Is the Small-Publisher Mastermind Group for You?

I launched EABooks Publishing in 2010, and I think I made every mistake that could be made. But I held tightly to God and persevered, eventually becoming one of the premier Christian independent publishers teaching and speaking at Christian writers’ conferences.  So, I jumped at the opportunity when Susan Neal asked if I’d be willing to host a small-publisher’s mastermind group. I wish something like this had been around for me, as it would have saved me a lot of time, money, and sleepless nights.

What is a small-group mastermind?

So, what is a small-group mastermind? Well, the first word is small. Most of the publishers in our group are start-ups. They have come to learn what to do and what not to do. They’ve come to share their experiences and learn from each other. Some do the same thing, and others are in different arenas, but we all share the same small-publisher experiences.

I’ve grown too fast, hired the wrong people, invested in the wrong things, forgotten what is most important, and missed some crucial steps. But then I’ve also managed my growth better, hired with a plan, invested time and energy in the right things, made the first things first, and ensured I was not skipping those little things that made a big difference.

At the mastermind group we discuss our fears, weaknesses, and faith struggles. We share personal struggles, too, because sometimes only someone who is where you get how running a publishing company affects your family and your personal life.

We celebrate each other’s wins, and only someone else who’s been there can. We’ve seen growth in each other’s businesses and stood beside each other as struggles have given way to triumph.

In the group, we hold each other accountable. We share our monthly and quarterly goals and then check in with each other to see how those are tracking, offering suggestions for reaching those goals or making them more attainable. We genuinely want each person to win—we are not in competition because we are all on the same team.

Most importantly, we pray! We pray specifically for each person in every meeting. We share each other’s burdens and take them before our good, good, God.

It has been one of my greatest privileges to lead this mastermind group. We have room for a few more, so if this sounds like a group for you, here is our information and a link to join on every third Wednesday, monthly: https://cipa.podia.com/mastermind-group

About the Author

Cheri Cowell, Owner and Publisher of EABooks Publishing, brings a unique blend of publisher and author experience to her company which benefits new, aspiring, and accomplished authors. As an author and speaker herself, with four traditionally published books including 365 Devotions for Peace by Zondervan, and Parables and Word Pictures, a Bible study by AMG, she understands the traditional publishing world. She also has several books published by EABooks Publishing, including One Story, One Mission, so she is well versed in both sides of the partnership publishing world.