The Laurus Company Mission Statement
"Our mission is to keep you from getting lost or becoming prey in the unfamiliar world of book publishing."
I have had the pleasure of working with this awesome publishing company for three of my books. The whole process was completely painless. Nancy understands that not every publishing company out there has the best interest of the author. Her life's work is to concentrate on helping the author and making their experience a great one with no regrets.
I have had the pleasure of working with this awesome publishing company for three of my books. The whole process was completely painless. Nancy understands that not every publishing company out there has the best interest of the author. Her life's work is to concentrate on helping the author and making their experience a great one with no regrets.
Nancy is the founder of Laurus Publishing. I can say with out a doubt, Nancy is a very hands on person. She happily walked me through the process of publishing step by step. Nancy stayed in touch with me from the beginning to the end. There were no hidden fees, and I was able to retain all my rights to my books. It was a great blessing to have worked with Nancy three different times.
My first book published through Laurus Publishing was When Delilah Smiles. The joy I felt when I first saw my book was unbelievable. It was sort of like falling in love for the first time.
My first book published through Laurus Publishing was When Delilah Smiles. The joy I felt when I first saw my book was unbelievable. It was sort of like falling in love for the first time.
Oh my...this is wonderful, but what now?
One of the great things I loved about Nancy was her love of God and her heart for the new author. If you were like me, new to the publishing world and a new author, I did not know what to do nor the process.
Nancy was more than willing to explain the steps in which we needed to get the book published. I found out fast that there was more than sending in a manuscript and getting it in print. It is not a small task! It takes time and effort .
I honestly believe this!
The publisher has to care about your book as much as you do in order for it to be all it can be!
The professionalism Nancy exhibited was evident throughout the process. Nancy has so much experience to share with the new or seasoned author.
My brother Kevin and I decided to write a book together. Before we knew it, God's Playbook was born into existence. Not only was it a very special time working with my brother, but once again Nancy believed in us, putting her heart and soul into publishing a second book for me.
Nancy was more than willing to explain the steps in which we needed to get the book published. I found out fast that there was more than sending in a manuscript and getting it in print. It is not a small task! It takes time and effort .
I honestly believe this!
The publisher has to care about your book as much as you do in order for it to be all it can be!
The professionalism Nancy exhibited was evident throughout the process. Nancy has so much experience to share with the new or seasoned author.
My brother Kevin and I decided to write a book together. Before we knew it, God's Playbook was born into existence. Not only was it a very special time working with my brother, but once again Nancy believed in us, putting her heart and soul into publishing a second book for me.
Kevin and Kim
My very first book was Sunnie and Her Peeps. I jumped whole body into the publishing process without giving it much thought. I was green as could be and had no idea what I was doing.
Did you say free publishing? Wow...what a deal!
I loved my little story, but the little chicken book did not turn out the way I had dreamed it to be once it was published.
I blame myself all the way!
When someone tells you to look at the draft closely before approving, then you must look at the draft closely! All my pictures ended up at the back of the book. The chicken on the cover looked like a parrot or did it look like a chicken? I am not sure! Maybe I wanted my little book published so badly that I believed it looked like a chicken! It wasn't until my husband said...
"Honey is this a chicken or a parrot?"
Whose fault was it mine or the publishers?
"For a certain price, you may have all the illustrations placed in the proper place and change the cover!"
"But you said this was free..."
My personal opinion is this and mine alone!
A publisher that does NOT have a "personal" investment in your book will not give it their all. A personal investment meaning...they truly have a love for helping a new author look his or her best. It is their life's work or calling. The almighty dollar does not drive them!
Saying that... I blame myself for not taking the time to learn the publishing world. I just wanted to see my little book in print like yesterday!
I shared this thought a few years ago with Nancy and she told me when I was ready to re-publish my book, that she would gladly take on this challenge.
There was this little problem though...that "free thing" had all rights to my book for seven years. Almost five years had passed and I never dreamed I could buy back my rights sooner than seven years.
Miraculously...I received an email.
If you would like to buy back your rights for a certain low price, you can!
Could this really be true? I can buy back my rights?
It must have been all the books I sold for the company! They wanted to reward me and let me buy back my rights. NOT!
This time I made sure I got everything in writing. I have to say they were very helpful to receive my money and unload my book back into my now capable hands.
I knew in my heart that Sunnie and Her Peeps was a great little story, but when they say presentation is everything, it is very true! I have learned you must capture the reader at first glance whether it be the cover, the title, or the first chapter.
If not for Nancy...my little book would be forever lost in the sea of forgotten stories.
Nancy kept her word. My little children's book is now completed and will hit the press any day now. It is now all I had dreamed it to be. The title had to be changed, but it is now filled with colorful illustrations and has the professional look I always wanted.
If there is a moral to this story, it is this!
Do not be afraid to rethink an old story that has possibly got lost in the world of books. Be gentle and forgiving with yourself. We learn from our mistakes. If you think about it, nothing really is a mistake, only a learning opportunity.
Your story may be sitting in a drawer and needs to be dusted off and refurbished. Remember, you are the one running this show! Always follow your gut deep inside you. It is there for a reason.
If it looks like a parrot...then most likely it is a parrot!!!!
For me...I am not looking for a best seller, although of course it is every authors dream, but I was looking to satisfy that inner voice inside me that continued to push me forward in republishing this little book. I can now say I gave it all the love I knew it deserved and more.
Did you say free publishing? Wow...what a deal!
I loved my little story, but the little chicken book did not turn out the way I had dreamed it to be once it was published.
I blame myself all the way!
When someone tells you to look at the draft closely before approving, then you must look at the draft closely! All my pictures ended up at the back of the book. The chicken on the cover looked like a parrot or did it look like a chicken? I am not sure! Maybe I wanted my little book published so badly that I believed it looked like a chicken! It wasn't until my husband said...
"Honey is this a chicken or a parrot?"
Whose fault was it mine or the publishers?
"For a certain price, you may have all the illustrations placed in the proper place and change the cover!"
"But you said this was free..."
My personal opinion is this and mine alone!
A publisher that does NOT have a "personal" investment in your book will not give it their all. A personal investment meaning...they truly have a love for helping a new author look his or her best. It is their life's work or calling. The almighty dollar does not drive them!
Saying that... I blame myself for not taking the time to learn the publishing world. I just wanted to see my little book in print like yesterday!
I shared this thought a few years ago with Nancy and she told me when I was ready to re-publish my book, that she would gladly take on this challenge.
There was this little problem though...that "free thing" had all rights to my book for seven years. Almost five years had passed and I never dreamed I could buy back my rights sooner than seven years.
Miraculously...I received an email.
If you would like to buy back your rights for a certain low price, you can!
Could this really be true? I can buy back my rights?
It must have been all the books I sold for the company! They wanted to reward me and let me buy back my rights. NOT!
This time I made sure I got everything in writing. I have to say they were very helpful to receive my money and unload my book back into my now capable hands.
I knew in my heart that Sunnie and Her Peeps was a great little story, but when they say presentation is everything, it is very true! I have learned you must capture the reader at first glance whether it be the cover, the title, or the first chapter.
If not for Nancy...my little book would be forever lost in the sea of forgotten stories.
Nancy kept her word. My little children's book is now completed and will hit the press any day now. It is now all I had dreamed it to be. The title had to be changed, but it is now filled with colorful illustrations and has the professional look I always wanted.
If there is a moral to this story, it is this!
Do not be afraid to rethink an old story that has possibly got lost in the world of books. Be gentle and forgiving with yourself. We learn from our mistakes. If you think about it, nothing really is a mistake, only a learning opportunity.
Your story may be sitting in a drawer and needs to be dusted off and refurbished. Remember, you are the one running this show! Always follow your gut deep inside you. It is there for a reason.
If it looks like a parrot...then most likely it is a parrot!!!!
For me...I am not looking for a best seller, although of course it is every authors dream, but I was looking to satisfy that inner voice inside me that continued to push me forward in republishing this little book. I can now say I gave it all the love I knew it deserved and more.
Let me introduce you to For the Love of Peeps
More about Laurus Publishing...
I am honored to share the bio from Nancy's site below so that you can read for yourself their humble beginnings and the work they are doing stateside and abroad. Please take time to visit their book store as well. I have provided the link to their site below.
"The Laurus Company (TLC), a Texas corporation based in the Central Florida area, is a service-oriented book publisher.Although The Laurus Company, founded in 2009, is a relatively new name in the publishing industry, its founder and CEO has a career spanning three decades in print media, publishing, advertising, and web design and development.
The mission of The Laurus Company is simple—to help our clients meet their publishing goals by providing the highest-quality products and services for the most economical cost. There is no "assembly-line" work at TLC. Each author we work with is treated with individual care and respect, and each book we publish gets our undivided attention. We keep our pricing simple and operate with the most transparency possible."
TLC currently publishes under three different imprints:
Laurus Books, for Christian and non-fiction books
Laurus Junior Series, books for children and youth
Marbry Books, for fiction books
The Laurus Company is a full-service publisher and can meet all of your publishing needs, from editorial and design, to Print-On-Demand (POD), to listings in wholesale catalogs. Through the Ingram Book Company, book orders can be printed and shipped from the United States, the United Kingdom, Brazil, and Australia. This saves on expensive shipping costs and makes our books available to most of the world. Negotiations are underway in the Far East.
Laurus Bookstore maintains a catalog of books and e-books for Internet retail sales, and provides distribution and fulfillment services. Royalties are paid quarterly on all sales. At The Laurus Company, our clients are our number one priority, deserving of honor, respect, and our TLC. Laurus is a genus or class of evergreen trees belonging to the Laurel family. The foliage of the true laurel (Laurus Nobilis) has long been used as a crown of distinction honoring outstanding achievement. At the Laurus Company, our authors are treated as laureates, deserving of honor and TLC.
The Laurus Company is owned and operated by Nancy E. Williams, a businesswoman, graphic designer, and book editor whose career spans three decades.
In 1980, Nancy opened Graphic Professionals, Inc., a commercial graphics and design studio in Atlanta, Georgia. Her 100+ clients appreciated the benefits of her editing and writing skills as she corrected and improved their printed materials. In the mid ’90s, after personal computers and desktop publishing took a huge bite out of commercial graphics businesses, Nancy closed shop but continued to work at home. She was still producing a magazine for one of her clients 25 years later. It was this client who encouraged her to learn web development in order to have the magazine online. Their first website contained over 50 unique pages.
While operating Graphic Professionals, Nancy landed a contract to edit and produce Christian books. She knew she had found her niche. After closing the graphics company, she continued her work as a freelance book editor, designer, and web developer.
With a heart for helping people, she was grieved when she saw authors struggling to find the right resources for publishing and/or printing their books. She watched as some of them made unwise decisions and others fall prey to unscrupulous vendors. She knew she had knowledge and experience that could help guide them. She has stated that most first-time authors are like fish out of water struggling to survive on a beach full of cats.
Nancy’s decision was made. In May 2009, she incorporated and with the help of her daughter, Diana L. Meadows, hung out her shingle as The Laurus Company, a full-service publisher. In addition to editorial and design services, she was able to provide book printing as a small publisher with the Ingram Group, providing economical Print-On-Demand (POD) printing, as well as traditional offset printing as needed. This affiliation with Ingram Books means the books are affordable to print in small quantities and are available for retail sales through the major booksellers, including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Baker & Taylor, Spring Arbor, etc. In addition to the U.S. market, books by Laurus are also available in Canada, the United Kingdom, the countries of the European Union, Brazil, and Australia. The Far East will soon be added to this line-up of countries. E-books are in markets worldwide. The Laurus Company also offers distribution and fulfillment services. As the company grows, watch for more exciting news from The Laurus Company. Nancy is married with four grown children and a wallet full of grand-pics."
Company Overview:
"Laurus Books is the premier imprint of The Laurus Company and specializes in books that adhere to Christian biblical principles. We also consider other fiction and non-fiction manuscripts that are not Christian in nature but do not conflict with Christian principles. Books outside these parameters will be considered for publication under one of our other imprints."
Below is one of Nancy's favorite Bible verses and song.
May the name of the Lord be forever praised!
" that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, 18 the eyes of your understanding[a]being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power 20 which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come."
Ephesians 1:17-21
The mission of The Laurus Company is simple—to help our clients meet their publishing goals by providing the highest-quality products and services for the most economical cost. There is no "assembly-line" work at TLC. Each author we work with is treated with individual care and respect, and each book we publish gets our undivided attention. We keep our pricing simple and operate with the most transparency possible."
TLC currently publishes under three different imprints:
Laurus Books, for Christian and non-fiction books
Laurus Junior Series, books for children and youth
Marbry Books, for fiction books
The Laurus Company is a full-service publisher and can meet all of your publishing needs, from editorial and design, to Print-On-Demand (POD), to listings in wholesale catalogs. Through the Ingram Book Company, book orders can be printed and shipped from the United States, the United Kingdom, Brazil, and Australia. This saves on expensive shipping costs and makes our books available to most of the world. Negotiations are underway in the Far East.
Laurus Bookstore maintains a catalog of books and e-books for Internet retail sales, and provides distribution and fulfillment services. Royalties are paid quarterly on all sales. At The Laurus Company, our clients are our number one priority, deserving of honor, respect, and our TLC. Laurus is a genus or class of evergreen trees belonging to the Laurel family. The foliage of the true laurel (Laurus Nobilis) has long been used as a crown of distinction honoring outstanding achievement. At the Laurus Company, our authors are treated as laureates, deserving of honor and TLC.
The Laurus Company is owned and operated by Nancy E. Williams, a businesswoman, graphic designer, and book editor whose career spans three decades.
In 1980, Nancy opened Graphic Professionals, Inc., a commercial graphics and design studio in Atlanta, Georgia. Her 100+ clients appreciated the benefits of her editing and writing skills as she corrected and improved their printed materials. In the mid ’90s, after personal computers and desktop publishing took a huge bite out of commercial graphics businesses, Nancy closed shop but continued to work at home. She was still producing a magazine for one of her clients 25 years later. It was this client who encouraged her to learn web development in order to have the magazine online. Their first website contained over 50 unique pages.
While operating Graphic Professionals, Nancy landed a contract to edit and produce Christian books. She knew she had found her niche. After closing the graphics company, she continued her work as a freelance book editor, designer, and web developer.
With a heart for helping people, she was grieved when she saw authors struggling to find the right resources for publishing and/or printing their books. She watched as some of them made unwise decisions and others fall prey to unscrupulous vendors. She knew she had knowledge and experience that could help guide them. She has stated that most first-time authors are like fish out of water struggling to survive on a beach full of cats.
Nancy’s decision was made. In May 2009, she incorporated and with the help of her daughter, Diana L. Meadows, hung out her shingle as The Laurus Company, a full-service publisher. In addition to editorial and design services, she was able to provide book printing as a small publisher with the Ingram Group, providing economical Print-On-Demand (POD) printing, as well as traditional offset printing as needed. This affiliation with Ingram Books means the books are affordable to print in small quantities and are available for retail sales through the major booksellers, including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Baker & Taylor, Spring Arbor, etc. In addition to the U.S. market, books by Laurus are also available in Canada, the United Kingdom, the countries of the European Union, Brazil, and Australia. The Far East will soon be added to this line-up of countries. E-books are in markets worldwide. The Laurus Company also offers distribution and fulfillment services. As the company grows, watch for more exciting news from The Laurus Company. Nancy is married with four grown children and a wallet full of grand-pics."
Company Overview:
"Laurus Books is the premier imprint of The Laurus Company and specializes in books that adhere to Christian biblical principles. We also consider other fiction and non-fiction manuscripts that are not Christian in nature but do not conflict with Christian principles. Books outside these parameters will be considered for publication under one of our other imprints."
Below is one of Nancy's favorite Bible verses and song.
May the name of the Lord be forever praised!
" that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, 18 the eyes of your understanding[a]being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power 20 which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come."
Ephesians 1:17-21
"Write the vision and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it."
Habakkuk 2:2
The Laurus Publishing Company also creates and publishes electronic books and has recently begun to publish audio books.
Thank you Nancy, from all of us authors,
you have so graciously served.
you have so graciously served.
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