Our mission
To publish quality books by independent authors in a way that values integrity, environmental sustainability, and nurturing author skills and creativity.
Our story
The modern publishing world can be a confusing and financially dangerous place. Authors have many options to choose from for publication, and they can easily be caught by unscrupulous publishers who promise much, charge exorbitant prices and deliver little.
Tahlia Newland’s desire to help her editing clients safely navigate this publishing world led her to create AIA Publishing (Awesome Independent Authors Publishing). AIA Publishing values integrity. We are honest about what we offer; we provide value for money; we care about and nurture our authors, and we understand the challenges they face.
Tahlia started in publishing as an author, so she knows what it’s like to be faced with a dizzying array of options and a steep learning curve, when all you really want to do it write and then hold your published book in your hand! After spending years learning about the publishing industry and developing the necessary skills to publish herself, she figured there had to be a better option for authors than either trying to get a traditional publisher or publishing themselves – with all the difficulties and traps that entails.
There is. It’s called hybrid publishing, and it’s the best of both worlds. AIA Publishing was one of the first modern hybrid publishers. (Jane Austen had a hybrid publishing deal on her first book, so the concept is not new.)
We select books for publication in the same way that a mainstream publisher does – requiring high standards of quality – but since publication is author-funded, we can offer authors high royalties and product control.
We are a proud partner member of the Alliance of Independent Authors.
“Tahlia has been a genuine pioneer of an open press, of the drive towards quality publishing outside of the publishing temples, those traditional near-closed, often incestuous, bastions. She has a great grasp of the nuts and bolts as well as the art, the ‘spirituality’ of writing wonderful prose. The proof of the pudding is in the eating. So if in doubt about her ability, then feast on both her original works and the books of others she has so much improved.” Richard Bunnings, author of Spiderworld and other books.
An ecologically responsible model
We care about our environment and our future. Our books are printed on demand, only when an order has been received, and that makes our environmental impact a lot less than traditional offset printing which usually requires large orders in anticipation of sales. Often, books that go unsold are destroyed. This results in wasted paper, wasted energy, added greenhouse emissions, pulping, and landfill overflows.
The print-on-demand publishing model reduces supply chain waste, greenhouse emissions, and conserves valuable natural resources. Our printer, Lightning Source, expects each of its paper suppliers to be environmentally responsible as well, and not use papers sourced from endangered old growth forests, forests of exceptional conservation value, or the Amazon Basin.
Where we’re based
AIA Publishing is based in Foxground, NSW, Australia, but we are an international publisher with an international team. Our editorial team is experienced in working with both US and UK English conventions, and we have staff in Australia, USA, UK, and even one – a US expat – lives in Korea.
Lightning Source in USA, UK and Australia print our paperbacks on demand, and they are distributed to online stores via Ingram Spark. Our books are available in all major online retailers and by order in all bookstores world wide.
Our Australian Business Number (ABN) is 60524816736
“Going with AIA Publishing and Editing was one of the better decisions I have ever made. While I’m sure there are others that offer equally good services, I found that dealing with Tahlia Newland to be easy, non-stressful, and just simply nice. She was always responsive to my emails with questions and concerns, always getting back to me within twenty-four hours with direct and concise answers. She had my book professionally proofed and designed easily and quickly. Her cover designer was great, coming up with something totally fun, receiving complements by everyone who has seen it.‘All in all, my experience with AIA Publishing and Editing was easy and cost friendly. Her hourly rates are more than reasonable and I have been amazed at what she gets done for me for so little cost. I always felt that Ms. Newland had me and my books best interest in the forefront, wanting it to be a success. For that I thank her. If and when I publish a third novel, I will certainly look forward to again working with Tahlia Newland at AIA Editing and Publishing.” Ed Lehner, author of The Awakening of Russell Henderson.
Our Team
Managing editor & publisher: Tahlia Newland
Publishing assistant: Rose Newland
Editing team: Tahlia Newland, Charles Ray, Brent Meske, Barbara Scott Emmett, Alida Sewell, Ellie Stevenson & Katherine Kirk.
Book Design – covers, print interiors & ebooks: Rose Newland
Marketing manager – Cat Martindale-Vale
History
Tahlia first published in 2010 under the name of Catapult Press and later changed the name to AIA Publishing. In 2012, she set up the Awesome Indies Book Awards with the aim of fostering quality in self-published and independently published books. Most of our editing team first worked together on that assessment team. Tahlia stopped managing the AIBA in order to focus fully on editing and publishing. She prefers evaluating books prior to publication, and then publishing the worthy ones, rather than evaluating books after publication when it’s too late to improve them.
Not vanity publishing
Vanity publishing is the name given to self-publishing service providers who give authors the impression that they’re getting a mainstream publishing deal, but, unlike mainstream publishing, they have no selection process and the author pays for publication. Authors generally pay high fees (many thousands of dollars), are often pressurised or manipulated into signing a deal, and receive a book that falls far short of industry standards, particularly in terms of editing. They may also retain a relatively high percentage of income from sales and often offer marketing packages that sound good, but offer little of real value and raise unrealistic expectations.
In other words, they’re not what they appear to be.
In contrast, AIA Publishing:
- makes our author-funded model clear;
- has a genuine selection process – we refuse to add to the glut of poor quality books in the market place;
- charges reasonable rates;
- never lies about the quality of a book or pressurises an author in order to get them to sign an agreement;
- has a high standard of editing and produces books that meet or exceed the standards of traditional publishers;
- gives 90-100% of the royalties to the authors.
We’re so honest that we’ll tell you the bad stuff as well as the good, so you can make a truly informed decision as to whether or not we’re the right publisher for you. We pride ourselves on being honest and trustworthy and on producing books of which an author can be truly proud.
