Who We Are
Shalamar is a benefit corporation dedicated to providing equitable and accessible services and resources to authors. We are led by a diverse group of authors, publishing advocates, and tech professionals.
The company was established by three writers and friends with the goal of disrupting the publishing industry as a force for positive change. Our author-forward business model was developed over years of watching and researching the industry, as well as personal interactions with publishing among ourselves and our peers.
We are proud to be based in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Mission
We live in an age of connectivity. It’s easier to reach others, whether across the world or in the next room. The arts are far more accessible, with independent films commanding box offices and musicians inventing their own sounds. People connect with stories in “viral” ways, seeking to expand beyond the stories’ mediums, building on them, theorizing, spinning off their own fan works. With these changes to readership and technology in mind, the publishing industry should innovate as well.
Yet today’s publishing world is less friendly to authors than ever. While options for self-publishing are available, they are inaccessible for many writers, whether because the options are all expensive or because the writer’s community lacks resources, or for any other reason. Visibility in the self-publishing pool is difficult to obtain. Attention from traditional publishers is scarce. So now, even though the tools to publish a book are everywhere, success is still fleeting.
We know, because we’ve been there. Shalamar is run by authors who share similar experiences. We use our knowledge of the publishing industry, our understanding of writers’ needs, and our influence and access around the industry to help writers become authors.
Goals
Shalamar’s aim is twofold. We focus on helping new authors find audiences for their works and provide the resources they will need to reach those readers. We also facilitate the connections between readers and authors, helping them connect in more ways than ever before, depending on the readers’ and authors’ preferences. As writers and readers ourselves, we don’t believe stories were meant to remain on the written page.