We recently connected with Valerie Willis and have shared our conversation below.

Valerie, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Looking back, do you think you started your business at the right time? Do you wish you had started sooner or later

Sooner. So much sooner. Granted, the timing and waiting wasn’t because I hadn’t been preparing for this moment to shine while gathering and researching information on the publishing industry. The first hold back was my self-confidence in the beginning. One of my greatest fears was “do I know enough?” about the industry, running a business, and can understand how to begin setting the foundation. That fear made me hesitant on many occasions. My other reserve is realizing early on that “I can’t do this alone” and wondering who that partner should be. When Erika Lance (our CEO) approached me, I knew I had found that perfect person. It wasn’t that I hadn’t been approached prior, but she had the drive, the expertise, and the same vision I had. She knew the business side that I had no self–confidence to face alone, while I had the production know-how she needed. It was meant to be! If only we had found each other sooner.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

You hear it all the time, “I’ve been writing since I was a kid” and though true, I had never thought to write professionally. When life hit a new low, as in I was pregnant with my first kid, recently laid off and so was the husband, and Stage 3 Cancer diagnosis while crying on the floor, only one thought came to mind: I should have finished that book from high school.

So began the art of learning the difference between writing for fun and writing to publish. Armed with a Graphic Design AS, I absorbed all aspects of the publishing world. Before I knew it, I was hosting workshops, talking on panels, and meeting huge authors and professionals in the industry. I worked as a freelancer for big and small, including individual authors for a number of years before at last, I was approached with an offer I couldn’t say no to.

Erika Lance bluntly asked, “Do you want to start a publishing house with me?” and I said “yes.” She wasn’t the first to ask, but she was the only one who had the same vision, drive, and skillset to compliment my own. There’s many sides to a business and I knew my own expertise and knowledge was fit for operations and production. I knew the in’s and out’s of the gears that produced a book from start to finish along with the data and technical needs to let it be seen. Erika, on the other hand, had the C-Level and business savvy skillset I lacked and could trust full heartedly.

Hooking arms, we produce 67 books in year one with a team of five while still juggling day jobs and writing as authors ourselves. By year 3, I was stepping fully on board to lurch production forward. Just knowing we have doubled our production and published books each passing year says volumes. It’s been incredible to build a modernized publishing house in our vision, even daringly throwing traditions and expected processes out the window to create a fresh spin on an industry that is starting to struggle to adapt to technology.

We have been able to bring fresh content to new levels in quality for edits and design, make books compatible for accessibility, create a new understanding on sustainable practices, and educate authors in how to be successful with their career while keeping their diverse, unique storytelling untouched. I can’t wait to see how we continue to grow and expand as we continue to nurture partnerships with companies such as Storytellers Forge, Ingram, Southgate Media Group, YONDER, and many more.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

I didn’t grow up in a household that supported art nor reading. My mother had told me multiple times, “reading is dumb” and had encouraged to be more “useful” and become a doctor or lawyer. Despite it, the library and its books were lifesavers. The stories I read from those early authors had widened my understanding of life and creativity including James Clavell, Robin McKinley, RL Stine, CS Lewis, and more.

Sketch books and books torn to shreds to discourage, yet I always found my way back. When life later gave me the largest gut punch, it was writing that came back to the surface to pull my head back above water. It’s not that it’s not a struggle and that I hadn’t stopped for years prior, but the idea that when I was emotionally distraught, it was the lifesaver to pull me back together again. And I know I’m not alone out there when I say books saved me.

Can you tell us the story behind how you met your business partner?

Erika Lance came in like a wrecking ball. I had been invited to dress as my character for a panel at MegaCon Tampa in 2018. You can’t miss her. She’s a 6 foot tall goddess and extrovert like nothing I had encountered before and it was amazing. For the first time, I met someone who understood shameless promotions and loved the thrill of meeting readers. After that, Erika kept inviting to more and more events, the two of us working in tandem to promote not only our own books, but help other authors. Before long, we started having deeper conversations about the industry and business until at last, Erika asked me to go into business with her.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://4horsemenpublications.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/4horsemenpublications/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/4horsemenpubs/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/4-horsemen-publications/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/4horsemenpubs

Image Credits
These are all personally made by me or provided by friends with permission.