We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Selena Ramos. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Selena below.
Selena, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Alright, so you had your idea and then what happened? Can you walk us through the story of how you went from just an idea to executing on the idea?
Going from idea to execution incurred several processes for Mission Publishers, LLC. Mostly, I had to work out issues integral to me and my faith. I knew my mission was to publish extraordinary stories by ordinary people for God’s glory. I previously worked in a small publishing house many years ago where I was responsible for managing the editorial content. But this new idea? This meant being the PUBLISHER, overseeing every part of the process! I broke it down into actionable steps I could take, should take, and would take. I began where I felt comfortable as I gained the confidence to take bigger steps.
Step 1: I formed my LLC and became a business owner in 2017. For two years, I finished an AA degree (bucket list goal) while working with a close friend who became my first published client. I kept all of this under wraps because I was still learning about the industry. In my previous experience with publishing, Amazon and Print-On-Demand technology weren’t available. I encountered a learning curve. My client was so gracious about it, though. One day, after I aired my grievances and fears about delving into publishing on a deeper level she remarked, “You can practice on my project and we will learn together.” What a great friend and a sigh of relief! I literally yelped out loud when I uploaded her file and book cover to Amazon for the first time!
Step 2: I set up meetings with some entrepreneur friends who passionately believe in Mission Publishers. One friend suggested I host an event for self-published authors called “Author Expo” in 2019 where authors presented and sold their books. It was a great success! Another friend suggested I launch the “Mission Publishers Presents!” digital TV show. It has been delayed twice due to health issues, but I am working on it behind the scenes.
Step 3: I continued my education and took courses in entrepreneurship at Western Carolina University Distance Learning. I will graduate in December with a Bachelor of Science degree in Innovation, Leadership, and Entrepreneurship. I worked in teams to develop a business plan. My team used my company for several group projects. A great moment was when I attended a friend’s self-published book launch at her home. She gave me time to speak about Mission Publishers. Seventy percent of the attendees were interested in getting more information. I used those stats for the project; we were the only group able to prove our model, not just in theory but in practice.
Step 4: Risk-taking is part of the deal. There really isn’t any way around it. Entrepreneurs take “calculated” risks, but they are still risks. Risks are unavoidable. Sometimes entrepreneurs go with their gut feeling and make decisions on a wing and a prayer. I’ve done that and all went well. However, I’ve also made hasty decisions that I didn’t think through which cost me money. I learned from my mistakes. Usually, entrepreneurs learn by trial and error.
Step 5: Keep going with all of the necessary processes. Get help everywhere you can. Talk to people to gain insight to prove or perfect your business model. Remain committed through all of the processes, hard knocks, and setbacks. Setbacks can lead to setups for success. Having a seamless process is not necessarily always a win because learning from achievements and failures is useful and necessary.
Selena, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I became involved in publishing over 20 years ago before self-publishing or small presses were common. (That was before Print-On-Demand technology!) My job involved working with authors to develop their stories while retaining their voices. In recent years, I have felt called to connect ordinary peoples’ extraordinary stories to the world and began Mission Publishers, LLC.
We treat you as a unique writer. We call to your pains to connect our services with your specific needs. To help you feel supported, we carefully go over any hesitations you might have and speak about how our services will support you. We are right beside the writer from start to finish, offering deep-dive Zoom sessions and ongoing support. We do not directly compete with publishing giants on their level. We go low to the invisible authors and champion their stories and life’s mission. Staying true to ourselves is where our strength lies. We offer affordable services curated for each individual author. We back up our price with results and testimonials to provide trust.
I am thankful for my clients. We found each other organically and connected. I trust in providential direction to connect with authors whose books Mission Publishers is designed to publish. I am very proud of how I help people find the best publishing path for them whether or not that path is Mission Publishers. Mission Publishers aims to offer value to our customers by publishing compelling books from ordinary people whose stories speak to us.
Our Mission
We publish extraordinary stories by ordinary people for God’s glory.
Our Vision
Mission Publishers, LLC stands for boosting everyday miracles through extraordinary storytelling. We seek to publish books that transform lives, encourage people, instill hope, and convey God’s love according to biblical standards. At Mission Publishers, our mission is your story.
We offer the following services:
Manuscript Development
In our deep-dive sessions, we review your Big Idea and identify opportunities to make your story stronger.
Copy Editing
We partner with professional editors who will ensure your manuscript is free of spelling, grammar, and syntax errors and make your manuscript shine!
Book Production
We conceptualize and produce a captivating book cover and complementary interior design that captures the essence of your story.
A FREE Consultation
A free, no-obligation consultation offers the perfect place to start. We’ll be focusing on crafting your story, the one you’ve lived out, and live to tell others. We’ll uncover your writing style and the vision that God gave you for this book. Together, we’ll get you closer to clarity, story development, and a polished manuscript.
Here’s what our clients say:
“When I first met Selena, I asked one question: Can you retain my voice? Selena has invested five years in developing my book and retaining my voice. We are working on a series now! I’m thankful for Mission Publishers.”
~ Tina Green, author of “How to Really Get Married: Finding God’s Productive Path to the Altar”
“Sharing your story can bring up difficult emotions and blocks. Having Selena be so involved with the process allowed me to pray through hard parts with someone and get the story out with ease. I feel like the work God put on my heart has always been in good
hands.”
~Jackie Scott, author of “Letters to the Lost Ones: A Testimony Back to God”
“It has been a genuine pleasure to work with Mission Publishers. They are sensitive to the Holy Spirit, and God-honoring in all their business practice. I would choose them again for any future publishing needs.”
~Nancy Craig Zarzar, author of “The Heavy Art of Joy: How I Encountered God in the Midst of Mental Illness
“I thank God for Mission Publishers. Throughout the developmental editing process, Selena has provided keen insights into how to arrange major content pieces. She is patient. She is kind. She is understanding. I highly recommend her!”
~Kyle Alston, author of “Victory in Daily Battles: Keys to Walk In Victory Over Fear, Worry, and Anxiety”
“The best picture frames don’t merely hold photographs; they enhance the images. That is how I describe my experience with Mission Publishers. Mission Publishers helped elevate my book’s message so readers could connect to my meaning from cover to cover.”
~Selina Murrell, author of “An Unlikely Wife: How God Unwrapped My Single Life to Give Me the Gift of Marriage”
“I had the opportunity of being a part of Mission Publishers’ first Author’s Expo. Selena has done a great job of coaching me through the preliminary process of writing my own book. Their #1 goal is to help everyday people like myself pull out the extraordinary
stories within them.”
~Katina Turner, author of “The Book of Proof: Nothing is Impossible with God!
(“Author Expo” was Katina’s idea!)
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
Resilience is necessary for both life and business. The opportunity to prove my resilience manifested in the form of chronic nerve pain in 2019 – and is ongoing. Simple things such as sitting or walking pain-free that I never thought twice about are meaningful to me now. Initially, there was a period of just getting through difficult days. Then I took incompletes in the last two classes of my bachelor’s degree due to pain and lots of doctor appointments. I postponed the production of my online TV show “Mission Publishers Presents!” Twice. My daily habits and my living environment required disability accommodations. That was a game-changer. Walkers, grab bars, a cane and other aids are part of my life while I walk out this season under the care of natural and conventional doctors coupled with much prayer.
During this part of my journey, I would like to say that resilience was my “go-to” state of mind, but it wasn’t. It took me a while to get a grip on everything. I was frustrated, but then I decided not to give in or give up due to health issues. First and foremost, I became resilient in my faith and corrected my mindset using biblical scriptures that I read and heard. One of my favorite scriptures is “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” Philippians 4:13 (NKJV). I confess this and other verses out loud. I am building my faith while I walk this process out.
It’s challenging to think about where I could or should be at this point in my life and business, however, I don’t control the journey or the outcome. I am responsible to do the best I can each day and not to worry about crushing my to-do list. Take each day as it comes and be resilient.
What’s been the best source of new clients for you?
The best source of new clients for Mission Publishers is referrals. My friend, Susan, a gifted self-published author, mentioned me to her friend, Nancy, who wanted to publish her manuscript. Nancy wrote her book 20 years ago and was waiting for the right publisher. Like Nancy, Selina also wrote her story 20 years ago. We met at a book event that Susan and Selina participated in. When I checked in at the event, the clerk gave me Selina’s name tag. ( I thought all guests had a name tag and didn’t mind the name “typo.”) When Selina showed up, we realized the mixup! We became fast friends. (“Mission Publishers Presents!” is Selina’s idea.) I met Latrice at an outdoor church event. I mentioned I was a publisher and Latrice revealed that she writes children’s books. A young lady at church introduced me to Jackie and Kyle who both wanted to publish their books. Tina Green attempted to write her story with the help of others but encountered struggles staying true to her voice. She asked if I could retain her voice if we worked together. I promised her I could. And I did.
Future authors include a family member, classmates, friends, and a senior citizen for whom I volunteer. I trust God to direct the clients that belong to Mission Publishers. I also envision “Mission Publishers Presents!” as a platform to attract clients worldwide. I am building my team. It will happen by faith at the right time!
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