A New Kind of Self-Publishing Company…

Cedar Hill Publishing began nearly two years ago under most unusual circumstances. Rebecca Hayes and husband, Marty Sorenson, took over a failing vanity press operation with 52 clients, nearly all of whom were paid in full. They received none of the money those clients had paid, but were angry that so many people had been ripped off. This set the stage for their company’s growing reputation, as they decided to take care of the clients, anyway.

With the issue resolved, they set in to get organized and start work. While Marty familiarized himself with self-publishing’s complexity and got the company registered as a vendor of record with wholesalers and online retailers, Becky used her considerable artistic and linguistic expertise on the computer to get books and covers ready for print. They organized the 52 clients by promised delivery date, notified everyone of the changes that had taken place and asked for patience. Then, over the course of the next 18 months, they took on new clients, worked with old clients, and got everyone to the printer as quickly as possible. This wasn’t without difficulties.

What’s most unusual about this whole scenario is that it’s true – all of it. Nearly two years later, they still have not been paid by the former company owner, who collected and apparently spent the money those 52 clients paid to him. Becky and Marty did the work for free and paid for printing for most (but not all) of those clients out of profits from new clients. Even books previously printed by the old company, twenty-four of them, were included in the catching up that was done.

All ISBN numbers were registered with Bowker’s Books in Print, so that each book then legally existed. All old clients, regardless of what they actually paid for as a publishing package, received extra care and services as a thank-you for being patient and having faith. When money ran out as summer business died off, a few clients were asked if they would rather wait for printing or pay for it themselves. Those who could pay for it themselves did so, and Marty and Becky kicked in as much as they could afford to help.

And now, after all that, some of the original 52 clients have become regulars, publishing more than one book and a few have published several. No one can blame them.

The client care is every bit as friendly, open, honest and straightforward as it has always been. Questions are answered in full with no evidence of impatience, though it’s a certainty that most of the answers have been given many times to many people. It’s truly like dealing with a friend. Every single contract is fulfilled to the letter (sometimes beyond), all promises kept, and delivered in a timely fashion. Phones are answered personally and emails are answered within minutes.

The quality of the products is unusual, as well. No two covers are alike – Cedar Hill doesn’t use templates. Designs range from photographic to custom artwork. All covers take advantage of special 3-D lettering effects in textures from a soft bevel to a shiny gold or silver to wood or even water. Everything is color-coordinated to match the colors in the image design, and even to go with the nature of the story the cover will enclose. One story takes place in the southwest, and the lettering on the cover is done in a texture reminiscent of heavily veined turquoise.

Attention is paid to details such as matching the lettering style on the cover to the lettering style used for the title page and chapter titles. The printers they use are digital, but produce a quality to match the most discriminating bookstore owner or manager. Covers are a good heavy stock, as is the paper used for the pages. Glues are flexible and sturdy, instead of brittle. Pages don’t fall out the first time the books are opened. Covers are full-color and gloss-laminated.

All services are fully performed, and if a particular service is beyond the budget of a client, Becky is free with advice on how to take advantage of free marketing and publicity. Ideas and information are generously given and everything is explained in terms a beginner can grasp.

Yes, a new standard, indeed. This is a business done the old fashioned way, when everyone was from a small town, and people left their doors unlocked. In today’s busy marketplace, this kind of business is not the norm. Cedar Hill Publishing cares about their clients and treats them all like friends. No secrets. Reasonable prices and no hidden costs. All promises kept, and all the help one could hope for – all in one place. Will this become a standard that other self-publishing companies have to meet? Let’s hope so. This really is the way business should be done.