From Author to Entrepreneur: How Lynette Greenfield Built a Purpose-Driven Self-Publishing House

Entrepreneur: Lynette Greenfield

Business: Limelight Publishing

Tilt: Making publishing accessible for anyone with a story to share. 

Primary Channels: Blog, Instagram

Other Channels: Facebook

Revenue Streams: Publishing packages

Our Favorite Advice: 

• 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. 

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