Meet Lindsay

I’m a Book Coach who helps self-publishers plan, prepare, publish, and promote nonfiction books. I graduated from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst with a BA in Journalism and Women’s Studies and have specialized in publishing and print production over the course of my decades-long career. 

My experience in journalism, print production, and as an entrepreneurial publisher gives me a complete understanding of the publishing process from design to print to marketing — and the practical, hands-on experience to educate, guide, and coach others who are new to it. 

Interested in working with me? 

I came of age during the Watergate years, when scores of young people (including me) enrolled in journalism schools, aspiring to become the next Bob Woodward or Carl Bernstein. Writing and publishing had the power to change the world, or at least to alter the course of events. This passion to effect change is the reason why I’ve worked in the printing and publishing space for the whole of my career.

While studying at UMass, I discovered that the daily campus newspaper wasn’t covering women’s sports—all the articles were about men’s sports, even the painful details of the losing teams! I marched down to the office and asked, “Why aren’t you covering women’s sports? They are doing better than the men’s.” The hippy-editor looked at me without a hint of malice and asked: “Why don’t you do it?” 

And so I did…

I covered almost every woman’s sport that existed: basketball, volleyball, softball, gymnastics, swimming, lacrosse, cross-country, crew, and golf. (There was no soccer team at the time.) When other women on campus saw the articles, they were encouraged and came down to the newspaper to write sports too. Over time, I became one of several sports editors, empowered to choose what was published in those pages, including photos and page placements. Writing these articles and publishing them changed the perception of women’s sports on campus and gave them room to grow—along with the passage of Title IX.

Words matter…

I worked in two publishing collectives early on in my career. In Boston, I sold advertising, did page layouts, and wrote for a feminist newspaper. A few years later, another group of us published The San Francisco Women’s Yellow Pages directory to promote women in business. 

Looking back to the 1970’s and 80’s, I find the sheer numbers of feminist newspapers, journals, underground ‘zines, and periodicals in almost every major city in the U.S. to be mind-boggling. The resources were so numerous, especially at local levels, that they were difficult to catalog. These periodicals directly fostered and buoyed the strength of the second wave. 

Words change lives…

In the years since, I’ve acquired skills on both sides of the printing press. I’ve held jobs in newspaper and book publishing, print production and sales, digital prepress education, and marketing…then, product development, printing, and publishing for my own greeting card start-up, Paper Lantern, which I operated for fifteen years. 

As an entrepreneurial publisher, I built my card company from the ground up. First, I created its products and catalogs, then developed sales channels nationwide, attended trade shows—and later marketed through the Internet. I learned by doing, and believe me, success did not happen overnight. 

In 1999, Paper Lantern cards were named one of the top ten sidelines for independent bookstores by the American Booksellers Association. In 2001, New Age Retailer Magazine profiled Paper Lantern as one of the best innovative new age card lines nationwide.

I wrote and self-published my first book Living into Art, Journeys Through Collage, and released it in 2008 using Paper Lantern as my platform. I had already built a customer base of independent retailers (with dozens of bookstores), a print catalog, and a website, so I began on solid ground and had distinct advantages in the marketplace. Despite all my publishing experience, it was a thrill to be introduced as “author” for the first time.  

Since you’re reading this, most likely you’re impassioned about writing and the power of publishing too. Today we have more opportunities than ever to get our work into print, online, and distributed as e-books, yet authors have to do even more than before to market their own writing, and to get the attention of readers in the marketplace. 

I do this work to share my own writing and publishing experiences and to help other self-publishers understand what lies on the road ahead. No matter what your profession or background, the information and examples outlined here are meant to prepare you for the excitement—and the challenges—of planning, producing, and marketing your own book. 

Just as every author’s voice is distinctive, each author’s path to self-publishing will be unique to him or her. It takes faith—and belief in your dream—to put in the effort to reach the end goal. Yet no one will know how long it took; they will only know how well it is done. You can take the first step toward that accomplishment by committing yourself to prepare and to make a plan before you publish.

What Else You Should Know About Me…

In addition to my publishing skills, I’m an accomplished collage artist whose art practice has boosted my own creativity and self-development exponentially. My first self-published book, Living into Art, Journeys Through Collage is the story of my journey alongside the stories of nine other studio artists. 

Living into Art was named a Finalist in ForeWord’s Book of the Year, and also chosen as Honorable Mention in the inspirational category of the Annual Writer’s Digest International Self-Published Book Awards.

I started coaching and working with other writers when they saw my book. The quality blew them away. When I told them it was self-published, many wanted to know how to publish their own books. Over the next couple of years, I developed the Self-Publisher’s Book Plan to systemize the process.

Through the years, I’ve been a member of the American Booksellers Association, the Bay Area Independent Publishers Association, Book Builders West (now Publishing Professionals Network) and the National Association of Independent Writers and Editors.

I Love What I Do…

I love what I do because I love my clients! There are no “typical” self-publishers. Everyone owns a unique set of life experiences and has something to contribute to the collective. It’s truly inspiring to give new publishers a boost and watch them soar. 

The creative process is alive in all of us.

Bringing it out in others is my specialty.

I want my clients to feel that they have someone who understands what they are going through, someone to give them sound advice, and someone to support them when they need it most. You are not alone!

You have a passion for writing, speaking, or teaching because you want to make a contribution and impact the lives of others. You have unique life experiences that are special and singular.  

Publishing your book is about creating on-going dialogues and offering your knowledge, skills, and products to others. And I guarantee that writing and publishing your book will most definitely add to your growth as a person. Once your book is made public, you’ll gain even more confidence and inspiration from readers whose lives are changed by your book.

…Let’s Get Started!