From pioneering the hybrid publishing field to managing the publishing journey of hundreds of authors, our publishing team has been hard at work solidifying She Writes Press and SparkPress as the gold standard in independent publishing.

In honor of She Writes Press’s 7th birthday, we’re celebrating seven of our biggest publishing firsts. We invite you to wish our sister press, SparkPress, happy 6th birthday by reading about our 6 SparkPress publishing firsts.

1. Winning title of 2019 Indie Publisher of the Year

Since its inception in 2012, She Writes Press has been a trailblazer in the hybrid publishing space. Along with SparkPress, launched in 2014, the two imprints are seen as the gold standard in hybrid publishing. That hard work paid off this year when She Writes Press was recognized as the 2019 Indie Publisher of the Year by the Independent Book Publishing Professionals Group (part of the Next Generation Indie Book Awards). This is the first time that a hybrid publisher has received this award, and Publisher Brooke Warner and Associate Publisher Lauren Wise accepted the award in Washington DC this June at ALA.

2. Our catalog hits 500 titles

It’s been a banner year for us so far as our list of titles continues to grow. In 2019, the She Writes Press catalog surpassed the milestone of 500 titles. Thanks to the success of our talented authors and our dedication to producing engaging, high-quality books, our list is now booked through Fall 2020.

3. Establishing the first STEP contest

In 2018, we took a step towards inclusion with the She Writes Press and SparkPress Toward Equality in Publishing contest, which offers a publishing contest to women of color writers. We awarded two STEP winners, one of which to be published by She Writes Press in fall 2019: Bobi Gentry Goodwin for her novel, Revelation. The second annual STEP contest just closed its submissions on July 1, 2019, and we will pick a winner this summer for our Spring 2021 lists.

4. Hybrid publishers get new standards from Independent Book Publishers Association

In 2018, She Writes Press Publisher Brooke Warner spearheaded the first effort to standardize hybrid publishing in her role as Chair of the Advocacy Committee of the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA). These efforts helped to establish important guidelines for the publishing industry and authors alike. This was a huge step forward for “hybrid publishing,” a term that Brooke Warner elevated in the publishing industry in a 2014 Publishers Weekly article shortly after being acquired by SparkPoint Studio.

5. She Writes Press wins the BISG Innovator award

At the 2017 Book Industry Study Group Annual Industry Awards in New York, She Writes Press was the recipient of the Industry Innovator Award, which is given “to a company or individual who boldly reimagines what publishing is and can be.” This is a testament to the influence of She Writes Press and SparkPress, and how we are leveling the playing field for indie authors and hybrid publishing.

6. Hosting our first She Writes Press Author Retreat

For four days in November 2016, SparkPoint Studio hosted over 40 She Writes Press authors to strengthen their writing skills, learn more about the industry, form bonds with other She Writes Press sisters, and hear a keynote and writing workshop from New York Times best-selling author Rebecca Skloot. In 2018, the second retreat hosted 60 authors from She Writes Press, SparkPress, and SheBooks, as well as a keynote and workshop by Jesmyn Ward, a two-time National Book Award-winning author.

7. “She Writes Press and SparkPoint Studio, Better Together”

In 2014, SparkPoint Studio acquired SheWrites.com and She Writes Press, allowing the imprint the ability to thrive and continue to grow to its full potential since its inception in 2012. The acquisition opened up She Writes Press to a full spectrum of in-house support, making the company the only business in the publishing industry to offer publishing, marketing, publicity and community all under the same roof.