Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Tina Moss, Co-Founder and COO of City Owl Press, located in New York, NY, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
City Owl Press is a cutting-edge indie publishing company. Bringing the world of romance and speculative fiction to discerning readers. We believe in connecting every book with the right reader and every reader with the right book. Our customers are book lovers who embrace multiple genres and have an excitement for all types of books. We love interacting with our readers.
Tell us about yourself
I'm the co-founder of City Owl Press, a USA Today Bestselling Author, and a business professional with over a decade and a half of experience in the publishing industry. Starting in 2006, I began my career penning narrative fiction shorts for women's magazines. Since then, I've written several novels in urban fantasy, paranormal romance, and sci-fi romance. Earning a Master of Arts in English Language and Literature from Brooklyn College, I shared my love of books for seventeen years in academia and teaching the next generation of literati. Now, I work exclusively for City Owl Press as its Chief Operating Officer. I adore bringing new books to the market and promoting our amazing authors.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Seeing our authors make the bestsellers' lists and thrive in a competitive publishing environment is our biggest accomplishment. Whenever a book wins an award, goes viral on social media, or hits a list, we celebrate together. The authors' achievements are our best reward.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
The hardest part is scalability. When you start to put processes and procedures in place that work, it's inevitable that the business will grow organically. However, to get to the next goal level can be a challenge. Going from a small to a medium-sized publisher has had plenty of growing pains.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
Depending on the nature of your business will dictate how you start, run, and grow. However, three tips I'd give to all entrepreneurs are:
- Do not skip the research phase. Before we started City Owl Press, we did eighteen months of research on best practices in book publishing, and it helped us avoid many pitfalls that start-ups face.
- Do not underestimate the benefits of networking. Reaching out to other publishers and getting their advice and opinions on the business helped us during the start-up phase and continues to be a valuable resource to this day.
- Know your worth. When you are first starting, you may be tempted to undervalue your work and your time. But if you build that in from day one, it will be immensely helpful as your company grows.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://cityowlpress.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CityOwlPress/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cityowlbooks/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/cityowlpress
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
Turn your craft into recurring revenue with Subkit. Start your subscription offering in minutes and supercharge it with growth levers. Get early access here.