We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Stephanie Larkin a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Stephanie, appreciate you joining us today. What’s been the best thing you’ve ever seen (or done yourself) to show a customer that you appreciate them?

As a book publisher, I love celebrating book launches and sharing new publications with the world. So, when an author planned the book release party to end all parties—complete with 1,000 books ordered for the event—I was all in. There was just one little problem: a series of delays (including a surprise snowstorm that shut down the printer!) meant the books might not make it on time.

I had visions of myself tracking down delivery drivers like a literary bounty hunter, but that felt a little too risky. So, in a moment of sheer determination (or madness?), I told the printer: “Don’t ship them. I’ll come to you.” Never mind that “you” was four states away.

The drive was surprisingly smooth—my assistant/friend joined me for the adventure, and we drove straight to the printer without so much as a lunch break. Mission first, sandwiches later! With the books safely in my van, we finally stopped for a meal—keeping one eye on the van, of course—before heading home.

Then, just one hour from our final destination, disaster struck. The van overheated—on a bridge, no less! Cue flashing dashboard lights, warning chimes, and a moment of pure panic. I cranked up the heat (because apparently, that’s a thing you do?) to keep the engine from melting down and managed to limp off the highway.

Enter my knight in shining SUV—my amazing husband—who met me, helped transfer 1,000 books into his vehicle, and kept the mission alive. My assistant Ubered home, the tow truck was scheduled for the morning, and my husband and I pressed on, delivering those books ourselves at 9:30 p.m. to a venue buzzing with pre-party preparations.

Afterward, we finally sat down for a well-earned late-night dinner—and, of course, a celebratory glass of wine.

That author knows how much I value them, but honestly? I want all my clients to feel that way. Their successes are our successes, and “personal” and “celebratory” are the words we live by at Red Penguin Books.

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?

While my official title is Founder and CEO of Red Penguin Books, I really think of myself as the Head Penguin of our ever-growing family of authors. I love books, but even more than that, I love partnering with aspiring authors to turn their publishing dreams into reality.

My path to book publishing was anything but traditional. No, I wasn’t a junior editor at a big publishing house who struck out on her own. In fact, my journey began in an entirely different field—web development. It all started when an organization my husband chaired was left scrambling after their web developer embezzled all of their funds. (Yes, really!) They desperately needed a website, so I stepped in to help. One website led to another… and another… until suddenly, I was buried in clients and officially filing as a corporation: Red Penguin Web Solutions was born.

Over the years, we expanded to meet all sorts of digital needs—including digital books. Then, a few clients asked if I could make their digital books available in print. Around that time, I was working closely with the National Writers Union, and one day, while sitting in the audience at a conference where I was scheduled to speak, I had an epiphany: We could publish books, too!

After lots of research (and a little soul-searching), we took on our first author-clients. Within a year, this “new division” had grown so much that it practically devoured the original company.

At Red Penguin Web Solutions, our motto was “Stand Out!”—because if you looked at a sea of penguins on an iceberg and one of them was red, that would be the one you noticed. At Red Penguin Books, our mission is “Changing lives, one book at a time.” Because while books have the power to impact the world, the most important life they change is that of the author. There’s something truly transformative about seeing your name on the cover of a book—because in that moment, you aren’t just a writer anymore. You’re an author.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

Honestly, there’s only ever been one way I’ve gotten clients over the years—referrals. Every single client I’ve worked with in the past 15+ years can be traced directly back to another client or someone in my life. Some clients have sent me so many referrals (and their referrals have sent me so many referrals) that I picture them as having their own branch on the ever-growing tree that is my business.

There’s a saying that people do business with people, not with businesses, and that trust and personal connections go much farther in sealing the deal than any fancy proposal ever could. I make a point to track referrals—not just out of curiosity, but because I want to personally thank those who support Red Penguin Books with their confidence and praise.

Perhaps my favorite referral story involves a gentleman I met through another client. One day, while riding the crosstown bus, he overheard a woman telling her friend she was thinking about publishing a book. Now, most people might have nodded politely and stayed in their seat—but not this guy! Nope, this 80-something-year-old superhero leapt over the bus seats to interrupt their conversation with: “I know a publisher!”

Did he have a business card? Of course not. But he made sure to repeat our name enough times that she wouldn’t forget. Later, I got two calls—one from him, excitedly recounting the whole story, and one from the potential client. That author’s book turned out to be one of the most amazing projects I’ve ever worked on, and I will forever be grateful for Bob’s supersonic hearing (and impressive agility!).

How do you keep in touch with clients and foster brand loyalty?

At Red Penguin Books, our authors are never “former” clients—they’re family for life. We love celebrating their successes, cheering them on in their journeys, and supporting them through all the exciting (and sometimes unexpected) adventures that book publishing brings.

Fortunately, publishing comes with plenty of built-in touchpoints that keep us connected—whether it’s sending out quarterly book royalties, distributing annual 1099s, ordering books, assisting with media promotions and speaking engagements, or helping authors navigate their next big plans. We also stay in touch through social media, and we make it a point to send cards and gifts for life’s celebrations—whether it’s a new baby, a new book, or both!—as well as offering our support in times of loss.

Beyond that, we bring our author family together in meaningful ways—whether it’s an in-person BBQ for our local authors or a social Zoom call where writers can connect, collaborate, and maybe even form lifelong friendships. Since I love to travel, I also keep a map in our office with a pushpin marking the location of every Red Penguin author. Over the years, I’ve been lucky enough to meet and dine with authors around the world, and I look forward to adding many more pins to that map!

And, of course, writing a book is like eating potato chips—you can never stop at just one! So I’m always thrilled to help our authors with their next book… and maybe the one after that… as they continue their journey as published authors.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://redpenguinbooks.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stephanie.redpenguinbooks/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stephanielarkin
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanielarkin/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@RedPenguinBooks