DOUBLE BRIDGE PUBLICATIONS & FINAL FOLIO

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In 2014,  I realized there may be an opportunity to use Crowdsourcing and the 'gig' economy to publish new authors at a fraction of the cost, a fraction of the breakeven and potentially offer authors a greater share of book sales profit. I opened Double Bridge (named after the Skyway Bridge of Tampa Bay) and we immediately gathered dozens of professionals nationwide willing to review and edit books of new authors for a fraction of their standard rates. Ex: three book reviews of a new writer's book by three experts/or readers in the genre for $60. We made no money on these deals but passed the rate directly onto the budding talents. Editing services were offered and by the second year we had a list of hundreds of professionals who were willing to help on a 'gig' basis. We offered the top rated books submitted to us contracts for publication and a high rate of the profit. We published seven books in total, and three journals and made a profit on one of them - "theFEEL" a book of poetry by Matthew Mejia of California. The Double Bridge model was flawed in two ways. First, despite being in bookstores throughout the country, being available on Ingram ordering, having stock and touring authors, we didn't really have a press machine. We aided the authors by helping set up events, getting interviews and some radio and TV coverage, but otherwise they were on their own. Lastly, in person at a signing an author could make $10 -$15 per book sold, but when their books sold on Amazon they would have to split fifty cents with the publishing house. There just wasn't enough income derived from the major streams of sales.

* I still technically own the publishing house rights and may dust it off sometime in the future.