Tag Archives: meet the tellwell team

Meet the Team

From the NHL to Tellwell, President Jason Farris shares why indie authors should consider Tellwell

Meet Tellwell’s new president, Jason Farris! A jack of all trades, Jason has worked in the marine world, the banking industry, the software industry, and the NHL before joining us here at Tellwell. Read on to learn about what attracted Jason to the self-publishing industry, and what he wants authors to know about publishing with Tellwell.

Tell us about your role at Tellwell.

I am the president of Tellwell, working closely with our founder to take the wonderful things that have already been built and find ways to take those capabilities and services to new authors. We’re just starting to expand outside of North America, and there’s a whole world out there of authors we can connect with to continue to support creativity and contribute to a broader cultural enrichment, helping to grow the opportunities for new authors, and providing top-notch arts-based jobs.

What did you do beforehand?

Before this, I was in the electric marine world, helping bring to market a 50-horsepower electric outboard motor. We developed a world-leading product, began delivering to our large list of pre-order customers and brought in General Motors as a 25% partner in the business.

Prior to that, I was chief operating officer of the Dallas Stars hockey club, helping bring them out of bankruptcy as part of the management team that rebuilt the franchise in an important market in the US for the National Hockey League. 

I’ve had the benefit of working in a variety of industries before that as well, including banking and software. So, coupled with being a self-published author myself, I’ve had a range of experiences that give me the ability to connect with our authors about what they do and want to accomplish, but also enable me to share my company-building experiences with our employees to help them grow and develop as Tellwell grows.

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Meet the Team

MEET THE TEAM: Tellwell Designer, Michael!

Meet Tellwell’s interior book designer and quality assurance specialist, Michael! Read on to learn about the importance of a good book interior and how you can best prepare for this crucial step in your publishing journey.

What inspired you to work in publishing?
My passion in design inspired me to pursue a career in publishing. I am really happy to be able to get to continue to challenge myself in designing more interesting books.

How do you define your role at Tellwell?
Being a QA (quality assurance specialist) is a huge responsibility to carry on your shoulders. One mistake can potentially affect our relationship with the author or can affect our company’s reputation. I am very keen on details to make sure we can deliver the best results. At the end of the day, it is fun, challenging, and fulfilling at the same time.

Where do you draw creative inspiration from?
Internet and social media. I also check other designers’ work whom I admire the most.

Why is it important for an author to take their time to consider and review the interior of their book?
A successful book is more than just a manuscript thrown between a cover. One of the key elements to success is a professional interior design that adheres to industry standards, and to mimic what readers, retailers, and reviewers expect. So, it’s really important for the author to take the time to consider and review the book and for us to generate an aesthetically pleasing interior.

Everyone thinks design is just about the cover but it’s so much more. How does interior design help elevate a book?
Interior design helps elevate the book through these key elements; space, line, forms, light, color, texture, and pattern; creative-interesting design and keeping them balanced is the key to creating an aesthetically pleasing interior.

Also, a well laid out interior plays a crucial role in the overall reading experience, and can even impact your ability to get a bookseller’s attention.

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