Episode description

Casey Ebro is a veteran editor who has significantly contributed to the publishing world. She formerly served as an Executive Editor with the Business Group at McGraw Hill Professional. In this role, she was responsible for acquiring, editing, and publishing business books in various subjects such as leadership, workplace culture, entrepreneurship, and innovation. She has been responsible for bestsellers and notable titles, including “Madoff Talks” by Jim Campbell, which inspired a Netflix documentary series, and the Wall Street Journal bestsellers “Connect First” by Melanie Katzman and “Zero to IPO” by Frederic Kerrest. Casey played a pivotal role at McGraw Hill in establishing the healthcare category into a robust multi-million dollar program, which featured prominent titles like the New York Times Science bestseller “The Digital Doctor” and “The Cleveland Clinic Way”.

Starting Up and Striking Out

Casey’s journey into the world of editing began in her formative years as a passionate bookworm. In high school, she took a significant step toward her publishing dreams by becoming the English editor for her school’s literary publication called “Facets”. She reveled in the collaborative process with other editors and took pleasure in discovering the literary talents of her peers. Her passion further intensified in university, where she joined the literary publication named “Heights”, participating in deeper, more advanced discussions about submitted works. These university experiences exposed her to diverse opinions and debates, making the editing environment incredibly stimulating and enriching for her.

A Book is a Business

“Writing a book is like starting a business,” according to Casey. Authors are entrepreneurs introducing a unique product to the market. In essence, the book is a reflection of the author’s ideas and beliefs, and its promotion doesn’t end post-publication. Some successful books keep selling years or even decades after their release, and this continued success comes from the author’s dedication to the ideas and ensuring they reach as many readers as possible. Publishing a book is a long-term commitment that requires careful execution, planning, and motivation. “A lot of people think about it in terms of the first three months or the first six months or first year or first three years after a book is published. I think that’s really short sighted because if the ideas are good, they’re good from now till kingdom come,” Casey shares. A book, like a product, needs to find its audience, establish product-market fit, and receive investment for growth, Barry agrees. “It never ends.”

Investing in Ideas

Barry and Casey discuss the challenges of book publishing. Barry remarks that the journey isn’t just about having a great idea; it’s about putting in the necessary work to present the idea, penning an entire chapter about it, and then devising a plan on how to maximize its potential. Likening this to the startup experience, Barry notes, “It’s almost like I had to have a pitch deck. What’s the problem I’m solving? Who’s the target customer? What’s my go-to-market plan? How am I going to generate sales and then also write a chapter to exemplify the idea?” Casey comments that selecting a manuscript is similar to venture capitalists choosing a startup to invest in.

Looking Ahead

Casey wants authors to confidently claim their space, believing they are uniquely positioned to address a topic due to their specific experiences, inventions, or groundbreaking insights. This individuality becomes crucial when competing against established names in the industry, given that readers will be investing both money and time in their book.

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