How I became a publisher
When Randi Smith was an undergraduate publishing major studying with me at Belmont University, she attended a symposium panel entitled, “Library Love.” There she discovered that book bans were not some horrific fever dream of a past totalitarian government, but rather an increasing first amendment violation running rampant in the United States.
She wrote a short story in a fiction editing workshop course that she expanded in a senior book editing workshop course, and that eventually became her young adult novel, Ada Holloway’s Had Enough.
Although Randi began as a traditionally represented literary agency client, her book was not signed by traditional publishers. She chose to adopt a profit-share model with Ami McConnell Literary and was published by me through Betty Fay Books in 2026.
Betty Fay Books handled all cover and interior design and formatting, copy editing, proofreading and production tasks, as well as marketing and public relations for this title.
Ada Holloway’s Had Enough received excellent publishing industry reviews from publications including: Publisher’s Weekly, School Library Journal, Kirkus Reviews, Foreword Clarion Reviews, and many more.
Randi’s robust book tour includes:
An interview published in Publishers Weeklyonline and in print
Launch event at Parnassus Books
Radio, podcast and tv interviews
Elementary school visits
College campus speaking engagements
Book festival speaking engagements
Librarian’s Associations and Teachers of English Conference presentations
Public library speaking engagements
Alumni feature coverage from Belmont University
To see more about Randi and her writing view her website at www.randismithwrites.com and be sure to sign up for her excellent substack, which she sends out every Monday morning.
“Working with Betty Fay Books was the best decision I made for my novel. This small and dedicated team not only knows this industry but also knows how to make authors feel empowered. Their kindness, professionalism, and expertise is just what every author needs. I couldn’t have become a published author without Betty Fay Books!”