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Before she was the author of three published novels, Holly Kammier was a third grader with a dream school assignment. The task was to create a diary inspired by Laura Ingalls Wilder’s “Little House” books. The result was Kammier’s first publishing experience.
Where that came from there would be more.
“It was the happiest thing I’d ever felt up to that point because I could be someone else and immerse myself in someone else’s life story,” said Kammier of her Carmel Valley home.
“We had to get grocery bags and set them on fire to make them look old, and then we tied them up with twine. It was the best school project ever. “
A few decades later, Kammier is still immersed in stories. She still processes these stories in books. More than 100 of them.
Kammier is the co-founder of Acorn Publishing, a San Diego-based company that empowers authors to self-publish their books without forcing them to brave the literary wilderness alone. Eight of these authors, including local people, will be signing their books on Sunday in the Barnes & Noble bookstore in Mira Mesa.
The seven-year-old company that Kammier founded with her best friend and author Jessica Therrien is known in the book industry as a hybrid publisher. Authors can submit manuscripts to Acorn without an agent. If the company chooses to sign them, the authors pay a flat upfront fee and Acorn takes care of everything from formatting the book to designing the cover and sending pre-printed copies to the reviewers.
In return, the authors keep the rights to their books and 100 percent of the profits. You also become part of a publishing house’s authoring stable.
This is not how the book business traditionally works. But for many authors the classic book business, which is only dominated by a few large publishers, does not work at all.
“Everyone dreams of getting a traditional publishing deal with a major publisher, but the likelihood of doing so is less than being struck by lightning,” said Kammier. “We tell our writers, ‘If this is your dream, go for it.’ But the chances are so slim. That is why we founded our company. “
Acorn Publishing grew out of Kammier and Therrien’s frustrating experiences with the book business. Kammier became disillusioned early in the process when a publisher showed interest in her memoir, but only if she changed them.
In the meantime Therrien had great success with “Oppression”, the first book in her youth novel series “Children of the Gods”. But when their publisher decided to label the second book a romance novel rather than youth literature, fans couldn’t find it and sales suffered.
So Kammier and Therrien pooled their hard-earned knowledge and founded Acorn Publishing.
The company’s first release was Kammier’s juicy novel “Kingston Court” in 2015. Other early hits included all three of Therrien’s “Children of the Gods” novels; Alyssa Petersel’s award-winning memoir “Somehow I’m Different”; and the Fourth Element series by prolific fantasy writer Kat Ross.
The idea for the name Acorn Publishing came from Kammier’s eldest son, with the idea that his mother’s small publishing house could later make a big difference. And for local writers like Jerome Farmer and Li-Ying Lundquist, that’s exactly what happened.
For Lundquist, the latest release of her debut novel “Wings of Silk” is the fulfillment of a writing dream that has lasted many years and several hardships. The novel tells the story of Ying-Ying who – like Lundquist – survived China’s oppressive Cultural Revolution and flees to New York, where her journey takes a dark, heartbreaking turn that eventually leads to a life of independence and love.
It was a story Lundquist always wanted to tell. And when the Carmel Valley resident signed with Acorn, she was matched with a ghostwriter who was able to translate her memories into the book she’ll be signing on Sunday.
“English is my second language and I didn’t think I could write something that people would love to read,” said Lundquist, who was an AT&T engineer for 20 years. “But the ghostwriter translated my story into beautifully written thoughts. I just loved the whole experience. I am so proud of the legacy you have helped me create for my children and beyond. “
For farmers, the release of “Counterfeit Lover” shows that sticking to your story can pay off.
In Farmer’s Thriller 2020, its hero is Darrin Clark, a struggling actor who agrees to undergo an experimental facial alteration process in exchange for fame. Unlike Darrin, Farmer didn’t want to go over to please someone else. And after working with Acorn Publishing, the book he’ll be signing at Barnes & Noble is exactly the book he wanted to write. Every unexplained word of it.
“I’ve talked to all of these agents and they had a lot of things they wanted to change,” said Farmer, who lives in Solana Beach. “But the great writers I dream of being have their visions and go out there and write the best stories they can. That gives you the chance to do so. “
The Acorn Publishing Authors’ book signing will take place on Sunday at 2 p.m. at the Mira Mesa Barnes & Noble 10775 Westview Parkway. (858) 684-3166; store.barnesandnoble.com
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