Kevin Richard of KBook Publishing: Backstory of A Successful Bookpreneur

Kevin Richard is the president of KBook Publishing which was founded in 2018 and is one of the leading self-publishing platforms located in Tampa, Florida. KBP operates globally and provides book publishing services including Editing, Proofreading, Cover Design & Illustrations, Paperbacks, Hardcover, eBook Design and Distribution, and On-Demand Printing/Drop shipping. Kevin has been a devoted past member of the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) for 10+ years. He has helped 1000+ authors globally and published more than 5,000 books. He is also the founder of the largest book community on Facebook called Savant Bibliophiles, with 1 million members from all parts of the world.

As part of our interview series, where we discover the stories of budding authors, entrepreneurs, and renowned literary names, we were pleased to have Mr. Kevin on board with us.

Thank you so much, Kevin, for taking out time for us! What’s your backstory, and what motivated you to join the entrepreneurial world?

Thank you for making me a part of this global independent series. The word ‘entrepreneur’ sounded like something big for an 18-year old me, which was the first time I decided to do something about my interest and passion of bringing forward others’ stories and transform them into a literary revolution. As the founder of Savant Bibliophiles, where every book lover and aspiring author is welcomed, I got to read utterly creative and imaginative stories from young and middle-aged people alike. It felt like they had found a safe haven for their stories in my group, where everyone received constructive feedback on how they could improve and polish their stories to be published.

When I read a post by a devoted and long-term member of the group who was struggling to get his first book published because all the traditional publishers had shut their doors on him and never called him back, he was disappointed to the extent that he stopped writing altogether. I remember being hugely upset about it even though it wasn’t my own struggle. That’s when I finally materialized my dream of starting my own self-publishing house by partnering with the same person who wanted to get his book published. His book is now a Booker Prize Winner 2019, and he’s been ever thankful to KBook Publishing for making his dream of becoming an author come true.

That’s inspirational! So you were only 20 years of age when you started your publishing career. How did you establish an entirely different career path while studying another subject?

Like many traditional parents, mine wanted me to choose law or engineering as a stable career path for myself, and I was passionate about the former too. But as soon as I entered my sophomore year, I started exploring more subjects in-depth and realized how much I adore literature and classics. Consequently, I decided to be upfront with my parents about the career path I wanted to choose in college. As my new career grew steadfast, my parents started trusting my abilities more and understood the potential of its growth on a global scale.

I must say it was quite challenging to juggle a new career path as soon as I graduated high school. I was 20 years old when I had an idea about establishing my own self-publishing company. It was hard to see so many authors struggling to get their books published through traditional publishing houses. I wanted to give them an all-encompassing platform to provide all the support they need.

After many successful years of serving as Editor in Penguin Random House and Simon & Schuster, I finally started my self-publishing company, KBook Publishing, which has recently grown its digital and marketing divisions in New York. My team and I received an overwhelming response a few months after starting out on my publishing business, and I’ve been focused and determined on giving back to the KBook Publishing family.

What makes KBook Publishing stand out among other self-publishing houses?

KBook Publishing was started with only one aim in mind, to give voice and authority to all the authors who are otherwise denied to get their stories heard. Since its inception, we have published all types of books and helped over 20,000 authors and entrepreneurs kickstart their literary careers. I wouldn’t have known the impact brought by what once was a tiny company operating under not more than three team members until it kept growing and expanding into something huge and influential that brought together one big family of savant bibliophiles.

Our philosophy is one thing that makes us stand out. Our promise to young authors and future literary leaders to make their voices strong is another. Through our editing, formatting, cover design, and book marketing services, we not only aim to publish books but form the largest and all-inclusive family of self-published authors, including people from all around the world regardless of their ethnicity, religion, caste, race, and colour.

Are there any new exciting projects that you’re currently working on?

I just wrapped up one big project of publishing a fantasy comic book for adolescents and young adults, Hero’s Universe. It’s our first ever comic book, and the idea behind it was to instil imagination and entertain our young heroes because I realized there was a considerable gap in the creation of thought-provoking comics. I’m pretty excited to start working on my next project that will begin soon once I travel back to my home in Scranton.

What was the most difficult aspect of being a ‘bookpreneur’?

The first thing that came in my way of handling a growing publishing business was a period of self-doubt where I couldn’t focus on the heap of work and missed numerous deadlines. I was on the verge of a major breakdown when I heard that a long-term client wanted to end the contract with my business. Following this event, I started losing the courage to handle the growing pressure from so many other clients that I began missing their phone calls and didn’t attend important meetings. However, I owe a lot of gratitude to my wife and kids, who stood like a rock by my side and helped me get through my hard times. My wife attended many meetings on my behalf and managed to keep everything afloat. I wouldn’t have come this far if she weren’t there for me. As everything started getting back on track, I began overseeing all the tasks and hosted meetings with authors and agents, thanks to the enormous support of my family, the publishing team, and obviously the patience of my clients.

What would you like to tell the aspiring entrepreneurs, especially young leaders of the future?

I’ll be honest here, starting something of your own from scratch is never easy, especially when you have to juggle with studies, family, and your own feelings of doubt. But that’s what makes it all exciting; that is when you realize who supports you and believes in you to continue your journey. Have people around who fully support you, no matter what.

Next, take a leap of faith and trust your own potential and abilities. Be patient and lead the way whenever you get the opportunity. Decision-making is a huge part of being a successful entrepreneur, and efficient teamwork is equally important. Treat your team well, enjoy the journey, and become a badass bookpreneur!