FreedomWorks

Printing and publishing has been a foundation of America’s freedom of the press and free speech rights since the founding of our nation. Few people realize however that it was a woman, Mary Katherine Goddard, who in 1777, was awarded the honor of printing the true, signed copies of the Declaration of Independence (not as some might have assumed, the more famous printer, Benjamin Franklin). It was probably cheaper at the time than Fed-X overnight, but she still had to dig up her “slush fund in a jar” from the back yard and use her own money to have the copies distributed by couriers throughout the fledging thirteen colonies. It was a small price to pay for her place in the history of printing. Besides her printing press operation, she was a master book binder, an owner of a bookstore and several newspapers as well as the first postmaster of Baltimore. Mary was, and still is, a shinning example of entrepreneurism. She is also a role model and inspiration for me. Albeit, I am a more modern woman who is armed with the internet and digital technology and whose couriers of product will not be on horseback unless there is a dire energy crisis. 

Like Mary, I understand that intrusive government is not the sole oppressor of entrepreneurial efforts or free speech. Big businesses based in foreign countries can control the market as easily as government. For example, ten years ago in the book industry, there were over twenty large publishing houses. Today only a handful of those have not become subsidiaries of even larger conglomerates. The majority of large publishing houses are now owned by companies in Germany, France, the UK, the Netherlands and Australia. Most of what is printed for sale in America is once again in control of a very socialistic and European enterprise system, thus proving that financial colonialism is alive and well. (And, whoops, I forgot to mention that the books are actually produced outside this country with foreign labor, which is one of the reasons that it takes so long to get a book to market.) Mary must be shaking her head in abject sorrow that we have allowed this dismal scenario to occur.

As an author, I was in the middle of the fray, trying to get two books published, with six more planned. During this endeavor I met many other authors and what I saw, was a potential market full of good books that would never make it onto anyone’s desk. To get a book into a publishing company for evaluation, you must have an agent. To find a decent agent, you pretty much need to be famous, infamous or have been published before. It’s nothing less than a vicious circle.  Be it fact or fiction, if the work submitted vaguely smacks of libertarianism or conservatism, it will sink to unread oblivion at the bottom of the slush pile. If there is no feasible path by which to get the book into the marketplace, then when does “freedom of the press” truly come into play?

Having been an integral part a successful startup company before, I knew that I had it in me to do it again. (There’s something here to be said for the rocky road of experience and the school of hard knocks.) In spite of dismal economic reports by the mainstream media and the nay saying of associates due to the instability of the economy, my analysis of the printing industry and the market showed me that it is the right time for small publishing companies to be able to compete in a big way.  Industry statistics showed that small regional publishers now have great advantages in moving product to market in a shorter time than their larger competitors.

The result of my quest to find a publisher resulted in the birth of Dervla Publishing, LLC, a company dedicated to extending our freedom of speech via the printed word.  I am building my dream into a partnership of entrepreneurs that will one day compete with the behemoth corporations that now dominate the publishing landscape. I am not worried because I know that one small stone in the right place, at the right time, can topple a giant. And, I also know that one short phrase, properly worded can motivate millions into action.

It can be said that timing and filling a gap in the market is the first seed of success in being an entrepreneur. The rest of the formula is familiar to every successful entrepreneur throughout history: dedication, knowledge, long hours, commitment to creating jobs for others, fiscal responsibility and fair business practices that lead to employee and customer retention. And, like my mentor Mary, I know if I roll up my sleeves, retrieve some of that money buried in the jar, employee the right people and believe in the abilities of myself and my staff, I will be successful.

Armed with a business plan, marketing plans, solid products and die-hard dedication to the premise that in America, every person has the freedom to take their idea and build their dream, we are going to do no less than build a market for our products, provide avenues for authors who can’t abide with the socialistic movement of our government and open the door for the next generation of entrepreneurs. 

As a publishing house, not only are we creating jobs for in-house people, but we are creating a need for outside goods and services. In our growth journey, we will be using freelancers and other entrepreneurs for editing, layout, illustration, design and shipping. As a publisher, we will be working closely with small independent book resellers who have trouble competing with the larger chain stores. Currently, we are also working with a group of high school students to develop a game for a soon-to-be-released novel. They will profit share in the final product and the result will be a real life lesson in entrepreneurship. Most importantly, under our profit sharing plan, we will be providing a path for authors to also reap better rewards.

The mantra these days is that America as a nation is no longer a producer; that we have become a nation of consumers. The printing industry in this country has the cutting-edge, digital technology to compete with any other country. It by choice that Dervla Publishing utilizes American suppliers in the production of our products.  During the process of evaluating printing quotes for our book projects, we found price competitive companies on our doorstep and all over the country.  In a few cases, they were slightly more expensive than we had projected. We found that if we trimmed our margins slightly, we could still afford to print locally. The bonus was shorter lead times that allow us to fill the supply chain quicker. As a corporate philosphy, we believe it’s essential to support other American entrepreneurs as well as to profit share with our employees. It’s our version of spreading the wealth.

There is something else important that you should know about industrious Mary. Her mother Sarah Updike Goddard introduced her to the business; one entrepreneur teaching another.  Following her fine example, I have introduced my teenage son to my business. He is fast becoming an editor extraordinaire. By allowing him to participate, he is learning firsthand the lessons of free enterprise in action as well as the demands and rewards of owing one’s own business. We encourage high school and college students to do internships and learn about the opportunities in our field.

Your guidelines stated that I needed to explain how our company’s products make someone else’s life better. There are two distinct ways in which Dervla Publishing has an impact on people’s lives.

The first is how our products benefit society in general. Small businesses are the foundation of our economy and the path for millions to financial security. Our close association with other small businesses provides an income stream for them too. Running a successful company that employs others is only one measure of a company’s contributions. The very products that we will be producing (books and other printed materials) will support the people’s right to free speech and provide materials promoting free enterprise that might not otherwise be available.

The second part is more altruistic. I also firmly believe that with personal success, comes the obligation to return a measure of worth to the community at large. It is my belief that literacy is a defining characteristic of the path to financial freedom. For years, I have personally been contributing to my community by establishing or enhancing libraries in underfunded schools.  In keeping with this passion for the written word, a friend and I have just established a nonprofit for literacy. A portion of the profits from Dervla Publishing will be donated each year to fund literacy projects and scholarships.

The next generation must witness our examples of entrepreneurship, leadership and conributions. To this end, we have established a teen advisory board that will participate in project planning and implementation. As the nonprofit expands, the teen board will become a grassroots group to help establish active teen boards in every state that will work on specific literacy projects. This plan will empower youth not only by learning project management skills but also by reinforcing the idea that with independent financial success comes social responsibility.

In my heart, I believe that were Mary alive today, she would be saying, “You go girl! It’s time for the people to have a voice again. I’ve been waiting far too long for someone to follow in my footsteps."

There are two types of people in the world: the independent ones who believe that it is more important to create something to benefit not only your country and the lives of those in your community, but to allow you the freedom to live your life as you wish; and the dependent ones who believe that others should provide a job and lifetime security for them.

I am an independent minded person who believes, that like my mentor Mary, what I create in my lifetime will be a lasting example of all that is right about American entrepreneurship. Decades from now, I want people to reexamine my company and understand that the principles of economic freedom, entrepreneurship and free market enterprise; upon which this country was founded, are still the most viable path to enduring economic prosperity. Our founding fathers understood these premises and knew that creation of individual wealth leads to the creation of jobs and is ultimately, the foundation of any financially stable nation. As entrepreneurs, we also understand this concept and are willing to take the risks.