Writing a Book and BookBaby with Tony van Veen

Since I’ve self-published five books at the time of this writing, I was interested in the large sign I saw for?BookBaby. I was in Nashville, TN at our NSA (National Speaker’s) Conference and asked if BookBaby was somehow related to?CDBaby, which has been one of the top sites for independent artists to release albums. I’ve released a number of them through that organization. Sure enough, CDBaby was related to BookBaby as well as a company called?DiscMakers, all a part of the?DIY Media group. To make all this less confusing, the DIY Media group is the umbrella over all these organizations. I thought it would be very interesting to create an interview with the head of BookBaby and was fortunate to interview the CEO and president, Tony Van Veen.

Tony has spent the past three decades of his life helping independent authors, musicians and filmmakers publish, distribute and promote their own books, music and films. Tony started at the ground up in the company, and stayed with the same organization, rising through the ranks to become the current CEO. I wanted to find out why he stayed and a little about his journey! Here, we cover four principles that contribute to his staying power.

One: Be a Lifelong Learner

Tony saw the value of getting out of your comfort zone, no matter what stage of life. The attitude of becoming a lifelong learner has been instrumental in not only Tony’s growth, but the growth of the company he now heads. He gives a strong focus on the importance of goals.?(get your free downloads here)?It doesn’t matter if you are at halftime of life or later, you still have choices on what you’re going to do next.

Two: Have a Great Support Group

Tony meets with eight CEOS one morning a month and has for the past fifteen years. This keeps him grounded with trusted colleagues talking over ideas and business principles. Every week he hosts a short YouTube video he puts on the?Disc Makers Channel. While the technology is completely different today than years ago, the fundamentals of being an artist, how to get the word out and how to write a great song are exactly the same as thirty to thirty-five years ago.

Three: Identify a Need

Part of what CDBaby and DiscMakers provided for many years was the printing of CD and LP album covers. When artists started putting together larger booklets and books, Tony knew they needed to expand the business. They were already a media company, getting music out to the world. With the addition of Book Baby, expanding the addition of books and audiobooks, these products were just another form of media they could add to their offerings.

Four: Make it Easy

Time is not only our most valuable resource, but time is also money. One of the main goals of Bookbaby has been to make it as easy as possible for artists and authors to launch their products.

When you’re an artist or writer, your product becomes similar to having another child. It’s your baby. That’s why so many have been attracted to the name CD Baby and even Book Baby. They take good care of our kids! Make sure you check them out!

Listen to this episode and get the full article & experience?- including other resources!

About the Guest:

Tony van Veen,?as CEO and president of DIY Media Group, the parent company of BookBaby and its sister company Disc Makers, he has spent the past three decades helping independent authors, musicians, and filmmakers publish, distribute, and promote their own books, music, and films. After college he started entry level at the company, and rose through the ranks to CEO, went through two rounds of private equity ownership, took the company private again, and started and grew multiple brands, products, and services for independent content creators… and is still having fun after 30+ years. BookBaby offers book printing, eBook publishing, design, and distribution services to thousands of independent authors and publishers while paying 100% of distribution revenues back to them.

The Host

DEBORAH JOHNSON, M.A.?has 25+ years working as an entertainer, composer, producer, author and speaker. Her keynote, "The Hero Inside" stirs audiences to not settle for merely playing as an accompanist to their dreams. Rather, it is to call upon everything they have inside to be soloist & center stage in pursuing & accomplishing their dreams and potential. This can include pursuing a new avenue or expanding on a current area of business, especially at mid-career or the halftime of life. Get more free downloads & links at:?DJWorks. Websites:?DeborahJohnsonSpeaker.com; GoalsForYourLife.com; DJWorksMusic.com