Believe in yourself: Lynette thought she could never write a book until she read a really successful but really poorly written one.
Know your audience: Though Lynette is an expert in self-publishing, she always remembers that Limelight’s clients’ works are their own.
Get the name right: After a lengthy domain search, Lynette was happy to have Limelight available, so she claimed it before doing more research. The previous domain owner had gone out of business, and now she gets a lot of email for that defunct entity.
See the road ahead: Lynette keeps an open mind so she can incorporate new practices into your business ahead of the curve, rather than fighting against it.

The Story of Lynette Greenfield

Sixteen years ago, Lynette Greenfield wrote a novel. Despite having several poetry titles under her belt and ongoing encouragement from her husband, Lynette wasn’t sure she could write a whole book. It wasn’t until she picked up a trending bestseller, popular enough to be optioned for a movie, that she felt inspired – not because the book was so good that it changed her life, but because it really, really wasn’t.

“It was written so badly. I couldn’t believe it,” Lynette recalls. “I just could not believe it. Like, I couldn’t even get through three chapters. And I’m like … ‘Why am I doubting myself? If they can do it, I can definitely do it.’”

If there’s one thing you need to know about Lynette, it’s her endless self-motivation. Once she’s inspired and realizes that she can do something, nothing will stop her. She wrote that first book, published another 20 (and counting). And then she launched Limelight Publishing to help others do the same.

Practicing her craft

Of the many (many) writers I’ve met in my tenure in the publishing industry, Lynette is one of the most interesting. Not just because of her endless supply of inspiration – 20 books in 16 years is no joke – or her drive (seriously, that’s more than one book a year), but because of her approach.

Lynette starts her books at the end. She writes the ending and goes back to the beginning, working her way through how the characters arrived there. Despite having the end goal, she doesn’t outline her novels ahead of time or set daily writing goals.

How does she get so many books done? Like many successful authors, Lynette sticks to a writing routine. And like many committed parents, she finds the time in her day without sacrificing quality time with her husband and their four kids. In Lynette’s case, she aligns her writing time with the hour she spends sitting in the school pickup line, giving her both dedicated time and a hard stop every day.

It helps, of course, that she loves it. “Every time something stresses me out, I always automatically think to myself, it’s okay, I’ve got writing,” Lynette explains. That passion for writing and storytelling comes through in her craft and in her dedication to her work with her Limelight authors.

Sharing the Limelight

Limelight’s origin story is not unlike Lynette’s – all it took was the realization that she could do this.

Lynette had answered questions from family, friends, fans, and peers about her publishing experience, about how she managed everything from writing and editing to formatting and self-publishing to marketing and sales. But while listening to a panel of independent publishers sharing their journeys and challenges with starting a publishing company, it finally clicked.

“I didn’t realize that I could do it until I saw other people talking about their challenges and everything, and their challenges were things that I’d already done,” Lynette shares. And just like when she read that shockingly mediocre book, she took action. “I said, ‘I can do that.’ And I went straight home that evening and registered it.”

Building the brand

Since launching Limelight, Lynette has learned better ways to serve clients and honed her offerings.

She’s learned the best ways to onboard new clients smoothly; she prefers to work with authors who understand that their commitment does not mean overnight success, and with manuscripts with at least one round of professional editing.

She’s also perfected her off-boarding. Lynette believes in encouraging her authors to be involved in their own publishing process. Limelight creates individual accounts on Lulu for each author, rather than publishing all titles under a general Limelight storefront, so that authors can take over control of their own books after their contract with Limelight ends.

Limelight is not a one-person show: Lynette’s team includes two editors, two illustrators, a social media marketing expert, and tech support, plus the support of influencers and partners like Lulu. But Lynette recognizes how personal and how challenging working on someone else’s writing can be. Her editors work independently and have the freedom to scale their commitment to best suit any given manuscript.

Overcoming growing pains

Of course, passion and drive can’t pave a perfectly smooth path to success. Lynette and Limelight have faced plenty of hurdles over the years, including one from the very start that she didn’t realize at the time.

“The biggest mistake that I’ve made is that I didn’t research my name enough,” she says. She was so happy Limelight was available after so many other domain names she’d considered weren’t available, she registered it immediately. What she didn’t realize was that the name had been attached to a now-defunct business.

“I get daily emails about this old Limelight company that existed and went out of business, and they’re either looking for a title or for money owed. It’s not me, and I have to work through those emails daily. So that’s something that I really wish that I’d taken more time to figure out. And I’ve built the brand so much that I don’t want to go back.”

Other growing pains happened that could be overcome with time and experience. When she started, Lynette didn’t have social proof and testimonials to help her establish credibility and rapport with potential new clients. She still occasionally finds herself working to prove the brand’s authenticity with international clients.

She’s also found creative ways to add a personal touch to brand promotion, most recently with a print catalog that is so much more than just a pamphlet of published books. The

Limelight Publishing Catalog features author spotlights, interviews, testimonials, and insight into Limelight and its employees. “I just wanted to give my authors as well a chance to tell a little bit more about their books,” Lynette explains, “and hope that it not only showcases what we do, but encourages other authors to see what can be done.”

Finding her tilt

Lynette’s publishing journey has always been about passion and personal expression; sharing first her stories with a world of readers, and then her expertise with a world of writers. It shouldn’t be a surprise that Limelight’s most unique selling point is the personal attention and care for each client.

Whether working on one-off projects or with authors publishing more than 10 books, Lynette is thoroughly attentive to the details. Her client onboarding includes an intake form that covers everything from cover design ideas to print paper types, and Lynette personally takes it all into account.

“When I do covers for an author, I don’t just give them a cover. I give at least 10, 20, 30 different designs,” Lynette shares. She often blends the authors’ ideas with her experience designing covers that sell, and provides a variety to encourage them to consider their options.

“I want to be transparent, I want to be honest,” she says. “I don’t ever want to say, ‘I mean, this is the most incredible book. It’s gonna sell, it’s gonna.’ I won’t do that. But at the same time, everybody’s stories are amazing. Everybody’s books are incredible.”

One of the most inspiring elements of Limelight Publishing is the books published against the odds. Lynette and Limelight have helped bring to life stories that may not have ever seen the light of day without the dedication and care of a team of supporters.

“A couple of my authors are illiterate, and they’ve got friends helping them,” Lynette tells me, while sharing some of the most challenging and rewarding projects she’s published. “I had a client who was blind. It was his dream to get it done. He had a carer, so we would go back and forth and she would read it to him. That took a really long time, and it was absolutely incredible to have done.”

Because at its heart, Limelight Publishing, like its founder, is passionately committed to shining a spotlight on stories that deserve to shine.

The post From Author to Entrepreneur: How Lynette Greenfield Built a Purpose-Driven Self-Publishing House appeared first on The Tilt Publishing.

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