Publishing Talks: David Wilk Interviews Clint Greenleaf

In this series of interviews, called Publishing Talks, I have been talking to book industry professionals and other smart people about the future of publishing, books, and culture.  This is a period of disruption and change for all media businesses.  We must wonder now, how will publishing evolve as our culture is affected by technology, climate change, population density, and the ebb and flow of civilization and  economics?

I believe these Publishing Talks conversations can help us understand the outlines of what is happening in the publishing industry, and how we might ourselves interact with and influence the future of publishing as it unfolds.

These interviews give people in and around the book business a chance to talk openly about ideas and concerns that are often only talked about “around the water cooler,” at industry conventions and events, and in emails between friends and they give people inside and outside the book industry a chance to hear first hand some of the most interesting and challenging thoughts, ideas and concepts being discussed by people in the book business.

Clint Greenleaf began the Greenleaf Book Group after writing and publishing two books, selling foreign publication rights, and securing a multibook contract with Adams Media. Since then, he has built the company into one of the industry’s leading book distributors. Greenleaf Book Group has represented more than five hundred titles and is one of the fastest-growing companies in America. Clint speaks at conferences and seminars across the country and has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Inc. magazine, and Entrepreneur, and he is also a contributor to Inc.com.  Greenleaf has had a number of publishing and distribution successes and has become a viable alternative for many authors and independent publishers that prefer an entrepreneurial approach to publishing that provides them with more control over the publishing process than the traditional publishing model.

Greenleaf Book Group describes itself: “Our publishing model was designed to support the independent author and to make it possible for writers to retain the rights to their work and still compete with the major publishing houses. In addition to the books we publish, we distribute select titles from small and independent publishers to major trade outlets, including bookstores, libraries, and airport retailers.”  Clint Greenleaf is a dynamic and intelligent business leader who brings a powerful entrepreneurial spirit and positive outlook to the publishing process.  He recognizes that companies must constantly innovate in order to succeed, remain committed to doing quality work and provide significant value throughout their efforts.  Greenleaf’s success is evidence that there is growing demand for alternative publishing and distribution models as the bookselling landscape continues to change.

In our discussion, we covered a wide range of topics relating to the ways that publishing and distribution are changing and Greenleaf’s past, present and future work.  I think it will be a fascinating conversation for anyone interested in how publishing is evolving today.

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