Interview with Cheryl Pillsbury of AG Press

How long has AG Press been in business?

Officially, January 1st, 2008, but it started in 2006 after a few horrible, nightmare experiences with publishers that published my books. It took 2 years to plan our company, and we began operating this year. We wanted to be different from the others but offer more.

What genres do you accept?

We accept all genres, including poetry, but no hard pornography, racist material, or anything explicitly against children. We feel each genre is unique and special. But we will not look at anything containing a lot of foul language, porn, or inappropriate use of material concerning children.

As well as print, you now offer virtual books. Please tell us more.

Well, a lot of people these days travel and carry their computers. Some people have told us how they prefer to read from their computer, so we created the virtual book. It comes as a PDF file, burned on CD, and placed in a DVD case with the cover exactly like the book. It will also be very useful in libraries, taking up less storage and great for students to read and study.

Why should authors pick AG Press to publish their books?

We have lower rates then most but very high quality. We personally hand make our books--fold, glue, bind and cover them with the help of my staff. Our publishing packages include your ISBN number and barcode, the publishing process, and marketing. Editing/Illustrating is a separate expense because authors have their own vision--their own dream for their book. They also have one-on-one contact with their team to help create the book exactly as they desire. The author has the final say; they receive 30% in royalties and 30% off their author copies. They have a page on our website to display their book with reviews for all to see and read. We don’t want our clients to get lost in the world of conglomerate publishing companies. We’re smaller, so we can provide them with more personalized attention and better service. We share in their success, and that’s just not something you find with the bigger companies. We work with our authors through each phase and can direct them to other resources, such as our full, comprehensive marketing services. There’s an extensive array of PR packages to choose from to get the word out. Our marketing agent is Denise Cassino, and all of her information is included on our website.

How do you help market your author’s books?

We mail a press release to a list of major radio and television programs and newspapers with syndicates. We ask the authors to provide their hometown newspapers, libraries, or locations where they wish to place their books. We keep the books on our website and manage orders from the site; their books are also on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Borders, Waldenbooks, Books-a-million, Toadstool Bookstores, and other online stores.

Where can people find out more about AG Press and your services?

They can always visit our website, www.AGPress.8m.net, or they can call me at 978-300-5178 or 617-447-1554-cell. They may request a folder, with all the information mailed out, for them to read.

Anything else you wish to add?

We’re also co-owners of Poetic Monthly. It’s a magazine created by Martin White, www.poeticmonthly.com. It’s for all poets, writers, editors, illustrators, etc. It’s filled with information about publishing, writing, poems, sites to visit and articles to enjoy. We also advertise the authors’ books here, giving them a full-page preview of their book. We became part of Martin’s publication last July. Since then, we have doubled in size, going from 45 to 72 subscribers, so far—with more readers and more steady sales. He receives hundreds to thousands of hits a week from his viewers.