I am excited to introduce Angela Engel, publisher and founder of The Collective Book Studio!
The Collective Book Studio is an independent publisher that is committed to quality books that reflect diverse voices and bring meaningful stories to life. Their hands-on hybrid model provides a unique publishing experience. For creative seeking opportunities for publishing, Angela and her team might be the right fit. I am excited to learn more about their process.
Welcome, Angela!
How do you work with authors at The Collective Book Studio?
At The Collective Book Studio, we believe in true collaboration. From the moment an author joins us, we work closely to bring their vision to life, offering guidance every step of the way. Our team supports authors in launching Kickstarter campaigns and creating engaging incentives, crafting effective PR and marketing strategies, and organizing impactful book launch events. Each member of our team plays a key role in the publishing process, ensuring that authors receive the expertise, resources, and personal attention they need. We’re here to answer questions, offer creative input, and help authors navigate the ever-evolving world of publishing.
As a hybrid publisher, how do you choose books for publication? Do you have a selection process?
Yes! We carefully curate our titles, focusing on the categories we excel in: children’s picture books, gift books, lifestyle and entertaining books, cookbooks, and self-help books. With our team’s deep experience in these genres, we know what it takes to publish standout books that resonate with readers and thrive in the market.
When looking at potential titles, we ask key questions:
- Is the concept compelling and unique?
- Does it bring a fresh perspective to the market?
- Can we transform this idea into a beautifully designed, high-quality book that excites consumers?
We seek out stories and ideas that inspire, educate, and engage—books that not only align with our expertise but also have the potential to make a lasting impact.
What professionals (editors, art directors, etc.) make up your team?
We have incredible professionals making up our team! Rachel Lopez Metzger is our Design Director, and she is amazing! Under her artistic direction, we have had several books earn design awards! Everyday, we thank our lucky stars that she’s with us. For the editorial side, we have Amy Treadwell as our Editorial Director. She has over 25 years of experience, and we’re so lucky to have her on the team. Along with editing books for us, she oversees and manages our production schedules and works with our list of developmental editors that we bring in for specific projects. Lastly, we have Elisabeth Saake, our Associate Publisher, who has been an integral part of building The Collective Book Studio from the start. She oversees submissions and helps shape our upcoming lists, manages all metadata and online listings, handles subsidiary rights, and serves as a developmental editor on select projects. Elisabeth also works closely with our distributor, S&S, to ensure our titles reach the right audiences.
How are illustrators chosen for projects?
There are two major ways we pick illustrators. Sometimes, our authors will have an idea of what they want their book to look like, and we’ll build off that. For example, we have an author that wants her book to have a similar feel to Beatrix Potter books. In cases like this, we’ll do some research. We’ll look at books with similar looks and look into their illustrators, along with lists in illustrator databases that we can pull from. Once we find a handful we think will work, we’ll present the author with the choices and we’ll work on picking someone.
Just as often, we have authors with no preconceived ideas about what they may want the illustrations to look like, so internally we will try to find something that we think fits the text. So, we will go through a similar research process until we find one that we think is the perfect fit.
You have several Jewish books on your list. What are these books and new submissions you might be interested in seeing?
We’re incredibly proud of our Jewish book collection! Our list includes two outstanding Jewish cookbooks, along with a diverse range of children’s books that celebrate Jewish culture, values, and traditions. Some introduce kids to Judaism in fun, engaging ways, while others bring classic Yiddish tales to life for a new generation. Whether through storytelling or food, our books aim to create meaningful connections to Jewish heritage.
As for new submissions, we’re particularly interested in stories that highlight lesser-known Jewish holidays, such as Shavuot or Sukkot. While Hanukkah and Passover receive a lot of attention, we’d love to see creative, engaging narratives that bring these other holidays to the forefront. Additionally, we’re always looking for fresh takes on Jewish cuisine. While Ashkenazi and Jewish-American food is beloved, we’re eager to explore more books featuring Sephardi and Mizrahi culinary traditions, offering readers a broader and richer perspective on Jewish food culture.
What are the benefits and challenges of pursuing hybrid publication for children’s books?
At The Collective Book Studio, we operate differently from a typical hybrid publisher. While we offer the creative freedom and ownership benefits that hybrid models provide, we also maintain in-house editorial, design, and production teams—just like a traditional publishing house. This means our authors receive expert guidance and high-quality book development while still retaining full creative control. They own all rights to their work, so if they ever want to expand their characters into new projects, there are no rights buybacks or limitations.
The biggest challenge is the financial investment. Because we handle so many aspects of the publishing process in-house, there are upfront costs involved. However, this also means authors reap greater rewards—higher royalties and long-term control over their books. While the process can feel daunting at first, the ability to produce a beautifully crafted book on your terms makes it an incredibly fulfilling journey.
What advice do you have for aspiring writers? How do they know if their work is ready for publication?
We advise that aspiring writers create a clear vision statement for their books. A vision statement is a short description of your book, maybe 2 or 3 sentences long that answers these questions:
- What is the book?
- Who is it for? Why does that particular audience want to buy it?
- What will the reader get out of it after they’ve read it?
If they can write a strong vision statement that tells you about their book and what they want to achieve with it, then we think they’re ready to start looking for a publisher.
Additionally, writers need to be ready to dig in and build their platform. There’s a lot of hard work involved in getting your book out there, and while we can help get the book into stores and in front of customers, it’s truly the author that can really help to upsell the book and make readers want to add it to their reading list.
Thank you, Angela!
For more info, visit https://thecollectivebook.studio/
Angela Engel is the visionary founder of The Collective Book Studio, a publishing company committed to honoring the author’s voice throughout the entire creative process. With a rich background in traditional publishing, Angela has a keen eye for bringing beautifully crafted books to life. Her passion for literature and innovative thinking infuses every project she undertakes, ensuring that each book reflects the unique vision of its creator.
Originally from Minneapolis, Minnesota, Angela now resides in Oakland, California, where she has cultivated her career working with esteemed names in the industry such as Chronicle Books, Cameron + Company, Dwell Studio, and Moleskine. With The Collective Book Studio, she leverages her extensive experience in sales and marketing to provide comprehensive support to authors, guiding them from the inception of their idea to the final product.
When she’s not immersed in the world of publishing, Angela enjoys running and cooking. She shares her life with her three beloved daughters and her husband, Dan.