In 2019, I started asking what I could do to make Meadowlark Press more than a passion project. Could I grow our little press into a truly profitable enterprise? What changes could I make to better support our authors and our readers? How could we reach more readers with the wonderful books we were producing?
I’m not ready to claim we are there yet, but we have made definite progress in three short years, and the answers have been many and varied. Fostering relationships directly with our readers has been one of the biggest changes that is making a difference. Yes, our books remain available through the standard book-buying channels. But direct sales from our own website now rival the orders we get via Ingram and Amazon, and not sharing “the profit” with so many levels of distributors has been good for our bottom line. We are thankful for the readers who are willing to bypass the convenience of free shipping and perhaps single-stop book shopping in exchange for taking the time to visit us personally as we take our books on the road or visit our online bookstore where our authors make the most $$ for their hard work.
I also want to take a moment to thank the independent bookstores and gift shops, especially in Kansas, but also beyond, who are willing to take the extra time we know it requires to order books directly from us. We book lovers are all in this together, and as the rising costs of returns via traditional print-on-demand channels make playing the “traditional game” of bookselling almost impossible for a press the size of Meadowlark, we are happy to report that our books are available in more indie bookstores than ever before, and we will continue to focus on increasing reader-demand for our favorite titles (who am I kidding, all of our titles are favorites!) so that our supporting bookstores are even more motivated to carry Meadowlark books.
2022 has been another year full of growth and learning. We are so proud of the titles we have shared with the world, and we are excited for the future of Meadowlark Press.
Thank you for joining us on this journey, and before I sign off, I have a favor to ask of you. Please take a moment to share your love of a Meadowlark book. Leave a review for a Meadowlark book, share our website with your reading friends and family, encourage your social media followers to follow us on Facebook. Any assistance you can give us is appreciated. Our authors need your support; our little press thrives thanks to friends like you.
Much love and good reading,
Tracy Million Simmons
Meadowlark Press
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