We had the good fortune of connecting with Erika Lance and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Erika, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I was an author for over a decade and worked with a not-for-profit that was for helping authors and realized that the currently publishing world is not set-up for artists (writers, creators, etc.) to be successful. I decided that this needed to change and the idea of 4 Horsemen Publications was born. I decided it was time to bring the publishing apocalypse and give all authors and stories a level playing field for success.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
My story is a bumpy one. I grew up moving all over the country with my single mother. I left high-school and began working when I was 14. I eventually received my GED when I was 21, but I never went to college. At a point in my early twenties I ended up in an HR role. For the next 25 years I moved up and eventually moved into a C-level position and that is where I had been for the last 14 or so years. In January of 2020 I started 4 Horsemen Publications with friends. We were all authors and each of us covered a different aspect of the business. Since then we have grown to over 100 authors and over 500 published titles. We opened the non-fiction branch, Accomplishing Innovation Press, in January of 2022, where we are publishing not only non-fiction but also academic books. We have a radically transparent and honest approach to helping not only our authors, but those in the publishing business succeed. We believe that an author should be able to create works and maintain their voice and vision for the story. That genre boxes that the big publishers demand authors adhere to, need to be broken apart. This is why we have a very diverse group of authors and works.

Choosing to open a business in Jan 2022 turned out to be interesting for us, however, we are lucky that the pandemic did not slow us down. As we grow we have learned many lessons, which we freely share with our authors. Our model is simple: We are not successful unless our authors are successful. This means helping every author create their brand, grow their audience and help them in any way needed to keep creating.

I have also hosted a podcast called Drinking with Authors, where we interview authors from those just getting published to best sellers. We have over 250+ episodes and feature new authors weekly.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I think if it was a week-long trip I would find a way to make it a ghost tour. Florida has so much history and taking them to haunted places and learning the tales is always so much fun. It is also fun to not just take them to places that I love, but to explore and find the hole in the wall sandwich shops, or amazing Cuban coffee.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would like to shout out Wordier Than Thou. It is a not-for-profit organization in the Tampa Bay area dedicated to creating a safe space for authors to have a community that is fully supportive. It creates all manner of events to bring authors and readers together.

Website: www.4horsemenpublications.com

Instagram: 4horsemenpubs

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/4-horsemen-publications/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/4-Horsemen-Publications-134998980534306/

Other: www.drinkingwithauthors.com www.erikalance.com

Image Credits
Not needed.

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