Women-Owned Publishing Company Targets Women's Readership for Success in Tough Market

    SACRAMENTO, CA, July 29, 2009 /24-7PressRelease/ -- It's not enough in today's economy to launch a business based on great ideas and generous funding from venture capitalists. Lots of people have ideas that might even make great, viable ventures, but funding sources have dried up. Two local entrepreneurs recognized that if they were going to successfully launch their publishing company and not just become another business suffering from economic meltdown, they would have to be smart, strategic and effectively combine and leverage their marketing knowledge and skills - hence the successful launch of 3L Publishing.

Founders Michelle Gamble-Risley and Michele Smith, both seasoned marketing and public relations experts, wrote the new book SMASH: A Smart Girl's Guide to Practical Marketing and Public Relations (www.smartgirlsguideonline.com) and made back their investment within the first two weeks of release. Their decision to not only write the book, but also launch 3L Publishing was based on two very important market factors. Three out of every four new businesses started are launched by women, according to eWomen Network, and more than half of all readers are women.

"We ended up with a cart-before-the-horse situation," said Gamble-Risley. "We wrote SMASH and promoted its upcoming release. I had also written another book titled Second Bloom - and it is selling very well. Before we knew it, we had authors showing up and wanting us to publish their books. We were amazed. We had not even opened the proverbial 3L Publishing doors for business and we literally had a line of people waiting to be served. I'm sure it's obvious, but publishing is no small endeavor and traditionally known as a tough business."

"We realized before we had moved forward we were onto something special," said Smith. "We focused our business model on publishing books for and about women. We had researched the market and knew that women read more than men. They are the target market if you want a successful book. Just look at the success of authors who appear on Oprah. She knew what we figured out - women not only read but they are often voracious readers. Why not open a publishing company with a built-in market of hungry customers. It made perfect sense."

Between women starting businesses more often than men and women being the primary market for books, the women made a strategic move to write a book like SMASH targeted at women-owned business; however, the line of authors showing up to be published came almost as a surprise. "We never anticipated that within three months of starting work on SMASH that the mere mention of the book would attract so many authors. We moved quickly to meet the demand, but then we stepped back for a second and realized we would have to be discerning about the quality of work and who we published, which would not be just anyone who came along," said Gamble-Risley. "We don't want to become a vanity press. Authors showed up partially because my first book Second Bloom won three awards - and it's a high-quality book."

Now known as the Michel(ll)es, the women just published another new released called "Who Are You Calling Grandma?" They also have three working titles in the pipeline and expect to add these titles to their product line by fall. A constant stream of authors continues to show up and the company is growing at an amazing rate.

"Our biggest challenge isn't economic," said Smith. "We're trying to figure out how and when we'll add to our existing team of editors, graphics artists and web programmers. We both hate administrative work, so we hope to have a new assistant within weeks. In the meantime, we just marvel at our situation. So many other businesses struggle right now to survive and our greatest problem is how we're going to get all the work done. It feels great to be the odd 'girls' out when it comes to bucking the trends. Besides someone has to be successful in this economy, so why not us?"

SMASH can be purchased online at www.smartgirlsguideonline.com and on Amazon for $14.95. Second Bloom is on sale at www.second-bloom.com. Based on initial sales, the authors anticipate their first print run will be sold out by the end of August.

About 3L Publishing
3L Publishing provides complete publishing services to help authors, individuals and businesses take their manuscripts or custom publications and turn them into beautiful, perfect-bound books. We offer premier writing, editorial, production and marketing and public relations services for authors looking for a publisher to produce their books; individuals wanting an idea transformed into a publishable book; and businesses seeking experienced writers and editors to produce manuals, guides and custom publications, reports and papers. Come meet with our team of award-winning professionals, including writers, editors, marketing and public relations experts, graphic designers and Web developers. We offer unparalleled excellence and superior customer service. Call us today for a consultation or to discuss your literary or business project. We can be reached at 916.300.8012 or via e-mail at [email protected].
http://www.3Lpublishing.com

About SMASH
SMASH, the smart girls guide is a series of marketing books dedicated to stopping the overwhelming number of marketing book "snooze-fests" out in today's marketplace. We define each marketing media, from advertising to websites - and from social media to public relations - in the context of our business model based on the question, "Did you really just do that?" SMASH is written for today's marketing professional (girls and boys), small business owner, and entrepreneur or just about anyone in need of a really good laugh. Filled with examples, fun Smart Girl quotes, and true stories of marketing mishaps, SMASH promises to make you smirk, snicker or smile at our twisted sarcasm and warp sense of humor. Most importantly (drum roll please), you will actually learn something about marketing and public relations. What a novel concept! For more information visit: http://www.smartgirlsguideonline.com

Contact: Michele Smith
Tel: 916.230.8569
E-mail: [email protected]
www.mcommunicationsinc.com

# # #