With nine new titles in their print cycle and only three titles physically in-hand by October, Young Authors Publishing found themselves in a bind when a lack of funding caused six of their titles to be delayed during the Fall 2020 holiday season, the busiest in book publishing.

“We were in a real bind,” says Leah Hernandez, Founder and CEO of Young Authors Publishing. “We had books ready to sell and could not print them because we were unable to pay our printers. In the midst of a pandemic and the holiday season, we were an independent book publisher at a standstill.”

A $10,000 grant from Ingram Content Group and plans for an improved printing model will help us distribute titles through our new partnership with West Margin Press®, an Ingram Content Group independent publisher.

“We’re grateful that Ingram sees the value of our work with young authors, and the grant helped us print x copies of our remaining 2020 titles,” said Hernandez.

Young Authors Publishing (YAP) is a not-for-profit children’s book publisher based in Atlanta, Ga. Since 2018, YAP has been publishing the stories of young authors, many from underserved communities. Each cohort of young authors participates in a four-month mentoring program that helps them to conceptualize and write their books and a financial literacy course provides them the tools to manage the profits they make from their book sales, which are held in a savings account, accessible once they are 18 years old.

At the 2019 PubWest Conference, Hernandez was introduced to Jennifer Newens, the Publishing Director of West Margin Press. This introduction led to the new distribution partnership between West Margin Press and Young Authors Publishing.

“Education and literacy is at the heart of what we do. We fully support YAP’s goal of providing young and diverse authors a chance to share their stories and see themselves in books. YAP’s mentorship to young authors during their writing and publishing journey is impressive and the skills provided puts them on a path to success,” says Ingram’s Chief Commercial and Content Officer Phil Ollila.

The $10,000 grant from Ingram allows Young Authors Publishing to publish their remaining books that will be available for purchase in March 2021. Ingram’s new printing model also allows YAP to publish titles in a way that both benefits the young authors, and the organization by preparing them for the 2021 publishing year.

The Spring 2021 Young Authors Spring cohort is currently underway, with books scheduled to print in the Fall. To pre-order YAP titles, visit their website.

About Ingram Content Group | www.ingramcontent.com

The world is reading, and Ingram Content Group (“Ingram”) connects people with content in all forms. Providing comprehensive services for publishers, retailers, libraries and educators, Ingram makes these services seamless and accessible through technology, innovation and creativity. With an expansive global network of offices and facilities, Ingram’s services include digital and physical book distribution, print-on-demand, and digital learning. Ingram Content Group is a part of Ingram Industries Inc. and includes Ingram Book Group LLC, Ingram Publisher Services LLC, Lightning Source LLC, VitalSource Technologies LLC, Ingram Library Services LLC, and Tennessee Book Company LLC. Ingram media contact: Shannon Hunt, +1.615.321.3110, shannon@tsgnashville.com