This January, we’re shining a spotlight on Tracy, a Tellwell project manager and printing specialist, supporting authors by managing book projects and ensuring high-quality print production.
Read on to learn more about Tracy and her role at Tellwell!
Can you tell us a bit about your role at Tellwell and what a typical day looks like for you?
I oversee projects from initial planning through to final publication, ensuring that timelines, quality standards, and author’s expectations are met. A typical day involves coordinating with authors and internal teams, managing booked appointments and print specifications, addressing publication issues, and making sure each project moves smoothly from concept to completion.
2025 was a milestone year for Tellwell! ✨ We celebrated our 10th anniversary, earned the BBB Torch Award for Ethics for the second year in a row, and launched our podcast, Demystifying Self-Publishing. Our first Empowered Author Summit brought together hundreds of writers and experts, while our authors’ books reached over 100,000 readers at Word on the Street Toronto. From awards to events, podcasts, and national showcases, 2025 was all about celebrating our community, empowering authors, and sharing the power of storytelling. Here’s to an even bigger 2026! 💙
Podcast Launch
Tellwell has launched a brand-new podcast, Demystifying Self-Publishing, designed to guide authors through every step of the self-publishing journey. Each episode features interviews with industry experts and successful self-published authors, offering practical advice, insider tips, and real stories to help aspiring and experienced authors navigate formatting, marketing, distribution, and more.
Word on the Street Toronto 2025!
Word on the Street Toronto was a standout highlight of last year, placing Tellwell authors in the heart of Canada’s largest celebration of books and storytelling. With over 100,000 readers gathering downtown, our Tellwell booth showcased a diverse lineup of author titles, giving books prime visibility, hands-on promotion, and direct exposure to an engaged literary audience, all without authors needing to be onsite. It was an incredible opportunity to connect stories with readers and celebrate the power of publishing on a national stage.
Tellwell CEO Tim Lindsay Releases The Call To Authorship
Tim Lindsay, founder and CEO of Tellwell Publishing, released his new book, The Call to Authorship, on November 5, 2025, at the Empowered Author Summit. The book guides nonfiction writers through a 10-step process through planning, writing, publishing, and promoting, drawing on Lindsay’s experience helping thousands of authors write with purpose and impact.
The Empowered Author Summit
The first annual Empowered Author Summit was a free, three-day virtual event held November 5–7, 2025, bringing together 864 attendees and 24 expert speakers from around the world. Designed to educate, empower, and elevate writers at every stage, the summit covered planning, publishing, and promoting, leaving attendees with clarity, confidence, practical tools, and renewed motivation.
Back-to-Back BBB Torch Award Win For Tellwell
Tellwell was honoured to receive the BBB Torch Award for Ethics in the Professional Services category for the second year in a row. This marked our fourth consecutive nomination and second win, recognizing our commitment to integrity, transparency, and author-first publishing. The award was celebrated by members of our team at the BBB gala in Victoria, BC, and reflects the trust of our author community and the dedication of our talented publishing professionals.
Tellwell Celebrates 10 Years
This year, Tellwell proudly marked its 10th anniversary, a milestone reflecting a decade of dedication to authors. What began as a simple idea of supporting writers with transparency, guidance, and 100% royalties has grown into a global publishing company serving authors around the world. From our first office in Victoria to a fully remote team and a network of more than 50 publishing professionals in 2025, our journey has been defined by growth, resilience, and an ever-expanding author community. Above all, this anniversary celebrates the thousands of authors who have trusted Tellwell with their stories and helped shape a decade of success.
Ten years ago, Tellwell began with a simple idea: authors deserve dedicated guidance and support, transparency, and 100% royalties. What started as a side hustle for our founder, Tim Lindsay, quickly grew into something much bigger. Within just a couple of months—and an early wave of author sign-ups—Tellwell became a full-time venture, complete with a small but passionate publishing team and our very first office on Fort Street in Victoria.
This October, we’re excited to feature Sen Li, one of our contract illustrators at Tellwell. Sen has an incredible talent for turning stories into vivid, captivating visuals that draw readers in.
Read on to get to know Sen and learn more about their creative journey.
Can you tell us a bit more about yourself and your background as an illustrator?
I’ve been drawing for as long as I can remember, it’s always been the most natural way for me to express myself. I grew up in Canada, but my roots are in Taiwan, and I think that mix of cultures shows up in my work, both in the stories I tell visually and in the aesthetics I gravitate towards. I trained myself through a lot of practice, observation, and experimentation rather than a rigid academic path, which gave me freedom to shape my own style.
As an illustrator, I’m drawn to mood, atmosphere, and subtle storytelling. I want my art to feel like a single frame from a larger narrative, a glimpse into a moment that already has a history behind it. A big part of that comes from my love of manhwa, where storytelling through images is so immediate and emotionally charged. That influence shapes how I use composition, pacing, and expression to pull viewers into a scene. My background in graphic design also plays a role in how I balance composition and detail, and I’m constantly looking for ways to bridge fine art with more modern, digital expressions.
This month we’re putting the spotlight on one of Tellwell’s dedicated project managers, Reggie. As a key part of the publishing journey he works closely with our authors, guiding them through each stage of the process, keeping projects on track, and ensuring their work is brought to life.
Get to know more of Reggie and his role at Tellwell.
Can you tell us a bit about your role as a project manager at Tellwell, and what a typical day looks like for you?
A typical day starts with me completing urgent tasks such as reviewing design drafts for my authors. After that I move on to answering emails or giving authors a quick call if they need a gentle reminder about their tasks. Overall, my focus is on guiding them closely and effectively throughout the process of completing their book.
Meet John Henrick Abella, better known to us as JH, our sales manager at Tellwell! He leads our book-publishing consulting team, guiding authors and connecting them with the right services to bring their publishing goals to life. As part of our self-publishing model, JH plays an important role in guiding authors on their journey with Tellwell.
Get to know more about JH and his role at Tellwell.
Getting to Know You
Can you share a bit about your background and what led you to join Tellwell Publishing?
I started out in medical sales, which taught me the discipline and consistency needed to hit tough targets. After that I moved into publishing sales, and that’s where I really found my passion for working with authors and helping them bring their books to life. I’ve now been in the publishing industry for eight years, the last six at Tellwell. I started here as a publishing consultant and grew into the role of sales manager. What drew me to Tellwell, and what keeps me here, is how the company aims to be a true platform for author empowerment. That vision really resonates with me.
Meet Alyza Alenton, one of Tellwell’s project managers. With a love for books and journaling, Alyza brings dedication and passion to every project she handles. From orientation calls to coordinating with editors and designers, she helps guide authors through each step of their publishing journey.
Read on to learn more about Alyza and her role at Tellwell.
Tell us a bit about yourself!Where are you based, and what do you enjoy doing outside of work?
I’m based in the Philippines, specifically in Cebu. I enjoy reading and collecting books as well as figurines. I also love journaling and playing games with my friends.
Amber White is a multi-talented illustrator based in North Hollywood, California. With a background in sculpture, special effects, and wearable art, she brings a whimsical, earthy flair to every project. At Tellwell, Amber works closely with authors to bring their stories to life through expressive and detailed illustrations.
Read on to get to know her better!
1. Hi Amber! Tell us a bit about yourself. Well hello, hello! I’m based out of North Hollywood, California. Outside of illustrating I work in sculpture and attempt to bring out creatures from natural elements to be worn as wearable art. I sell them online. I’m busy at home raising my three little boys, all under the age of eight. Through the year I am randomly brought back on board to my creature-creation film work as a special FX artist. I also do scenic work as well as various freelance art projects and body painting. It’s a constant eclectic, artsy, happy lifestyle. Plus I garden, a lot.
Illustration by Jamie Jamandre Trani, Tellwell Illustrator
At Tellwell, we’ve had the privilege of collaborating with some truly exceptional creatives. Veronika Hipolito, one of our amazing illustrators, and Gerardo Basilio Faelnar, an outstanding illustrator and designer, sadly passed away recently in a tragic motor vehicle accident while on their way to a short vacation together. Their loss is deeply felt throughout Tellwell. Their beautiful contributions will leave a lasting imprint, not only on the books they helped create, but on the whole company as we honour their lives and generous spirits.
In remembering Veronika and Gerardo, we reflect on the mark they made through their talent, dedication, and passion for storytelling. Their work brought stories to life, inspired readers, and became a vital part of our creative journey at Tellwell.
This tribute looks back at some of their most memorable projects—the ones that resonated deeply with readers and became team favourites. Through their art, their spirits continue to shine.
This April, we’re shining the spotlight on one of our talented editors here at Tellwell—meet Jen! She plays a key role in helping authors bring their stories to life, guiding them through the editing process with care, expertise, and a true passion for storytelling.
Read on to learn more about Jen and her role at Tellwell.
How did you get into professional editing?
Throughout my life, editing and I have taken turns
finding each other.
In elementary school, unasked, I would politely point out any errors I noticed in my teachers’ written materials. In high school, people were always showing me their angsty love poems and love letters and asking if I thought they should send them or if they should change any of the wording first for greatest effect. I would advise them to take out the cliches and build on the specifics. In university, as a student of English Literature, I was the one everyone asked to edit their essays at 2 a.m. For a summer I taught English in Japan where, while waiting at an airport in Tokyo, a pilot sat down beside me and silently handed over a pile of papers and a pen. Through hand gestures and facial expressions, I grew to understand that he was asking me to edit his flight notes. I did so, happily. But how did the pilot know to ask me?
