Anthony Joiner, a Leesville, Louisiana native, is a software solutions architect, among other things. He is also the creator of the website Blooksy.com. Blooksy is the world’s first web-based book authoring and publishing platform, making the process of publishing a lot easier. Over the last five years, Joiner has published around 200 writers’ works and assisted thousands more through workshops and training. With rolling out, he revealed his joys and setbacks along the route.
How did you get into the publishing industry?
I led two lives at the same time. So, during the day, I was doing software development, and at night, I was doing nightclub promotion, restaurant marketing, and other things. Finally, I decided to leave the corporate world. I founded a digital marketing agency to assist media professionals in building their brands. Launching podcasts, assisting them with book writing, and assisting them with online courses were all part of the brand creation process. The book idea took off because one thing we know about books is that they establish you as an authority. As a process and software expert, I devised a system that allowed people to go from concept to publication with ease. I began going around the country selling books and conducting two- or three-day workshops. I performed a few of them in Atlanta, and then the pandemic struck.
What prompted you to turn it into a web-based business?
So, I couldn’t travel anymore and decided to take this online. People started saying, “I don’t want you to teach me the process. Can I just pay you to publish my book?” I thought it would be easy. I’ll just hire a team of editors, ghost writers, angel writers and illustrators. I’d hire project managers and customer service people.
