Publishizer Industry Expert Feature
Will Wolfslau
by Sean Colligan
With the internet & social media providing greater access to the tools to write and produce a book, authors have never had so many options for publishing their work. But with so many choices, it can be difficult to determine which path to publication will present the best chance for one’s book to thrive in a saturated market. That’s where Will Wolfslau comes in. As Editorial Director of Amplify Publishing Group, Wolfslau has guided new and experienced authors in development, editing, publication, and everything in between to help them realize their vision.
When talking about his journey into publishing, it’s easy to see how he made his eventual choice of career.
“I was always a book nerd. I spent a ton of time at the library and would walk to school reading a book, so it was a natural fit for me.”
Originally from southern California, Wolfslau’s first job out of college was at The Strand bookstore in New York. He then went on to work with some of his “literary heroes” at his first publishing position at Farrar, Straus, & Giroux.
More recently, his work at Amplify has provided him the opportunity to work on several unique projects with authors of various backgrounds, each with their own story to tell. A recent example is Wolfslau’s work with the author of Travelling Solo, a “beautiful, lyrical” memoir of a woman who, after struggling with a debilitating long-term illness, traveled to Switzerland to undergo an “assisted dying” procedure to end her life on her own terms. As for upcoming books he’s shepherded to publication, he’s excited for the release of productivity expert Penny Zenker’s Reset Mindset, “a great, punchy book” for working professionals.
While modern publishing can appear overwhelming, Wolfslau aims to remove the guesswork for authors and illuminate their options. He especially wants to educate authors about hybrid publishers like Amplify.
“There’s a lot of confusion around this space. A lot of firms have very different procedures, different fee levels, royalty splits, and workflows. I’m hoping to clarify that sector of the industry for people; which projects and which authors are a good fit for hybrid publishing, and which ones might not be, so people can make up their own minds about the best route.”
Working with authors across different industries and backgrounds, Wolfslau has seen what it takes for a book to find its proper place on the shelf. From those experiences, he has this golden piece of wisdom to share:
“It’s never been easier to publish a book, and it’s never been harder to get anyone to actually read it. Take the time, set up the sale, have a pre-order period, find credible partners, whether that’s a traditional publisher, a hybrid publisher, independent experts or an author services site. Take the time, do it right, set it up, and you’ll get a lot more from it.”
We are thrilled to host Will for a live education session with the Publishizer community on Thursday, August 15th at 12:00 PM EST. RSVP or claim the replay HERE!
