Market First Publishing launches platform publishing model

Market First Publishing opened in Charleston with a new “Platform Publishing” approach that builds a book’s audience while the manuscript is still being written. The launch puts marketing, editorial development and readership growth under one roof as the company seeks to change how books reach readers.

Why it matters: - Market First Publishing is trying to fix a common problem in publishing: many books reach launch day without an audience already in place. - The company’s model could give authors built-in readership support before publication instead of relying on post-launch marketing. - The launch also adds another independent publisher to a market where traditional and hybrid publishing models often separate editorial work from audience building.

What happened: - Market First Publishing launched today in Charleston, South Carolina. - The company opened its website and introduced a model it calls Platform Publishing. - Founders Josh Schwartz and Joseph Lawrence said the model is designed to build a readership while the manuscript is still being written. - The company said it will invest resources in every title it signs and build the audience during production. - The new website, marketfirstpublishing.com, introduces the model and invites readers and prospective authors to follow the company.

The details: - Josh Schwartz founded book-marketing and leadership-branding agency Pubvendo in 2017. - Schwartz has worked across the manuscript-to-retail chain with Amazon, Apple, Barnes & Noble and Kobo. - Schwartz has also worked with Penguin Random House, HarperCollins, Hachette, Simon & Schuster and Macmillan. - Joseph Lawrence is co-founder of Market First Publishing. - Lawrence has led editorial at a book publisher and run his own imprint. - Lawrence has a Master’s degree in Publishing from George Washington University. - Schwartz lectures on book marketing at George Washington University. - Bob Batchelor serves as Executive Editorial Consultant. - Batchelor is a cultural historian and biographer known for Stan Lee: A Life, The Bourbon King and Roadhouse Blues. - Market First Publishing describes itself as an independent book publisher built on the principle that a book’s audience should be built before publication.

Between the lines: - Market First Publishing is positioning itself against two familiar industry models. - Traditional publishers often begin marketing after a book ships. - Hybrid publishers generally market as a fee-based service. - Market First Publishing says it will do neither and will instead invest directly in the titles it signs. - The company is also framing readership as part of the editorial process, not a separate sales function.

What's next: - Market First Publishing plans to grow as a platform for authors who want audience development built into the publishing process. - The company will continue introducing its Platform Publishing model through its website as it adds titles. - Readers and prospective authors can follow the company’s updates at more information.