my best to tailor each piece of feedback in a way that’s constructive, but still positive. I want every author I work with to feel inspired after they get my notes so they can continue to thrive with their work. I wanted that for myself when I first stepped into the industry so it’s only right to become that for someone else.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

Honestly, I love to find clients on Facebook groups. I know it sounds super unconventional, but there are a lot of groups/writers who are looking for freelance editors all the time. I usually will drop a link to my website or put a post up if it’s allowed to generate more clients.
But I mostly rely on client testimonials or word of mouth. I think because of the field I’m in, it can be a little difficult to get new clients to trust you. I just try my best to keep promoting my business and the clients I do receive, I try to maintain as much as I can.
For those who might be getting into the same industry, make sure to provide feedback forms as well! I just implemented this recently and it really helps to see which clients may come back and what I could do to improve.

Can you talk to us about how your side-hustle turned into something more.

I really wish I could say it has, but not yet. I’m still holding out hope that one day I can make being an author and my business a full time job. But for right now, I do have a 9-5 as I work on my own passion projects. I always say that the energy you put out there is the same energy you’ll get back. So I try to manage my time accordingly to make time for my business and all that comes with it, on top of writing my own books. It’s hard sometimes, but I wouldn’t trade it for the world.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://fontainepublications.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fontainepublications/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=fontaine%20publications
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@fontainepublications?si=kF7GU4Wypy9tVLZU
• Other: Threads: https://www.threads.net/@fontainepublications