Today we’d like to introduce you to Lisa Miller

Hi Lisa, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.

I am a Partner and the Business and Marketing Manager at Amphorae Publishing. I have a certificate in Strategic Communications from Saint Louis University, an M.A. in English from the University of Missouri-Saint Louis, and B.A. in English for the University of Baltimore. I am a retired Army Lieutenant Colonel who served in Afghanistan in 2009. My essay, “Still Falling Snow,” about my experience in Afghanistan was published in Proud to Be: Writing by American Warriors vol. 3 in 2014. I worked in corporate communications as a writer and editor for over 20 years. I am now a full-time publisher.

I founded Walrus Publishing just before deploying to Afghanistan and continued my work in publishing upon my return. Kristy Blank Makansi started Blank Slate Press around the same time. We came to know each other because we were both Saint Louis publishers. In 2014, we merged to create Amphorae Publishing.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?

It has been a winding road with joys and struggles along the way. My desire to contribute to the independent publishing movement and to bring great writing to readers never waivered, however. In the beginning, Amphorae struggled for funding, so I had to work full-time and so did Kristy to keep the business going. Early in the business we parted ways with an original partner over business strategy. We re-grouped and brought on a new business partner with fantastic industry experience, Laura Robinson. We also took this opportunity to bring in college students as interns which has been such a wonderful way to teach and give back to the community. We worked hard to build our catalog, so that we had a strong front and backlist. To do this we acquired another publishing company and took on an additional imprint. There have been other “growing pains,” but we have never lost track of our mission which is to publish good stories well told. That vision has helped us find our way down the winding road and helped us to keep moving when we stumble and enjoy the journey.

We’ve been impressed with Amphorae Publishing Group, LLC, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?

Amphorae Publishing Group is a woman- and veteran-owned business. Amphorae was created in 2014 with the merger of Blank Slate Press, Walrus Publishing, and Treehouse Publishing Group. In 2018, Amphorae acquired Goldminds Publishing. Through these imprints, Amphorae has worked with authors across the United States to publish titles over a wide range of genres. Amphorae authors have been reviewed in Publishers Weekly, Kirkus, New York Journal of Books, Historical Novels Review, Foreword Reviews, Midwest Book Review, and many others. Amphorae’s titles have also won many awards including multiple Benjamin Franklin awards from the Independent Book Publishers Association, multiple IPPYs from Independent Publisher magazine, multiple Foreword Indie awards, a Willa Award for Editing, and a DaVinci Eye award for cover design. Kristina Makansi and Lisa Miller are the founders and current publishing partners at Amphorae.

What was your favorite childhood memory?

This is a great question. It seems my answer to this changes from time to time, however. Lately, I have been remembering my grandfather. I lived with him and my grandmother in New Orleans, Louisiana for a time when I was young. My grandfather would go to Catholic Mass every morning around 6am. When he would come back, he would make chicory coffee, bacon, and grits. It was the smell of the bacon that would wake me up. Sometimes, I would get out of bed still in my pajamas and go to the kitchen. My grandfather and I would chat as much as a grown-up could with a child of around eight or nine. One morning, he asked me if I wanted coffee with him instead of milk. Of course, I said “yes”! He poured half a cup of coffee for me and filled the rest of the cup up with milk. I sipped my coffee which was so strong and a little bitter. When I put in a spoon full of sugar, he laughed. We didn’t talk much that morning as he read the paper, and I ate my grits and bacon taking sips of coffee in between. To this day, I still smell of the coffee and bacon, my grandfather’s aftershave, and the smell of so many meals cooked and eaten in that kitchen. Outside, I could hear the birds and the sunlight streamed in from the windows. It is a perfect memory for me of home, family, and being loved.

Pricing:

• eBooks $2.99
• Books $15.95 – $17.95

Contact Info:

• Website: https://amphoraepublishing.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amphoraepublishing/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amphoraepublishing
• Twitter: https://x.com/amphoraepub
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@amphoraepublishinggroup5459
• Other: https://www.threads.net/@amphoraepublishing

Image Credits
Cover images by Kristy Makansi