150 From Literature to Sustainability: Georgia Lininger's Journey

0:00 Well, hello and welcome to Connect Inspire Create. I'm your host, carol Clegg, a progress and mindset business coach, here to help you thrive and flourish and turn those challenges into opportunities for growth. I'm so pleased you're here. Join me for the discussions that I hope will not only encourage you but also provide the dose of inspiration that you might just need today. This podcast is all about giving you your weekly dose of practical strategies, motivation and insightful conversations designed to boost your business skills, personal growth and happiness. So, whether you're looking to find balance, say goodbye to procrastination or just in need of a friendly nudge towards your goals, remember we're all on this journey together.

0:52 So grab your favorite cup of something, be it coffee, tea or something else, and let's dive into this conversation today. Well, welcome everybody to Connect Inspire Create. In today's episode, our focus is on not traditional publishing, but sustainability and why it is such a battle and taking this from my guest's website, for too long now, the myths that books cannot be published in the highest quality using carbon neutral, 100% recycled and environmentally friendly paper, inks and processes needs to end.

1:41 So the science, technology, materials and opportunities are here and we have to choose, change, innovate and evolve, and Salus Publishing embraces a new way to publish, where sustainability is fundamental and paramount, and I am looking so forward to sharing my guest's story and bringing awareness to this topic and getting it out there in the world. So my guest today is Georgia Leninger. And Georgia, I knew that I was going to butcher your last name. I tried. You did, great you did great but welcome, thank you. Thanks for joining me. It's lovely to have you here and share more about something that I know is very dear to your heart.

2:23 So Georgia is the founder and editor-in-chief of Salus Publishing, and it's a book publishing house focused on publishing high quality books by diverse authors and illustrators in a variety of genres as sustainably as possible, and I know that you share that. The shipping, promotional materials and everything is basically printed on 100% of recycled or tree-free papers. Yes, so I know that you started just before the pandemic hit and have published quite a few children's books, and they've all been on 100% recycled paper. Yes, yes, absolutely.

3:04 But I would love to share with our audience. Your journey to you must have started somewhere, and then, when did sustainability come into it and where are we now? So take us on that journey. Thank you and I'm so happy to be here. So my journey started with, of course you know, just as a child like absolutely loving to write and loving to write stories and all of that. So I studied English literature and classics and university, and originally I studied to become a journalist and it was in my master's program, through journalism, that I did my master's thesis, strangely enough, on the history of paper, and I know I know so paper paper, as it turns out, is fascinating and there are basically it's.

3:49 Trees are an incredibly inefficient way to make paper, and trees have been the amount of chemicals that you need to use, just the entire process. There is a ton of waste, whether it's in our water system, just um. Trees in and of themselves are very slow growing and it just the entire process. Like I say, with paper it can be so much, so much more efficiently done. And so I knew yet again just out of grad school that sustainability was something I really wanted to kind of focus on. And so when I wrote my first children's book right before the birth of my son, I was looking for publishers and I was like, okay, you know, yay, you know, it shouldn't be that hard to publish sustainably.

4:33 It can't be that hard. And it turns out it was that hard. And so when I finally found a publisher and I was so excited to get my first book published and I'm like, okay, so what about what if you put it on some recycled paper, or even mixed recycled or what you know, what about? What about? What about? And they kind of, you know, patted me on the head and they're like, oh, that's, that's, that's cute. No, and because of course, they had their, their contract, they had their system already in place. And it's just like with so many industries when you already have a system in place, why change it? Why, you know why, why, why change if you don't have to? And so with my second book I thought, okay, well, you know, yet again I'm going to try.

5:15 You know I'm doing this, like sustainably. So there's print on demand. And so, of course, with Amazon's KDP, you print on demand and that is in. You know, yet again it's on non recycled paper, but you're only printing the number of books that sell. So there isn't that fundamental waste that goes hand in hand with a lot of book and magazine publishing. And so I thought, okay, well, that's, that's a little bit better, like all right, but then I've been going to conferences and meeting other authors and things like things like that, and there are so many great people out there who also wanted to get their books out there and they had such phenomenal ideas and and I thought, you know, maybe it's time.

5:55 So in 2019, I started kind of putting together my business and I assigned several authors and we published our first book. So we yes, yeah, started in early 2020, which was phenomenal timing for children's books, when you think you know that it'll be great to, you know, do events and do all sorts of stuff, and so that was. That was a little frustrating, but it's. It's honestly. In many ways, it's been phenomenal because it's just been an opportunity kind of to grow in different ways and I am honored to have a variety of authors that I really believe in and I love their stories and I support their works and we're just having a bunch of fun.

6:40 That is fantastic, but tell me, are there always children's books or have you branched into different areas? Excellent question. So the project that we're working on kind of now, we have just launched our first non-children's book. It's actually a young adult book of poetry, and so she's yeah, she's a young author, noelle Baggins. She's in her early twenties. And so she's yeah, she's a young author, noelle Baggins, she's in her early twenties, and so we just launched her, her first book of poetry. It just came out this month and so it's called Best Supporting Actress and it's kind of got this old, like a 1950s Hollywood kind of theme. It has art in it by this phenomenal artist named Jefferson Miller and it's it's just phenomenal because it's just, it's heart wrenching, because a lot of it is about, you know, the kind of that first love and unrequited love, picking up the pieces afterwards and getting you know, dusting yourself off and gaining that confidence, and it's just, it's just I'm so proud of it.

7:33 It came out so beautifully and she is just a phenomenal poet and and yeah, so we're very excited about that. So we are, we are launching into other genres. Wonderful, and I'm just so curious because if somebody is interested in purchasing books from you, do they go to your website? Can they buy them in conventional places, like everybody goes to Amazon Right? Where would they be buying these wonderful books? So of course Amazon you know Amazon is Amazon is amazon. So yes, you can buy them there. We love when people buy from our website and of course that's wonderful. And yes, um, in bookstores they are available, so you can look through them there as well. And yeah, so we're. You know, we're kind of branching out and trying to get more kind of wider distribution and international and all that.

8:15 But yeah, we're working on it and then just tell me to walk me through the. Where do you find your product? I mean, how are you this recycled, it's sustainable, right, he's doing the printing in-house no. So we have had the good fortune to work with two phenomenal printers. So the first printer that we worked with for our first several books was hemlock printers. They um have um base, like their kind of base of operations in san francisco and canada, and so they have been phenomenal. And hemlock was amazing in that um they worked with just a variety of companies and printing a variety of different things and their selection of recycled papers is extensive and fantastic and they were wonderful to work with.

8:57 And so you know, and I think, and I think with a lot of printers, when you go to them with the with the stipulation of we only want recycled paper, I understand you have all of these other phenomenal papers and that's fantastic, but we're looking for a just recycled and it's just. It's, I think, so often like with economics when you create the demand, they will find the supply and so and so with hemlock, they were phenomenal and, you know, whenever we said, you know we want to do this size of a print run, we want this kind of paper, they got it together. And with indigo ink, that's um, another printer that we've worked with for our um see fourth, fifth and sixth titles um, they likewise have been phenomenal in that, you know, it's just we kind of stipulate, you know, we are 100 recycled, like that's.

9:44 That's the only thing we're gonna, you know, look at or tree free is always, you know, something that we would love to do as well, and so, and they've been fantastic again in just in, you know, and providing high quality papers in as sustainable a way as they can. So it's been great. Well, it's just wonderful to put the spotlight on this whole area and just bring awareness to the fact and you know and you shared sort of the fact that authors can get their books published if they're concerned about sustainability. But how do we get other book publishers on board? Could it make them more aware and become more sustainable? I think that's that's another fantastic question.

10:25 I think, well, it's just kind of like that, that idea of you know, of economics, where it's just you create the demand and the demand creates the supply. And so I think, if more and more authors really do, you know, stand up for it, and you know, and, and I think what's hard is that so many first time authors are so excited about just getting published, you don't want to make waves, you don't want to be difficult, you don't want to you know, like, oh, no, no, no, don't work with that one they have, you know they're too demanding, right, too bossy and, of course, and you don't. It's not about that, it's about making you know.

11:06 For an author, it's when you get to hold your book in your hand that first time. That's such a phenomenal feeling and you want to be proud of it. You know, from cover to cover, inch to inch. You know everything. And so I think I think honestly, I think publishing more sustainably is something that more and more publishers are aware of, but it's slow and I think, honestly, it's going to be the need for that increasing demand. Right, like when Kindles and you know, and the online books and online eBooks, right, you know, 10, 15 years ago that was the big oh, everything's going to go into eBooks and oh, and that's just going to be it. You know, paper publishing is done and of course, as it turns out, that's not the way. You know, people really do love to hold books in their hands.

11:49 Absolutely, it's so sad. When you think of all the bookstores, I mean how much time we spent browsing and spending time in bookstores. What a special time that was. And my daughter, I know she is an avid reader and wants to hold the books in her hand. My niece is the same thing and she devours books. So she literally has books under her arm and walks everywhere. She's reading, reading, reading, but wants to hold them in her hand Exactly. Because it is that feeling right, it's the feeling of, it's the turning of the pages, it's all of it, it's that it's not just the story, it's the experience itself. And so, and I think, yet again, with our books, what I love is that texture of recycled paper because, you know, unless you know, honestly, like for our children's books, kids don't, you know, realize that there is a texture difference between 100.

12:35 But the mamas do sometimes you, you know but it's funny because you know, and that was the biggest argument for so long is well, recycled paper. It doesn't have the high quality right. People immediately thought of newspaper right, because newspapers started printing on recycled paper much, much earlier on, because of course, it was, you know, very rapid. You know it's like it only needs to be good for a day and then you know that's it. And so I think people for a long time that stigma of you know the newspaper and you know the ink coming off on your fingers and things like that, and of course that's not the case. And so, um, recycled papers are just as high quality, you know, just as you can have all of the bells and whistles that you can on regular paper so I was was going to ask you that you know that feeling is it.

13:23 is it something that you can notice on recycled paper, or would some people not even realize and go? This is wonderful to discover. Right, this is recycled paper. That's. I would think I noticed it now because of course I'm in the business, right, it's just, you know, feeling the weight and the pound weight and the texture. I mean you want to get into, you know all of that stuff and you know, um, yeah, so I can tell and I love it. Um, but I think most people, like whenever, like we're in stores or doing book events and things like that, most people have no idea and they're kind of go through and they're like, oh really, like this is recycled so, which is also fantastic because they can make that discovery so that's great.

14:05 So how do you create more awareness? I mean, what else is there besides? Yeah, obviously you've mentioned attending some conferences and getting the word out. What else can one do to to help you bring awareness to what you're? doing. Um, I think honestly, it's going on podcasts like yours, I think, kind of the podcasts and things like that, and really kind of branching out into markets that maybe haven't really thought about this, because of course, there are so many you know writer genres and writers worlds and you know so many people trying to get their books out there. So, for the conferences, like there's the one that I have attended in the past and I've been a judge for their, for some of their books and their contests is the Pacific Northwest Writers Association and so that's, you know, of course, here in the US, that's in all of our western states and it's, and I think you know yet again, it's so many authors trying to get out there and trying to get their books noticed and, you know, picked up and by an agent and all this kind of stuff.

15:04 I think it's it's really kind of it's getting that word out. Um, yeah, I think the more kind of networking and the more, you know, kind of social media and things like that. Well, you've educated me. It's the best thing to do. You've educated me and then my mind's racing and I'm going well. Book coaches. Book coaches need to know about this Because if they know about this, they can share that with their clients. So it's just yeah, education awareness keeping that wheel turning. So you're working full time as an educator and running a business. Yes, yes, I am a teacher. I've been a teacher for 18 years, and so I am still a teacher.

15:46 And so I am also a book publisher. And we own a little farm, little ranch, and so I do that too. So I'm a woman of many hats. Wonderful. Yeah, I know I joked with you earlier that I don't see any goats coming in to add to the Nope, they, you know they would love to hop on in. We have a couple of bottle babies that would love to. Oh, yeah, yeah. So you produce the goat milk? Do you use that just for local consumption? or, yeah, you know like, so we've just had our kidding season and so, yes, so for right now all of the milk goes to the babies and so that's, that's all for them. We have done a little bit with with goat milk in the past.

16:27 You know kind of making cheese and and you know the soaps and all that stuff, but really it's just we just love our goats and so you know we have land and of course, here in california with like the wildfire issues and things like that, goats do just an incredible job of keeping brush and weeds and everything down. So, honestly, just like the wildfire mitigation and protection that they provide is just makes goats just phenomenal just on their own so, oh yeah, we have a goat farm just up the road from us and I know when my children were growing up I used to take them there to help with the milking and it's just such a wonderful outing. Um, and they are. They're the cutest little things that so, and especially when they're babies and they're jumping and they're practicing their little oh, oh yeah, so Georgia, you've got a very positive outlook.

17:15 Tell me what drives you to keep going and keep moving forward. Keep, that will moving. I would say the biggest part is my children. I think my children are definitely my drive. It's the idea that you want to try to create for them, um, as much possibility and hope as possible. And then, and also, it's that idea of when you look back at the end of your life, you know, can you look back and think, you know I did what I could like, I I tried, you know, I I gave it my all and so and this is and this is of it's, that it's, it is the idea of, you know, of course, as an educator and as a teacher, you know teaching is amazing in so many ways and it is heartbreaking, and so many others and, and it's just and I talk with so many teachers who have been teaching for decades and it's just and it is that you put so much work in and you have no idea really how much comes back.

18:14 Right, and I think what helps me is, yet again, with this publishing it's, I have been able to work with authors that I absolutely love and work with illustrators that I love and international illustrators. One of the illustrators for one of our books, the Christmas Witch, lucy Rogers. Lucy Rogers is from the UK and she contacted me straight out of university. She had just gotten her degree and she'd found our website and was just like you know. Could I please you know, would you like? Would you like want to look at our work? Or, like you know, would you like? Would you like want to look at our work? Or, like you know, my art and um? I looked at it and my and my author, and it was just fortuitous timing because we were looking for an illustrator and she was phenomenal, and so now she uses our book as part of her portfolio to kind of help launch her career, and I I love stuff like that I love, yeah, that that just paying it forward in that collaboration and that community and you're supporting people in these different areas and you never know where the ripple effect exactly is is gonna go to so well.

19:23 I certainly hope that those that are listening to our episode are gonna stop for a moment and just think that there is an alternative, that there is a different way to have a book published and to look at exploring that. If somebody wants to work with you, what is the best place? Where is the best place to find you? That would be through our website, salaspublishingcom. They can contact us through there or Salas Publishing in Gmail. They still have a good old Gmail account and you know either one of those. We're on Instagram and Facebook and yeah. Lovely. I'll make sure to have all of those links in the show notes. And is there something exciting to add to this wonderful full plate of yours that you're working on at the moment?

20:04 The other book that we have, we have published, that, yes, I'm promoting right now is a book by Cy Swan. It's called the Two Tales of Timothy Mouse. Cy Swan, this is his first book and he is 87 years old, so the story of how it kind of came about is phenomenal. He is a frequent guest on the Essential Craftsman YouTube channel, so they're on YouTube. They've got almost like a million and a half followers and anyway, Cy is this incredible blacksmith and just if people check out his videos, he's amazing. But yes, he wrote this children's book and it is illustrated by a young artist named Emma Wally, and Emma is 10 years old. Well, she was 10 when she illustrated the book.

20:46 Now she's 11, which I'm sure she would want me to correct her. You know to correct if she's 11, to correct her. You know to correct if she's 11, not 10. And anyway, she did a phenomenal job and so, just with his very funny kind of dark, quirky story and her phenomenal illustrations, I'm so proud of the book. It's just a delight. That's wonderful and I did take a peek at your website, but to let listeners know, go across to the website, because you'll find all the books there and you'll be able to have a look at them and buy directly from you, which would be wonderful. Thank you appreciate it, georgia. Thank you so much. Thanks for sharing your time and your inspiration with me and with my guests.

21:30 Oh, thank you so much for having me. It's been a joy. Thank you so much for having me. It's been a joy, thank you, and today I encourage you embrace your own unique way of connecting, inspiring or creating, and let it bring a sense of joy into your world. In my role as a coach, I love to work with women, business owners, entrepreneurs, solopreneurs, and help them explore fresh ways to focus on their projects, find the right tools for accountability and learn how to build a positive mindset which, in turn, allows for more empathy, not only for yourself, but for others and situations. With my personalized accountability and progress coaching, which I combine with the powerful positive intelligence program, you will find ways to shift into an overall happier space.

22:21 If you would like to take the complementary saboteur assessment, I offer a follow-up complementary coaching session to help you explore your results. Do take a note of the link in the show notes or visit my site, carolcleggcom. Until the next time. Thanks for listening.