Off and Back Again

It’s been a long, wild ride here at Belle Point. It would be hard to detail all the facets of that truth, but we are here: alive and (still) dreaming.

I think that most people know, but perhaps not all, that we are a home-based press in our little stretch of the Arkansas-Oklahoma border. My husband and I manage all operations and production of our books while working (and now, schooling) at home with our two children. To say it is an ongoing experiment barely scratches the surface. And since making some substantial changes in the press over the past year+, that experiment has continued to take new shape.

At times, I have been tempted to question the sanity of a decision to open a new independent press with no outside support beyond our readers and authors, moral or otherwise. When we published our first book three years ago—this very month, in fact—we honestly had no tangible idea what to expect or where things could go. We just knew that we had a vision and the basic skills to learn as we went. So far, that still seems to be enough, even on the hard days.

That said, it has not been without its challenges and painful periods. I have doubted myself and my ability to make this work, much as I’ve had seasons of doubt in parenthood as our children continue to grow. But more recently, I am taking the recognition that things must keep adapting and shifting as a sign of hope on both fronts: publishing and parenting. As a favorite poet of mine once wrote, “What does not change is the will to change.” Otherwise, things just tend not to be very interesting.

So we’re not going anywhere. In fact, we’re more deeply rooted than ever. And we can’t wait to spread those roots wider with you.

Thanks, as always, for sticking around. It means more than you can possibly know.

Our latest book updates are on the way—meanwhile, take a moment to treat yourself with a discount on our website for reading this far: enter code THANKYOU at checkout to get 15% off your order. Orders of $35+ get free shipping.

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