Hold That Thought Publishing was born of necessity when Iris Karas made the decision to self-publish her first novel, Organizing Elizabeth, in the fall of 2008.

“The landscape has changed,” notes Iris. “As the publishing industry suffers economically, downsizes and consolidates, so do opportunities for emerging writers.”

With easier access to desktop publishing, advances in printing technology, and the Web for marketing, it’s now possible to showcase work directly to the public. Producing one’s own books is direct, practical, and enjoyable.

Authors producing their own books find an easy and natural interaction with their readers. They get direct feedback that contributes to the development of their work. This revolution in getting one’s books out to the public has decreased the dependency on corporate publishing, so often disadvantageous to authors in the 21st century.

“Taking control of the process has its challenges and necessitates expanding one’s horizons beyond writing,” Iris says. “But I’m finding it to be a really satisfying experience…one that makes me want to write more and share my books with my public.”