LibraryThing is pleased to present our second annual Independent Publisher interview. We sat down this month with Zibby Owens, founder and CEO of Zibby Media, the parent company of the Moms Don’t Have Time to Read Books podcast, Zibby’s Bookshop in Santa Monica, CA, and the boutique publishing company, Zibby Books, which has offered giveaways through our very own Early Reviewers program. A bestselling author, Owens has penned the novel Blank, the memoir Bookends: A Memoir of Love, Loss and Literature, and the children’s book Princess Charming. She is also the editor of three anthologies, Moms Don’t Have Time to Have Kids, Moms Don’t Have Time To: A Quarantine Anthology, and most recently, On Being Jewish Now: Reflections from Authors and Advocates. Owens has contributed to publications such as Vogue and Oprah Daily; appeared on CNN, CBS and other media outlets; and been described as “NYC’s most powerful book-fluencer.” She sat down with Abigail to answer some questions about her work, and about Zibby Books.

Tell us a little bit about Zibby Books. When and how did it get started, and what does it publish? You describe yourself on your site as “woman-led”—what significance does that have, in terms of your ethos?

It started after I got to know many authors through my podcast and realized how disappointed so many were with their publishing journey. I wanted to make it better! Woman-led is important in that our team is almost all women, as are the authors we publish!

What role(s) do you play at Zibby Books, in addition to founder and CEO? Do you take a hand in editing? What do you look for in the books you want to publish?

I get into the weeds on select titles but in general, I decide on all the acquisitions, I help with marketing and everything related to packaging, and provide oversight on all. Anne Messitte runs the show!

What are some of your favorites, of the books you’ve published so far, and why?

I can’t really pick but I’ll say some of our most successful have been THE LAST LOVE NOTE and Pictures of You by Emma Grey, Here After: A Memoir by Amy Lin, and Everyone But Myself: A Memoir by Julie Chavez. They’re all about helping us get through something: grief, motherhood, work stress… and giving a hopeful outcome or attitude.

Between your podcast, your bookshop, your publishing company, and your writing—not to mention raising four children!—you have a lot on your plate. How do you make time for it all? What insights does being involved in so many different areas of the book world—as writer, as publisher, as blogger and influencer—give you, when it comes to each role? Are there challenges in being on “all sides” of the process?

I work pretty much nonstop because I’m obsessed with what I do! There are fewer challenges and more joys at being on all sides. I love seeing how the machine works and assessing if I can improve it! I make time by being very intentional with my schedule, cutting off work to go pick up my kids and take them to activities and all that, and having a fabulous team.

You pulled Zibby Books out as a sponsor of the National Book Awards last year, after learning that the authors were planning an organized protest of Israeli actions in response to the October 7th terrorist attack. Can you talk a little bit about the antisemitism you have seen in the book world, since the October 7th attack?

It would fill a book. The literary industry has really taken a hit which is why I continue to speak up and advocate for change.

What’s on the horizon for you, and for Zibby Books? What can we look forward to reading (or listening to) next?

So many great books! A novel by NYT bestselling author John Kenney, a novel by UK bestseller Jane Costello, a debut novel from Nanda Reddy, and an essay collection by podcaster Amy Wilson. ALL SO GOOD!

Tell us about your own personal library. What’s on your shelves?

All the books coming out in the next five months!!!

What have you been reading lately, and what would you recommend to other readers?

I just finished Fredrik Backman’s upcoming novel My Friends. One of my all-time favorites.

Labels: interview, publishers