Not All Who Wander Are Lost-Except in Publishing

A writer, an explorer, and the road that wasn't in the poem.

Feb 20, 2025

Robert Frost lied to you. As did the publishing world.

There’s a third path.

Having grown up exploring the Veredgris Mountain, claiming it for his own Hundred Acre Wood, my husband has a lifetime of experience in carving out paths amongst the thicket. Sometimes, it seems as if that is the only way he knows how to walk—a trail forged following nothing save his desires to explore. So when I began my writing career as a ghostwriter and expressed a dream of writing my own books one day, he did as all wayfarers tend to do: explore.

It didn’t take long for us to stumble upon the lie the publishing industry is built on: there are only two ways to publish a book, and only one of them is taken seriously.

Path One: Self-Publishing

I imagine this trail to be one stamped out by unsure feet, a weary traveler without the proper footwear or so much as a flashlight to guide them through the dark, thorny wood. Not only does this author need to write the manuscript, a feat in and of itself, but they also need to become experts in editing, book design, marketing, printing, and sales. They can either piece together a team of freelancers—hoping they’ve chosen the right ones—or they can take the DIY route, which often leads to an uphill battle of algorithms, inconsistent quality, and a book that struggles to reach its audience.

Hard pass.

Path Two: Traditional Publishing

Traditional publishing is presented as a safe haven from the nightmares of self-publishing, the holy grail of ‘making it’ as an author. Publishing houses promise to bear the brunt of editing, design, and marketing—but at the cost of control. Your book may land on a Barnes & Noble table for two weeks before being replaced. Your title, cover, and even the story itself may be altered to fit market trends. And at the end of the day, if your book isn’t performing to their expectations, it fades into obscurity while they move on to the next big thing.

If you’re anything like me, both of these options might fill you with the same existential dread Snow White must have felt—lost in the woods, beady eyes watching her from the dark, no way back and no way forward.

But what if there was a third path? A way through the trees, paved by those who have walked before you?

That’s where Assisted Publishing comes in.

The Third Path: Assisted Publishing

The love child of self-publishing and traditional publishing, Assisted Publishing is a gentle spring stroll through the Botanic Gardens. Think of WestSky Studio as the guide who walks beside you, pointing out the rarest blooms, the hidden paths, the breathtaking overlooks you might have missed on your own. We take your manuscript and walk it through our neatly paved publishing path complete with high-quality editing, book design, marketing, printing, and sales experts. Rather than a hodgepodge of contractors or surrendering all rights to the work, you get to work with one team who can do it all. Your book will be crafted with gold standard editors and designers, published with distribution options that could still land you on Barnes & Noble tables. And you keep 100% of the rights.

What can I say? Some men read maps. Mine makes them.

cue Billy Mays

But wait, that’s not all.

The Fiction Apprenticeship

Maybe you’re not standing at the threshold of publishing. Maybe you’re still standing on the edge of adventure, that incessant idea you’ve always wanted to write urging you forward but you have no idea what to do. Maybe you’ve never written anything more than a begrudging five hundred words and that was for an English Lit assignment back in high school.

That’s where I come in.

After writing 24 books in just two and a half years—and earning hundreds of five-star reviews—I’ve learned a thing or ten about storytelling. And now, I want to teach you.

The biggest mistake I’ve seen writers make? Focusing only on the book and not on the bigger picture. That’s why I’ve built this apprenticeship—not just to teach craft, but to show you how to write with publishing in mind. Over sixteen weeks, we’ll take your book from ‘someday’ to ‘ready for publication.’ And at the end of the sixteen weeks, your book will go through the WestSky Studio publishing process, making you a Professional Published Author. (Bragging rights included.)

The End of Ghostwriting

When I started this Substack six months ago, I had two assumptions.

First, that I would magically become a disciplined, consistent person who posted weekly updates, rain or shine. Ha! Will I ever learn? Probably not.

Second, that my ghostwriting career would stretch on for much longer. But thanks to my husband’s ever-adventurous spirit, our little Assisted Publishing and Fiction Apprenticeship business has changed that faster than I expected. As it stands, I’m working on what will likely be the last book I write without my last name attached to it.

With any luck, by the time the leaves are changing color, my days will be filled with lovely strolls with budding writers and novels all my own, baby in tow. The path that has always beckoned me forward has been that of helping others. To play Gandalf, a mysterious and mischievous old bearded man, as we trek through the forest of artistry together brings me countless joy. And not just because I think it would be fun to carry a magic staff and talk to trees.

This isn’t just a sales pitch—it’s an invitation. One I’ve extended to other writers who were tired of feeling lost in the publishing world. It’s an offer of another way forward.

Stories are precious to me—little mystical vessels of healing and hope, life and adventure, love and loss. We all have stories to tell, and no one else can tell yours. But I would love to help.

Take the Next Step

Curious about Assisted Publishing? → Explore WestSky Studio here.
Have questions? → Send me a message—I’d love to chat.
Want a glimpse of my writing? → Read my latest vignette here.
Know an aspiring author? → Share this with them.

Until next time—may your stories be rich, your tea strong, and your heart full of wonder.

— H.R. Gibson