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

Alright, Stephanie thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s start big picture – what are some of biggest trends you are seeing in your industry?

Writers are creating their own platforms and not waiting to be anointed by the publishing gods. To catch the attention of readers, agents and publishers, writers need to have readers. A generation ago, writers appeared in traditional media outlets—writing for newspapers/magazines, appearing on television or at bookstores —to attract those readers. Now, they’re creating their own platforms via Substack or LinkedIn newsletters, Instagram or (for now) TikTok, to promote themselves and their work. These platforms allow any author, whether relatively unknown or experienced, to create a body of work that connects with their ideal reader and create an audience of people ready to buy their works. The more people an author reaches, the more likely they are to be seen as profitable and attractive to traditional book publishers.
That said, traditional publishing is not always the goal for today’s authors. Another trend I’m seeing is authors are self-publishing or hybrid publishing more than ever, as the quality of products hybrid and self-publishers can produce now is better than ever. Authors, particularly nonfiction writers, experts and entrepreneurs, are finding great success with these newer models because they can better control the timing, production and distribution, and earn higher profits. Though a traditional publisher might take up to 18 months to get a book from idea to shelves, a self-publisher or hybrid publisher can churn a book out in as short as 6 to 9 months. If an author has a built in audience, they can sell and promote that book to their audience and roll out a distribution plan for that book that best serves how to reach that audience. Taylor Swift recently went this route when she published her “Eras” concert tour book on her own and distributed it exclusively through Target, instead of a traditional publisher. The book sold 1 million copies in its first week after release, reportedly the fastest selling new book release in four years.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I’m a journalist turned author, editor, ghostwriter and content strategist. As a journalist, my work has appeared in Money, People, WWD, The New York Post and Condé Nast Publications. I published my first book, “300 Sandwiches: A Multilayered Love Story…with Recipes” in 2015. Since then, I’ve ghostwritten and edited and consulted on more than a dozen children’s and adult books (narrative nonfiction, self-help and business titles).
Throughout my writing career, I’ve identified and produced stories that have made front page headlines, built businesses, and “broken the internet,” including my own. My first book was published in 2015 after I wrote a piece about my blog about love and sandwiches (300sandwiches.com) for The New York Post. The story gathered hundreds of millions of media impressions in one week, and led to my book deal.
As a ghostwriter, I’m part editor, part therapist, part coach and creative partner. I help people shape and identify the stories within themselves that others can connect with, whether it’s life lessons, business strategy, or personal memoirs. I’ve loved books since I was a child, and I love writing now more than ever as I get to dedicate most of my time to creating books that will inspire and educate our world for years to come.
My superpower is that people tell me things. No matter how famous, private or surrounded by gatekeepers a subject might be, they reveal things to me they don’t tell others. I don’t interrogate, but I am authentically curious about people’s journeys. People come to me with a spark of an idea and I help turn it into a full-fledged narrative work.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

Jobs in journalism have been dwindling ever since I entered the field. In 2019, I was a new mom, and my husband and I decided to move out of the country to have a life adventure and spend more time with our young daughter. Given the journalism market was shrinking and I wanted to expand my writing expertise into other products, I quit my corporate job at a major New York media company and started my own consultancy. It was my first time as a full-time entrepreneur–a major life pivot!– but the move has enabled me to expand my writing skills into other areas, pursue my passion of writing books, and tap into other personal interest (wellness, cooking, drawing, etc.) to create works through my company. Plus it’s allowed me to develop a business that can come with me wherever I am.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding part about my work is seeing readers connect with products I’ve made. Especially the works I’ve created for kids. I’ve written 10 children’s books and published coloring books, games and worksheets for kids, and I love watching their faces light up when they interact with things I’ve created. It feels so good knowing you’ve made something that brought a smile to someone’s face.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @stefsmith
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanie-smith-66875926/

Image Credits

Photos by Izzie Yaakub