At the beginning of May I was informed by the Board of Directors of the Texas Authors Institute of History, Inc. that my small-press book publishing company, Erin Go Bragh Publishing, had been chosen as the recipient of the 2024 Lone Star Publisher of the Year Award! I was then informed that the official Announcement and Awards Ceremony wouldn’t take place until the Lone Star Festival in Seguin, Texas on Saturday, June 1st. I was going to have to sit on this announcement until then. Do you have any idea how hard it is for ME to keep a secret this BIG?!?!
The Best of Texas Awards Program
The nomination process started earlier this year and officials took their final tally last month. Of all of the nominations proposed, Erin Go Bragh Publishing received the most nominations.
“While I am tickled pink to learn about winning publisher of the year, I am mostly humbled that my authors felt so strongly about the work that I’ve done for them, they felt inclined to nominate me. I’ve always worked to educate new authors on the ins and out of publishing; what their options are, how to save money, how to spot scams and how to market their books. I utilize my graphic design expertise to create unique and appealing book covers and interiors, I apply my more than 24 years’ worth of experience into navigating the ever-changing publishing landscape. I am very grateful for this recognition and honored beyond words.” Kathleen J. Shields, Owner
Lone Star Publisher of the Year: Honoring a publishing entity that has exemplified unparalleled excellence and ingenuity in Texas publishing arena.
Erin Go Bragh Publishing, a Texas business, has shown unwavering support for Texas authors by actively championing their works, organizing impactful book events, and providing platforms to amplify their voices. They have left an indelible mark on the Texas publishing landscape through their innovative approach, groundbreaking work, and relentless advocacy for industry advancement. This is why Erin Go Bragh Publishing has been nominated as the Lone Star Publisher of the Year through the Texas Authors Institute of History.
About Erin Go Bragh Publishing
Erin Go Bragh Publishing (Gaelic translation: Ireland Forever) was founded in 2012 to fill a void that traditional publishing and the self-publishing industry could not satisfy. It was established by an author with more than a decade’s worth of experience already in the field, and with whom was seeking an alternative route to get her books produced. She was one of the pioneers in the field of Hybrid publishing long before the term was coined in 2018.
In years past, author Kathleen had amassed numerous negative experiences with vanity publishers, and knew that was not the route she wanted to go for her future endeavors. She was well aware of the stigma surrounding the self-publishing field about low-quality content and unprofessional books, though she was utilizing the technology herself already. In 2012 she began an educational children’s story series that was perfect for schools, but the challenge of getting said books into the public school system was confounded by the fact that self-publishing did not provide a hard cover format, a prerequisite for library bookshelves.
Having depleted an extensive list of traditional publishers all of whom stated they were retooling the industry to go ebook…. And not able to wrap her head around their decision, Shields was at a loss. She knew how important it was for a child’s dexterity and cognition to hold and flip the pages of a children’s book, so she realized she needed to get her new children’s books in print another way. That was when she researched, studied and learned more about the industry. She sourced distributors that provided the full service of printing, binding, distribution and order fulfillment. She found the only company, at the time, capable of such and discovered they worked with publishers – Only. So she created her company, built her platform and published her award-winning series, satisfied with her accomplishments.
Catching the Attention of Authors
It was then, that her growing success caught the eyes of new and aspiring authors who began asking for help with their books. Unlike many publishers, Erin Go Bragh will not publish every book that is submitted to them. Each submission goes through an in-depth evaluation and critique, which is later submitted to the author whether they are chosen to be published or not. Shields’ always felt value in sharing her experience and knowledge with others, as the alternative, learning the hard way, can be quite costly. Shields’ utilizes her combined experience in graphic design, website development, and 24 years in the industry to develop a graphically enhanced, properly formatted interior, a professionally designed book cover, and everything else the author needs to introduce their new book to the world. She dedicates an abundant amount of time with the author and their book to make sure it meets all stringent industry requirements, and she does this because if her company name is on it, it must exceed expectations. Nothing leaves Kathleen’s desk until she is 100% satisfied with it.
“I am humbled to have been nominated as Lone Star Publisher of the Year. Thank you!”
Erin Go Bragh Publishing currently consists of 15 authors with an amassed 108 published books. If the author chooses not to publish with us, they can still order interior formatting, book cover creation, book trailer videos, websites, social media branding and much more through Kathleen’s Graphic design company. Shields has always been happy helping authors develop their books, even if they choose to go the self-publishing route, and dozens have. With some of the lowest publishing costs in the industry and the highest royalty percentages, Erin Go Bragh Publishing is not in this to ‘get rich.’ We provide services to assist authors, so they can start their book business venture as readily guided and educated authorpreneurs.
