Welcome back to Chapter 8 of Raising Rebeca Books! In this chapter, we meet Crystal Canney, the Executive Director of The Retta Collective, a new non-profit whose mission is to address cultural equality and justice through the lens of storytelling. The Retta Collective believes that women, minorities, and rural communities deserve an enhanced voice in the multimedia landscape as stakeholders, witnesses, and agents of change. The Retta Collective accomplishes this through a diverse set of storytelling platforms, including publishing, film, TV, podcasting, educational opportunities, and digital products. For more information about The Retta Collective and how to help, visit https://rettacollective.org. Crystal Canney can be reached via email at crystal@rettacollective.org or by phone at (239) 431-0616.Raising Rebeca Books is a production of the 1C Story Network. To learn more about Rebeca Books, visit https://rebecabooks.com. To learn more about the 1C Story Network, visit https://justonec.com.

In the last episode, Rebeca promised to tell you about a very special woman born way back in 1894. Now her story plays into the one unfolding on this podcast 130 years later. Rebeca's formative years were spent on the family's long-held farm in Northwest Tennessee, often under the care and tutelage of her grand-aunt Retta. It's from Aunt Retta that Rebeca learned her love of stories and how they can change people and society for the better, and a lot about how to care for the living beings around her, whether plants, animals, or people. How does Aunt Retta, born in 1894, play into today's story? Listen and find out.To learn more about Rebeca Books and how to submit your work for consideration, please visit us at https://www.rebecabooks.com.

In Chapter 4, you got to hear directly from the new acquisitions editor of Rebeca Books, the inestimable Danielle Butler. Well, in true start-up fashion, this episode comes with some surprising news from Danielle, which you get to hear straight from her. If you want something done right, do it yourself, right? And maybe that is true for some things. For this, though – for building a traditional, royalty-paying publishing line that is for and about women over 40 and for the greater build-out of the parent company, The 1C Story Network – a different approach is warranted. A team approach. A commitment to collaboration, even when the relationship needs to evolve into a new form.If you wish to have your work considered for publication by Rebeca Books, please follow the instructions for submission at https://rebecabooks.com or with the instructions below. We accept submissions from both authors and agents. To submit your work for acquisition, please email us a book proposal containing five sections:Book Summary (1 page or less)Author Bio (1 page or less, you're welcome to include a photo)Similar Works (name 3-5 other books/authors that are like yours/you, and tell us how yours/you are different)Reach Analysis (give us an overview of your relationships and presence in the world, which enables us to see how we can alert others to your book's launch)Sample Writing (1-3 chapters of the work you're pitching)Submissions that do not contain these five elements will not be considered. (Sorry! We love ya, but we really need you to follow directions for this relationship to start off on the right foot.)Please use the subject line: For Acquisition Consideration - WRITER LAST NAMEEmail address: submissions - at - rebecabooks - dot - com

Did you know that 38% of startups fail for lack of funding? How about that only 2.3% of VC funding goes to women-owned businesses? At the same time, women-owned businesses generate 10% more revenue in five years than male-owned businesses, and the return for investors in female-led companies is double that of male-led companies.Maybe there's a better way to run businesses than how it's been done for the last few centuries. Maybe it's a woman's way. Listen in as Rebeca recounts the tale of a recent meeting with some fellow businesswomen and how different an experience it is from when men are involved. And if you're a businesswoman 40 or over with a book to publish about how you succeeded, how you did it a woman's way, we want to hear about it. You can find submission guidelines and instructions for Rebeca Books at https://www.rebecabooks.com.

On this episode of Raising Rebeca Books, we meet the incomparable E. Danielle Butler, Acquisitions Editor for Rebeca Books. Listen in as Rebeca and Danielle have a fun discussion about Danielle's background, her role at Rebeca Books, and what kinds of stories she's looking to acquire. Danielle is a truly lovely, wise soul and it’s an honor to have her aboard.If you wish to have your work considered for publication by Rebeca Books, please follow the instructions for submission at https://rebecabooks.com or with the instructions below. We accept submissions from both authors and agents. To submit your work for acquisition, please email us a book proposal containing five sections:Book Summary (1 page or less)Author Bio (1 page or less, you're welcome to include a photo)Similar Works (name 3-5 other books/authors that are like yours/you, and tell us how yours/you are different)Reach Analysis (give us an overview of your relationships and presence in the world, which enables us to see how we can alert others to your book's launch)Sample Writing (1-3 chapters of the work you're pitching)Submissions that do not contain these five elements will not be considered. (Sorry! We love ya, but we really need you to follow directions for this relationship to start off on the right foot.)Please use the subject line: For Acquisition Consideration - WRITER LAST NAMEEmail address: submissions - at - rebecabooks - dot - com

Rebeca delves into the process of naming "Rebeca Books" and all of the trials, tribulations, and downright disgust with the English language that entails. All of the items on the pre-holiday to-do list that she thought were done were, perhaps, not as done as she at first believed. Last, but certainly not least, introducing the first new hire at Rebeca Books, E. Danielle Butler, who is coming aboard as Rebeca Books' new Acquisitions Editor. A passionate and award-winning writer herself, Danielle has long-helped authors hone their works, championing storytelling across the nonprofit, arts, and education sectors. Danielle’s primary work at Rebeca Books is to identify and acquire business and romance titles written by and about women 40 and over. We do not require agency representation for project consideration. Whether you are an agent or an author, feel free to reach out to Danielle directly. Her email address is danielle@rebecabooks.com.

Welcome to the second episode of “Raising Rebeca Books, the birth of a publishing house.” This is the audio story of Rebeca Seitz building a traditional, royalty-paying publishing house from the ground up – told to you as it unfolds. You’ll hear from the authors, agents, printers, editors, marketers, salespeople, designers – all the team members needed to take words from an idea in a writer’s mind to a book in a reader’s hand.It’s the first full week of December. Over the weekend the family went to a Snowfest where, in the balmy 85-degree day of their little beach town, they snagged handfuls of snow from the trucked in supply and threw snowballs at each other. Rebeca seems to live incongruity in all levels of life. Who – in this economy – would think starting a book publishing business is a good idea? And, even if they did, who would limit it to women writers 40 and over, writing business and romance books about women 40 and over? And, even if you were crazy enough to think those were all good ideas, why would you ever consider announcing it right at the start of the holiday season? If you knew Rebeca better, you’d know the 45 years of stories in her life that only make sense in the last chapter, not on page 1. She's someone who just enjoys throwing snowballs in sunshine.

Starting and growing a business is, for Rebeca Seitz, similar to being a parent. The nexus of it grows quietly, in darkness, tucked away from the public eye for a long period of time. Only a handful of others know that it's there, steadily gaining traction. Then, the quiet time is over. Life is brought into this world with a lot of pain and joy. As the weeks, months, and years peel off the calendar, the new being receives her time, talent, efforts, love, and care.Rebeca spent many months in quiet with it, working out its details in scores of spreadsheets and summary statements, sharing it with a small handful of trusted people. On November November 20, she shared this new business baby on TikTok and Facebook. And now, with this podcast, you get a front-row seat to Raising Rebeca Books.