In an era where remote work has become increasingly prevalent, A Book Apart stands as a shining example of a company that has not only embraced but thrived with a fully distributed team. Founded in 2010, this niche publishing house has carved out a unique space in the web design and development world, all while operating without a physical office. Let's explore how A Book Apart built its successful remote-first business and the valuable lessons other companies can glean from their journey.
The Genesis of A Book Apart
A Book Apart was born from a simple yet powerful idea: to create focused, practical books for web professionals that could be consumed quickly and applied immediately. Founders Mandy Brown, Jason Santa Maria, and Jeffrey Zeldman recognized a gap in the market for concise, targeted resources in the rapidly evolving field of web design and development.
As Katel LeDu, who joined as Executive Director in 2013, explains, "The original pitch was you can get on a plane in New York and by the time you land for a client meeting in LA, you'll have brushed up on, or gotten a little bit more of a handle on content strategy and you're a little bit more prepared for the job you're doing."
This concept resonated strongly with their audience, allowing A Book Apart to differentiate itself from the comprehensive, often intimidating technical tomes that dominated the market. By focusing on brevity and practicality, they tapped into the needs of busy professionals seeking to stay current in a fast-paced industry.
Building a Remote Foundation
From its inception, A Book Apart operated as a distributed company. This decision was partly born out of necessity, as the founders were juggling full-time jobs and other commitments. However, it also aligned with their vision of creating a flexible, modern workplace that could attract top talent regardless of location.
Hiring for Remote Success
When it came time to bring on full-time leadership, the founders made a critical decision to hire Katel LeDu as Executive Director. This move allowed the founders to maintain their other commitments while ensuring A Book Apart had dedicated leadership to steer its growth.
LeDu's transition from a traditional publishing environment at National Geographic to A Book Apart's fully remote setup highlights an important lesson: even experienced professionals may need time to adapt to a distributed work environment. As LeDu recalls, "Coming from a very traditional corporate situation, where I would go to work every day and sit in an office and then coming to a situation where I was working at a desk at my house, or coffee shop, and working with people who I wasn't seeing every day, it was completely new."
Building the Remote Team
A Book Apart's team grew organically, often through network connections and community recommendations. The company works with a mix of part-time employees and freelancers, including:
- Editors (for various stages of the editing process)
- Customer service advocates
- Web developers and designers
- Book compositors
- E-book production specialists
When bringing on new team members, LeDu emphasizes the importance of thorough conversations and a strong gut feeling about cultural fit. "I think any time I have started working with a new freelancer, there's a lot of discussion and a lot of conversation that happens before any work happens," she explains.
Communication: The Lifeblood of Remote Work
For a distributed team, effective communication is not just important – it's essential for survival. A Book Apart relies on a combination of tools and strategies to keep everyone connected and aligned:
- Slack: For quick, informal communication and team bonding
- Phone calls: For more in-depth discussions
- Email: For longer-form communication and documentation
- Video conferencing: For face-to-face meetings and collaborative sessions
LeDu stresses the importance of proactive communication in a remote environment: "Even if it's something that I just want to check in really quick on, I just try to find the best method of doing that at the time. Sometimes that means I will email someone or text someone or Slack chat them and say, 'Hey, do you have a second? I want to talk over this one thing.'"
This approach ensures that important conversations happen, even if they can't always occur in real-time due to time zone differences or conflicting schedules.
Documentation: The Key to Remote Scalability
One of the most critical elements of A Book Apart's remote success has been its emphasis on thorough documentation. LeDu made this a priority when she joined the company, recognizing its importance for scalability and consistency.
"What needs to be in place for me to be able to walk away?" LeDu asks herself when considering what to document. "Not necessarily leave, because I love what I do and that's not really what it's about. It's more like if I had to be out of commission for a day or week or whatever, could someone come in and pick up where things were left off?"
This approach has led to the creation of:
- Detailed process guides
- Editorial style guides (hosted on GitHub for easy collaboration)
- Onboarding materials for new team members
- Checklists for starting and completing book projects
The company uses a variety of tools to manage this documentation, including:
- GitHub for version control and collaboration
- Google Docs for shared documents
- TeamGantt for project management and scheduling
Balancing Autonomy and Alignment
One of the challenges of remote work is maintaining a sense of shared purpose and direction without the benefit of in-person interactions. A Book Apart addresses this by:
Clearly communicating company goals: LeDu ensures that even freelancers understand the broader mission of A Book Apart, helping them see how their work contributes to the bigger picture.
Valuing and compensating fairly: The company recognizes that fair compensation is crucial for maintaining motivation and quality work. "I think we've taken a lot of stock into making sure people feel like they're being paid and compensated for the work that they're doing so that they want to do quality work," LeDu explains.
Fostering collaboration: By rotating editors through different roles on book projects, A Book Apart creates opportunities for collaboration and fresh perspectives.
Encouraging in-person meetups when possible: While not always feasible, the company values face-to-face interactions when they can happen. LeDu, based in Philadelphia, makes an effort to visit New York regularly to connect with team members in person.
Overcoming Remote Work Challenges
While A Book Apart has found great success with its remote model, it hasn't been without challenges. Some of the obstacles they've faced and overcome include:
Time zone management: With team members spread across different time zones, coordinating meetings and ensuring timely communication can be tricky. A Book Apart addresses this through careful planning and asynchronous work practices.
Maintaining work-life balance: The flexibility of remote work can sometimes lead to blurred lines between work and personal time. The company encourages team members to set boundaries and respect others' time.
Quality assurance: Ensuring consistent quality across all products without in-person oversight requires trust and well-defined processes. A Book Apart balances the need for quality control with empowering team members to take ownership of their work.
Building company culture: Creating a strong sense of shared culture and camaraderie can be challenging in a distributed environment. A Book Apart focuses on hiring individuals who align with their values and fostering open communication to build connections.
The Future of A Book Apart
As A Book Apart looks to the future, they're continuing to innovate and grow. Some of their upcoming initiatives include:
- Expanding their catalog with 5-7 new titles in the pipeline
- Experimenting with new formats, such as shorter "Brief Books" (30-50 pages) for deep dives into specific topics
- Adding new staff positions to support growth
- Increasing marketing efforts and exploring new partnerships
Lessons for Aspiring Remote Companies
A Book Apart's journey offers valuable insights for other businesses considering or transitioning to a remote model:
Start with a clear vision: Having a strong, focused concept for your product or service provides direction for your remote team.
Hire thoughtfully: Look for team members who not only have the necessary skills but also thrive in a remote environment and align with your company values.
Invest in communication: Prioritize clear, proactive communication and provide the tools necessary for effective collaboration.
Document everything: Thorough documentation is crucial for maintaining consistency and enabling scalability in a remote setting.
Balance autonomy and alignment: Give team members the freedom to work independently while ensuring everyone understands and is working towards shared goals.
Embrace flexibility: Be willing to experiment with new tools, processes, and work arrangements to find what works best for your team.
Prioritize fair compensation: Recognize that paying competitive rates is crucial for attracting and retaining top talent in a remote environment.
Foster a strong culture: Even without a physical office, it's possible to build a cohesive company culture through shared values, open communication, and occasional in-person meetups.
The Impact of Remote Work on Publishing
A Book Apart's success as a remote-first company has implications not just for the publishing industry, but for knowledge work in general. Their model demonstrates that:
Quality can be maintained remotely: Through rigorous processes and clear communication, A Book Apart produces high-quality books without a centralized office.
Niche markets can be served effectively: By leveraging a distributed team, companies can tap into specialized talent to serve specific market needs.
Agility is a competitive advantage: The remote model allows A Book Apart to quickly adapt to market changes and emerging trends in web design and development.
Community building transcends physical spaces: A Book Apart has fostered a strong community of readers and authors, proving that meaningful connections can be built in digital spaces.
The Role of Technology in Remote Publishing
A Book Apart's success is underpinned by the strategic use of technology. Some key tools and platforms that have enabled their remote operations include:
- Version control systems like Git and GitHub, which are crucial for collaborative writing and editing
- Cloud-based project management tools such as Trello or Asana for tracking book projects from conception to publication
- Digital proofing and annotation tools that allow for seamless feedback and revision processes
- E-book creation and distribution platforms that enable A Book Apart to reach a global audience quickly and efficiently
The Evolution of A Book Apart's Content Strategy
Over the years, A Book Apart has evolved its content strategy to meet the changing needs of its audience:
Expanding topic range: While initially focused on core web design and development topics, A Book Apart has branched out to cover related areas such as content strategy, accessibility, and design systems.
Adapting to new platforms: As mobile and responsive design became crucial, A Book Apart quickly produced titles addressing these emerging needs.
Balancing timeless principles with cutting-edge techniques: Their books strive to provide both foundational knowledge and insights into the latest industry trends.
Embracing diverse voices: A Book Apart has made a conscious effort to feature authors from varied backgrounds, bringing fresh perspectives to their readership.
The Financial Viability of Remote Publishing
A Book Apart's success challenges the notion that traditional office-based publishing is the only viable model. Some key financial benefits of their remote approach include:
- Reduced overhead costs: Without the need for a physical office, A Book Apart can invest more in talent and content creation.
- Global talent pool: The ability to hire the best editors and authors regardless of location allows for high-quality output at competitive rates.
- Efficient production cycles: Remote collaboration tools enable faster turnaround times, potentially increasing the number of titles published per year.
- Direct-to-consumer sales: A strong online presence allows A Book Apart to sell directly to readers, increasing profit margins.
The Future of Work: Lessons from A Book Apart
As more companies consider remote or hybrid work models, A Book Apart's experience offers valuable insights:
Trust is paramount: Building a successful remote team requires trusting employees to manage their time and deliver quality work.
Async-first communication: Embracing asynchronous communication can lead to more thoughtful, productive interactions.
Continuous learning: In a remote setting, fostering a culture of continuous learning and adaptation is crucial for long-term success.
Work-life integration: Rather than strict work-life balance, remote work often leads to a more fluid integration of professional and personal life.
Result-oriented performance: Remote work shifts the focus from time spent in an office to actual output and results.
Conclusion
A Book Apart's success as a 100% remote company demonstrates that with the right approach, it's possible to build a thriving business without a traditional office setting. By focusing on clear communication, thorough documentation, and a strong sense of shared purpose, they've created a model that not only works for their niche publishing business but offers valuable lessons for companies across industries.
As remote work continues to gain prominence, A Book Apart stands as a testament to the potential of distributed teams. Their journey shows that with thoughtful planning, the right tools, and a commitment to fostering strong relationships, companies can leverage the benefits of remote work to build successful, scalable businesses in the digital age.
The story of A Book Apart is more than just a tale of successful remote work implementation; it's a blueprint for how businesses can adapt and thrive in an increasingly digital world. As we look to the future, their model provides inspiration and practical guidance for entrepreneurs and established companies alike, proving that with vision, dedication, and the right strategies, a distributed team can achieve remarkable things.
