Visit my new site at debbieweil.com

Fast Company Magazine named Debbie Weil one of the Most Influential Women in Technology. The Washingtonian named her a DC Top 100 Tech Titan. She is a graduate of Harvard, a Web pioneer and a veteran blogger.

She is the author of one of the first and most definitive books about business blogging, The Corporate Blogging Book (Penguin/Portfolio, 2006).  Her book is available in a new, updated edition for Kindle. 

Debbie has been quoted as an expert on corporate blogging in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Fortune, BusinessWeek, CNN.com and many other venues. She has written for The Guardian, the Huffington Post and numerous other publications.

She founded Voxie Media, a boutique imprint and publishing services company for business and nonfiction authors, because she is passionate about books. The publishing revolution means that eBooks are what come after blogging.

She believes in short, rigorously-edited and beautifully-designed books that get quickly into readers’ hands (and onto their e-readers). Short books can spread important ideas and make the world a better place.

And yes, if this sounds a bit like Seth Godin’s The Domino Project, it’s because Debbie has been profoundly influenced by Seth’s approach to publishing.

Voxie Media also provides consulting to help authors write short books and to navigate the new world of self-publishing. More about What We Offer.

So what is Voxie Media, exactly?

Voxie Media is built on the premise that a kick-ass business book is the ultimate calling card.

 

Hence the word “voxie” (vox or voice in Latin). Our goal is to help up-and-coming nonfiction authors publish short, smart and stylish books that inform and provoke readers and that meet or exceed revenue-producing business goals: speaking gigs, consulting, more clients, better cocktail parties (thanks Seth).

 

A new kind of publishing company

VM is part of a new breed of publishing companies. We offer select nonfiction authors an appealing option that falls in between traditional publishing and self-publishing.

 

The old way

In the old model, an author who was chosen by a Big Six publisher gave away her rights (and royalties) to a multinational conglomerate in exchange for editorial, design, marketing and publicity support.

 

Note the first hurdle: you have to get chosen. As for marketing or publicity support, for most mid-list authors it is nonexistent these days. You don’t get it.

 

Going with a traditional publisher also means no control over the publication process and a wait as long as 18 months from book idea to publication.

 

The new way

The other alternative is to self-publish, meaning to do everything entirely yourself, from writing, editing, proofreading and book design to marketing, publicity and distribution.

 

The downside is that there is no editorial curation (is it really a kick-ass book idea??) and there is no quality control over the book design. These are two of the most important services offered by traditional publishers.

 

The author gets all proceeds from sales of the book (minus the distribution fees charged by Amazon, etc.). But frankly, unless your book is a thriller or paranormal romance, this does not add up to significant revenue.

 

The Voxie Media option

Voxie Media represents a new option for nonfiction business authors: we provide curation of your book idea, professional editing and cutting edge design, along with support at every step of the publishing process.

 

We also help you launch and market your book through smart use of social media. Our authors retain rights to their books and keep all proceeds from sales.

So far we’re having a blast. When I say we, I am including the talented editors and designers we work with. Debbie is the curator,  uber editor, producer, critic and cheerleader behind your book.

 

Learn more about our Full Publishing Package.

Prior to founding Voxie Media, Debbie worked with Fortune 500 and small business clients ranging from GlaxoSmithKline and HP to the American Camp Association and the Maryland Association of CPAs. Her focus has been content and social media marketing – specifically, how to launch a successful corporate blog.

Debbie is a former journalist with corporate marketing experience. She holds an MBA degree from Georgetown University, a Masters in Journalism from the University of Wisconsin and is a graduate of Harvard with a degree in English.

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