We recently connected with MK Ahearn and have shared our conversation below.

MK, appreciate you joining us today. Let’s start with a story that highlights an important way in which your brand diverges from the industry standard.

Azala Press is a woman-owned small publisher which is operated by indie authors. This press was originally created with the intention of being my own personal imprint for my books. As I learned more about the industry and sought out resources I realized there were not many places for indie authors to turn for help and resources. That is when I decided to expand Azala Press. Rather than a company that thinks about how can it profit off of author’s stories and books, we consider how can we share what we have learned navigating this industry and help other authors thrive.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Azala Press is a small publisher focused on a variety of genres. At Azala Press we help make the publishing process more seamless for authors and allow them to focus on their writing and storytelling. This business began as a way just for me to publish my own stories but has grown much larger. I originally started expanding the press through organizing themed anthologies. This was a great way to connect other writers with each other and provide them another platform to promote their work. These anthologies are one of my proudest accomplishments with the press. We donate profits from the anthologies to charities such as ASPCA and Room to Read.

Azala Press helps provide authors with assistance in the portions of publishing a book that many do not know where to begin with. We handle editing, content, marketing, and the publishing processing. All of this is meant to be resources for authors. We also provide access to other resources through our website. I compiled a list of common tools, sites, and softwares authors are able to use to make the process easier.

My favorite part of this all has been connecting with all of the other authors I have met through Azala Press. I have built a community where I feel at home and I am so thankful for every last person I have been able to connect with.

Can you talk to us about how your funded your business?

I used profits from my own self published stories to fund Azala Press. I still put a large portion of my earnings into running Azala Press. This small publishing house is something I love and am determined to grow. I will continue to put in the time, effort, and funds to expand the business to what I know what it can become.

How’d you meet your business partner?

Ky Venn is my assistant director and partner in Azala Press. Without her none of this ever would have been possible. I met her in 2022 when I was first learning how to even publish my first novel. She helped me learn all of the tools and options indie authors have access to. Since that day we have become close friends and now business partners.

Ky is hardworking and an inspiring partner in this business. She manages to balance being both a mother, author, and amazing assistant director. Not a single day passes where I am not thankful for her being in my life.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://azalapress.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/azalapress
• Other: http://www.tiktok.com/azalapress

Image Credits

MK Ahearn and Ky Venn