I regularly take aim at “assisted self-publishing” because it often results in a shoddy product, a serious price-tag and/or a big chunk of the author’s royalties going to a middleman that is doing little more than uploading (which is the easiest part of the process).

However, I’m not against assisted self-publishing per se, and today’s guest post sketches out a potential model for such companies, an author-centric approach that can benefit all parties, particularly the author. And it’s not just theory.

Phoenix Sullivan is an author, self-publisher, and IMO one of the smartest people in the publishing business. Regular readers will know that she was one of the brains behind figuring out the Popularity list and the subsequent algorithm changes to same which led to the diminution of post-free sales bumps (indeed, much of Let’s Get Visible is based on her insights).

Phoenix is also the General Manager…