Reedsy Helped Me Start My Own Indie Publishing Company

Reedsy Helped Me Start My Own Indie Publishing Company Reedsy Helped Me Start My Own Indie Publishing Company Christina Enquist shares her experience assembling the team of professionals that helped launch her debut novel, The Immundus - and her very own independent publishing company, Odolf Mingan Publishing.I was on safari, traversing my way through the rugged terrain of social media, seeking the elusive and coveted book editor. Not just any editor would do. I knew I had to have an editor with experience in editing young adult and science fiction, preferably someone who had edited bestsellers and award-winning novels.I tried reaching out to editors on Twitter and got some bites, but I was concerned about handing my manuscript over to a person whose qualifications I wasn’t sure of. It was then that I happened upon a Mark Dawson podcast where he talked all about Reedsy. I began to investigate Reedsy myself and was instantly hooked. Thus ended my safari, as I found a prize better than I imagined: an entire herd of talent.I knew that I had found my resource for top talent, one that cou ld support me in starting my indie publishing career. I didn’t have to worry about hiring full-time or even part-time employees. I could hire professionals per project/book by contracting them through Reedsy.I am gearing up to launch my debut young adult dystopian novel,  The Immundus. The story is set in the year 2828 in Domus, the world’s last remaining country. Domus’ population is dwindling as the result of a mysterious disease called allagine. When 16-year-old Nia is recruited by a research company pioneering a cure to allagine, she witnesses something she shouldn’t have. As she sets down a dangerous path that uncovers national secrets, Nia must decide not only what kind of person she wants to be, but how far she’s willing to go to save humanity.In order to make The Immundus the best it could be, I connected with professionals at different stages of my book’s development.EditingI contracted two editors to get my book ready for the pre sses. Katrina Diaz Arnold served as my developmental and line editor, while Parisa Zolfaghari worked as my copy editor and proofreader. Both of these women were wonderful to work with and provided exceptional feedback to help me shape my story and tighten the lines.For example, Katrina was instrumental in helping me determine where to end the book - not always a straightforward task when writing a trilogy. She also made me aware of areas where I needed more thought or dialogue so the reader could fully understand what’s going on - which is crucial in any novel with dense worldbuilding. "Working with a professional editor is crucial for any novel with dense worldbuilding." @cienquist Parisa added additional depth to my story: she not only provided copy edits to make sure my punctuation and grammar were appropriate, she also provided some of her own developmental recommendations - even adding a few more scenes to raise the stakes of the novel’s central conflict. Since I started working with the professionals I found on Reedsy, I have learned so much about the publishing industry and its standards: from learning about widows and orphans thanks to my copy editor, to understanding bleeds and crops from my designer, my team helped me acquire the knowledge I needed to become an indie publisher.The Immundus is available for pre-order on Amazon!Please share your thoughts, experiences, or any questions for Christina Enquist in the comments below!