We were lucky to catch up with Tanya Denise DeFreitas recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Tanya, thanks for joining us today. Can you talk to us about serving the underserved.
I wanted to become a published author since I was a little girl. I loved writing and I loved going to the library. I used to dream about my books being on the shelves of the library and in bookstores all over the world. I am now living my dream!
When I began my official publishing journey in 2018, I ran into a few obstacles, including finances and a lack of understanding of the process. My first book was a disappointment. I was excited about the proof delivery but when I received the proof in hand my book did not look how I envisioned. As a computer-savvy business professional, I started researching ways to improve my book’s look. I also creatively figured out a way to get my book published on a budget.
Once I figured out what to do and what worked, I decided to help others to do the same. I created quality, yet affordable publishing packages to help writers become published authors. My initial focus was to serve the underserved. There were so many people with amazing stories, no writing experience and not in a financial position to publish a book. My company provided opportunities for others to tell their stories in anthologies. The affordable publishing packages we offer allowed individuals from all walks of life and from various economic backgrounds to make their dream of becoming a published author a reality.
Tanya, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I published my first book in September 2018. By December 2018, I had published four books. In March 2019, I officially launched Love Wins Publishing and helped an amazing young woman publish her first book. Since then, my company has helped more than 300 writers become published authors.
Love Wins Publishing offers bundled publishing packages that allows authors to maintain all rights to their work. We do the work needed to take the idea from their minds and turn them into published books. We offer book coaching, editing, formatting, book cover design, and more. We also create forms and documents for businesses including contracts, non-disclosure forms, limited liability release forms, standard operating procedure manuals, and more.
Recently, Love Wins Publishing launched Minding my Business workshops and retreats to teach women writers and women in business about authorship and entrepreneurship. Love Wins Publishing also serves as the parent company of the International Association of Women Authors & Entrepreneurs, the world’s leading global networking association for women who write and women in business.
As the founder and CEO of Love Wins Publishing, I am proud to be an international, bestselling author. My books have sold and been represented in Belgium, Japan, Paris, and Dubai. I have received testimonies about lives being changed, and purpose being inspired based on my books and the work my company does.
Love Wins Publishing was awarded non-profit of the year based on our community efforts in providing educational and publishing scholarships to youth. We have also provided scholarships to inmates and individuals with terminal illness, creating space for them to share their stories with the world.
Love Wins Publishing aspires to do business with integrity and excellence. We put our all into each project we work on and we treat each client with respect and compassion. We want all of our clients to be successful in all of their endeavors and our commitment is to do what we can to make that possible.
Where do you think you get most of your clients from?
The best source of new clients for me is referrals and social media. When a satisfied customer tells someone about their experience working with me that is a set up for a closed deal. I love referrals because it gives me an opportunity to reconnet with a former client and to help a new client make their dream come true. In addition, we post consistently on social media. While we have yet to see a lot of engagement, we often receive phone calls and inbox messages from those who saw us on social media (Facebook & Instagram). In fact, the only advertising we have paid for is on Facebook and Instagram and that keeps us busy.
Can you talk to us about how you funded your business?
When I published my first book, I did so after creating my own version of a GoFundMe. I was on disability from my corporate job as a Purchasing Assistant. I finally completed the manuscript for my first book but there were more bills than money. I took a leap of faith and sent a text message to my family and close friends asking for donations to help me publish my first book. Each person I sent a text to sent money to help from $5 to $100. I used every penny to publish my first book, which launched my publishing company.
Once launched, I used the royalties I earned from book sales to update my computer and prepare for my vision of assisting other writers.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.lovewinspub.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/lovewinspublishing
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/lovewinspublishing
- Other: www.tanyadefreitas.com www.instagram.com/authortanyadenise www.facebook.com/authortanyadenise (909) 452-2294