Why I Built LemonPress

When I finished writing my first book, I thought the hardest part was behind me. Then I started looking into editing and publishing.

After contacting four different publishing companies and receiving quotes ranging from $4,200 to $10,000, each promising something different, I still couldn't tell exactly what I was paying for, what I actually needed, or whether I trusted someone else to make major decisions about my story. I was being asked to hand over something I cared deeply about to a complete stranger and hope they would treat it with the care and attention it deserved.

I spoke with another author who told me she'd spent $25,000 on an editor and never earned that money back through book sales. The feeling was completely deflating.

I had written a book I was proud of, and I wanted it to be edited with care. But I also had three kids, bills to pay, and a life that didn't come with thousands of dollars lying around.

At one point, I wondered if my manuscript would simply become something that lived on my laptop, and the story would end there.

Then it occurred to me that I couldn't be the only person standing at this crossroads. There had to be other writers with finished manuscripts, limited budgets, and absolutely no idea what to do next. I decided to learn the process myself. I wanted to understand what good editing actually involved, what I could reasonably do on my own, when professional help was necessary, and how to publish a book without surrendering control of something so personal.

I wanted a better option that offered meaningful editorial feedback, straightforward guidance, transparent pricing, and the freedom for independent authors to make better-informed decisions.

I couldn't find what I was looking for, so I built it myself.

LemonPress began with my own story, but my hope is that it will help many more authors get theirs into the world.