About Palmetto Publishing
As an independent publishing house in South Carolina, we at Palmetto Publishing believe that every person has a story to tell. We are passionate about giving authors the opportunity to share those stories with the world, providing them with an incomparable publishing experience.
Our Mission
We aim to empower independent authors.
We empower them by offering an unmatched publishing experience that combines decades of experience in publishing and a passionate team of world-class designers, editors, and illustrators who bring your book to life.
Our Origins
Books are in our DNA.
Our family legacy of books stretches back four generations to 1950s South Africa, where the grandparents of our CEO, Jack Joseph (parents of our co-owner, Richard Joseph), founded a prominent chain of bookstores named Exclusive Books. Exclusive Books remains South Africa’s number one bookstore brand to this day and earned great acclaim for fighting back against Apartheid-era censorship, importing books that incurred the wrath of South Africa’s government of the time.
Richard and his father moved on to open bookstores in the UK, seeing great success for years and turning their new chain, Books Etc., into a beloved brand. After selling Books Etc. to Borders Books, Richard purchased Arcadia Publishing and moved to the United States in 2002. Jack joined the family business in 2012, helping his father grow the traditional publishing company for the next six years.
By 2018, Jack and Richard saw self-publishing as the future of book publishing. Where traditional publishers have to turn down far more books than they can accept, independent publishers shift power to writers so that every author has the opportunity to publish their work.
Palmetto Publishing focuses on providing authors with an unmatched self-publishing experience. In 2022, Palmetto Publishing proudly published thousands of new titles without ever compromising on our unique vision to ensure that the publishing process focuses on the author, allowing for the best possible book.
Our Values
Author Centricity
Prioritize the needs and satisfaction of our customers in every decision we make. Actively listen to customer feedback and use it to improve our products and services. Always seek ways to exceed customer expectations and provide exceptional experiences.
Honesty and Responsibility
Hold ourselves and each other accountable for our actions and commitments. Conduct ourselves with integrity, consistently upholding the highest ethical standard. Communicate openly and transparently, sharing information to build trust and foster a culture of honesty.
Continuous Improvement
Embrace challenges and view them as opportunities for personal and professional development. Encourage a culture of learning where we actively seek knowledge and share insights. Continuously assess and refine our processes and practices to stay innovative and adaptable.
Valuing Everyone
Treat every individual with respect, regardless of their role, background, or perspective. Foster an inclusive environment where diverse ideas and opinions are welcomed and celebrated. Communicate and collaborate with empathy, understanding, and consideration for others.
Rejecting Mediocrity
Strive for excellence in everything we do, setting high standards for ourselves. Never settle for mediocrity; consistently seek ways to improve and excel. Encourage a culture of continuous improvement and innovation to surpass ordinary performance. Recognize and celebrate exceptional efforts and outcomes that go beyond the norm.
Taking Responsibility
Take initiative and ownership of our tasks and projects, striving for excellence. Proactively identify and solve problems, even if it means acknowledging mistakes or errors. Foster a culture of accountability where admitting we’re wrong is seen as an opportunity for growth and improvement. Learn from our mistakes and use them as stepping stones toward greater success. Ensure that our actions contribute positively to the success of the organization and take pride in our work.
Our Culture
Palmetto employees collectively read in 2022
of Palmetto employees are dog parents
of Palmetto employees are cat parents
collective years in the book, print, and publishing industry
of Palmetto employees have their own website
Writers
Musicians
Artists/Designers
Athletes
Our Journey
1951
1951
Pam and Phillip Joseph founded Exclusive Books in South Africa. The burgeoning brand grew to become South Africa’s #1 bookstore and a prominent voice against Apartheid-era censorship.
1981
1981
Philip and Richard launch Books Etc. in the UK. Like its predecessor, Books Etc. grew into a beloved brand and one of the most popular bookstores in the country.
2002
2002
After selling Books Etc. to Borders Books, Richard took his publishing expertise to the United States where he purchased Arcadia Publishing, a traditional publishing company.
2012
2012
Jack joined the family business, helping his father grow Arcadia Publishing for the next six years.
2018
2018
After witnessing too many authors and manuscripts go unpublished due to the bounds of traditional publishing, Jack and Richard sell Arcadia Publishing and begin building an independent publishing company to empower all authors who dream of publishing. Later that year, The Better Business Bureau awarded Palmetto Publishing with the Torch Award for Ethics.
2019
2019
Palmetto published 249 books in 2019, a monumental achievement that gave credence to Jack and Richard’s vision of empowering independent authors to publish their work outside the restrictions of traditional publishing. 2019 wasn’t just about volume, though. Palmetto launched a proprietary internal publishing management software that served as the first building block in developing the company’s industry-leading author-driven publishing process.
2020
2020
The COVID-19 pandemic drove more authors than ever to write and finish manuscripts, and Palmetto Publishing rose to the occasion to help them get published. We more than doubled the previous year’s volume, proudly publishing over 500 new books by the end of 2020.
2021
2021
Palmetto Publishing moved into our Charleston, SC headquarters in 2021, giving our growing team room to expand and scale up to serve more authors. As a nod to our family legacy in bookstores and publishing, our office walls are decorated with the same paintings of famous authors that adorned the walls of Books Etc. in the UK. Continuing our explosive growth, Palmetto proudly published more than 800 new books by the end of 2021.
2022
2022
In 2022, Palmetto launched our proprietary print-on-demand distribution system to replace popular POD solutions that often lead to poor author experiences. By the end of 2022, we published more than 1200 new books.
2023
2023
Recognizing how much Palmetto Publishing had grown and evolved since its inception, the company launched a new logo to represent our premium, gold-standard quality, and rich history in the beautiful Palmetto state of South Carolina.
Palmetto Publishing In The Media
2018 BBB Torch Award
Recommended Publisher with the Alliance
of Independent Authors (ALLi)