Hello. I'm Bart Dahmer, Founder & Managing Partner of Innovo Publishing, LLC. I am a Christian, husband, and father as well as an ordained deacon, and Gideon. I'm also a business person and life-long learner with a passion for glorifying God through writing and publishing.
Over the course of my career in industry, I've had a growing desire to use my business, human resources, and information technology experience to start a publishing company for the Christian and wholesome markets. After much counsel, I set out on a multi-year adventure to understand firsthand the challenges faced by today's authors.
So where does one start with such a quest? Well, I chose to start from the beginning by writing a novel... and then I realized the learning process was only just beginning.
After more than my share of rejections (and many humbling), my book was accepted by a mainstream publisher. But I wasn't convinced this path was the only way to go in today's publishing market. It wasn't just the contract terms, but also where the industry was headed.
Part of my management career at a Fortune 100 company was helping release new technologies and software applications to the world. In this role, I saw many new technologies disrupting older business models. Businesses have to change or risk becoming obsolete. I could see this type of disruption occurring in the publishing industry, so I decided to explore the newer roads.
But even with manuscript in hand, there were many things to consider regarding Christian and wholesome independent (self) publishing--many of which you may have asked yourself. For starters, Christian & wholesome Independent self-publishers have to decide:
- Should I create my own book cover or hire it out? How much is a book cover worth?
- What are the right book specs? Should the manuscript be in MS Word, Adobe? Other?
- How does one find a professional and trusted manuscript editor who is affordable?
- How should the layout of a book be designed?
- What are the right interior book formats, fonts, margins?
- What about audiobooks, eBooks, iPhones and mobile editions?
- How do ISBNs and barcodes fit in with self-publishing? How will I get paid for self-publishing?
- How do you effectively market and sell a self-published book once it's complete?
- What about manuscript and image copyrights, security, and digital rights management?
- How do you establish printing, distribution, and fulfillment capabilities for self-publishers?
- Who are the premier audio, eBook, and print book wholesalers, distributors, and retailers in the US?
- How about international book printing, distribution, and fulfillment? How about currency exchange?
- To self-publish, do I need an e-commerce website? PayPal, Visa? Merchant Account?
- What about book press releases and book reviews / critiques or online marketing tools and advertising campaigns?
With this as the backdrop, I decided to earn my stripes by researching and personally performing each of the major functions in the independent (self) publishing process, some of which I noted above. I will confess that I had my share of frustrations and bruises along the way, and it took a lot of time. But I completed them all with my own book. Being there on the front lines, so to speak, helped me to understand the frustrations and challenges faced today by Independent self-publishing authors with Christian and wholesome books--and it certainly helped shape the culture and practices we've embraced as I formed Innovo (which, by the way, means "to make new") Publishing, LLC.
As a result of these experiences, one of our primary goals at Innovo is to provide trusted, affordable, full-service publishing packages and services to Christian authors, artists, and organizations to help get your printed and electronic books to the global market fast and hassle-free. Along the way we established the capabilities to provide Independent Self-Publishing, Cooperative Publishing and Traditional Publishing options for hardback, paperback, children's books, color books, eBooks, audiobooks, music titles, and videos. But regardless of the publishing model you choose (Independent, Co-Pub, or Traditional) or the type of title you want to publish, we want to be your trusted partner - someone you can turn to and count on for honest, professional support for your publishing dreams.
So, let me close with this: if you have a Christian or wholesome book that you dream of publishing, I'd like to help you do just that. As a Christian full-service publisher, we'll do our best to provide a book you will be proud to call your own with an honest, straight forward process. Whether you are interested in Independent Self-Publishing, Cooperative Publishing or Traditional Publishing, I hope you will give us the opportunity to get to know you and will allow us the privilege of helping bring your publishing dreams to life.
Sincerely,
Dr. Bart Dahmer
Founder & CEO
Innovo Publishing, LLC
bart@innovopublishing.com
