Steven Spatz
Steven Spatz is a writer, marketer, and the President of BookBaby, the nation’s leading self publishing services company. Spatz’s professional writing career began at age 13, paid by the word to bang out little league baseball game stories on an ancient manual typewriter for southern Oregon weekly newspapers. His journalism career continued after graduation from the University of Oregon at several daily newspapers in Oregon. When his family took over a direct marketing food business, Spatz redirected his writing and design skills into producing catalogs. The Pinnacle Orchards catalog was named "Best Food Catalog," received dozens of other national awards, and the business grew into one of the nation’s largest gourmet fruit gift businesses. After the company was sold, Spatz continued his direct marketing career with Fortune 500 companies including Mattel and Hasbro. He joined AVL Digital in 2004 to lead the direct-to-consumer marketing teams for music industry-leading brands Disc Makers, Oasis, and CD Baby. After serving as Chief Marketing Officer, Spatz was tapped to lead the company’s new publishing division in late 2014. In 2019, the AVL Digital Management team purchased the New Jersey brands, including BookBaby. The company is headquartered in Pennsauken, NJ (just outside Philadelphia, PA) and meets the printed book and eBook needs of thousands of self-publishing authors around the globe. Spatz lives in Glenside, PA with his two children, a demented cat, and some well-used bicycles. Steven loves to hear from authors, editors, and publishers in the BookBaby community with tales of publishing trials and triumphs. To tell him your story, write to steven@bookbaby.com.
Is Your Email List Your Greatest Asset As An Author?
As an author, you might wonder why you'd need to build an email list. Short answer: email lists make things happen. But you need to engineer that by engaging, creating a platform for interaction, and building your tribe.
Share Your Authentic Self On Social Media
When you’re building your social media strategy, it’s a bad idea to focus on self-promotion. That’s not why readers use social media. They do it for connection, not for commerce. When it comes to social media, you need to be authentic.
How Three Self-Published Authors Found Mainstream Success
Of course, not every self-published author is going to hit the bestseller list. But, you have a better chance if you apply some of the lessons taught by those who have.
Writing A Business Or Self-Help Book? Ask Yourself These Four Questions.
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What Independent Writers Can Learn From E L James
The Fifty Shades phenomenon would not have happened were it not launched as a self-published series. There are many lessons for independent writers in E L James' success story.
The Successful People I Know Are Voracious Readers
Reading — in addition to being plain fun — can make you a better (smarter, more informed, satisfied) person. That’s why successful people are often voracious readers.
Four Must-Read Books By Authors Who Died in 2018
Some bright literary stars died in 2018. I'll remember these writers for their contributions to literature and society, which will continue to have an impact for years to come.
