It’s an exciting time at Amplify Publishing Group (APG). The company, previously known as Mascot Books and now home to numerous imprints, announced a major equity investment by Muditā Venture Partners in August. It also appointed two new board members: Muditā’s managing partner Josh Linkner and business journalist and media executive Eric Schurenberg.

“Our books start conversations,” says Naren Aryal, CEO of APG. “Whether it’s a politically focused book that offers insight into today’s national debates, a technology book that theorizes what the next 50 years might hold, or a memoir about one person’s extraordinary life, our titles offer fresh perspectives.”

Combining traditional publishing with self-publishing elements, APG has worked with thousands of authors across various genres, including business, politics, thought leadership, self-help, memoir, fiction, and cookbooks. As a hybrid publisher, APG provides authors with a full range of professional publishing services and guidance about acquisitions, production, marketing, and distribution, while allowing authors to provide input on the publishing process.

“APG’s publishing model puts authors first,” Aryal says. “As a hybrid publisher, we offer a collaborative, professional, and comprehensive experience that allows our authors to maintain creative control and full copyright to their work while having access to a knowledgeable, passionate team of publishing experts.”

While APG continues to grow and adapt, its story began with a single book. Twenty years ago, Aryal self-published a book about a collegiate mascot for his daughter. A lawyer who advised technology companies, Aryal became intrigued by the publishing industry’s shifting landscape. That interest led to knowledge, which led to the launch of Mascot Books in 2003.

Today, Mascot operates as APG and boasts a roster of six imprints, including its flagship imprint, Amplify Publishing, which specializes in big ideas from business and thought leaders. In 2019, the company launched RealClear Publishing, a joint venture with RealClearPolitics and Gotham Ghostwriters that publishes political books. Mascot Books was redefined as a home for general adult fiction and nonfiction, while Mascot Kids is APG’s imprint for children’s titles. Additionally, the publisher recently added two new imprints: Subplot Publishing, an imprint for contemporary fiction, and Tagged Publishing, an imprint for memoirs and narrative nonfiction by public figures that launches early next year.

To become an APG author, writers must submit their content proposals or manuscripts for consideration. Selected projects, Aryal says, are from authors “who care deeply about their content.”

“It’s not always enough to be a talented writer or a subject matter expert, though those things are important,” he says. “You have to be passionate and engaged with your message, too. The most successful books are the ones in which the author knows what they want their content to achieve, understands their target audience, and looks to us to both expand their goals and make them a reality.”

Tara Jaye Frank’s The Waymakers, on how leaders can promote workplace equity; Steve Cadigan’s Workquake, on how to build a better model for the future of work; and Rob Angel’s Game Changer, on how he launched Pictionary as a 20-something without industry connections, are among APG’s notable titles. “Though these books may not have much in common at the surface, they share one central theme,” Aryal says. “We can all make a difference.”

APG’s chairman Linkner says, “In the past few years, we’ve seen the level of support that traditional publishing houses offer their authors decrease while the publishing process has grown more complicated. APG identified the need for high-quality alternatives to traditional publishing, and they have proven they can fill that void. APG is well positioned to continue disrupting the publishing space in the best way possible.”

Upcoming APG titles include Alan Ying and Doug Schneider’s The Risk Paradox (Amplify Publishing, October 2022), Tracy Maylett and Tim Vandehey’s Swipe: The Science Behind Why We Don’t Finish What We Start (Amplify Publishing, March 2023), and Dr. Michelle McMurry-Heath’s Just Science: How Biotechnology Can Heal Our Society (RealClear Publishing, 2023).

For more on APG’s publishing initiatives and to explore the company’s list, visit amplifypublishinggroup.com.