Orla Kelly, Publisher
Working with You and For You to Publish the Book You Always Wanted!
Orla Kelly
A Professional Book Publisher
My Approach
From humble beginnings, I have grown my business to offer a comprehensive range of publishing services to clients from all walks of life.
Because I started off my publishing journey as an author, I have never forgotten what it is like-the vulnerability, feeling of exposure, doubts, and fear of judgement. This helps me stay grounded and focused on delivering the best bespoke publishing service for all my clients.
It takes time and lots of talent and perseverance to write a book and I feel so lucky to love what I do. Helping to make the hopes and dreams of my clients come alive by publishing a book that they love and that really reflects who they are and what they want to achieve is so satisfying.
Thank you for also making my dreams come true.
My Story
One night back in 2014, my children ran out of stories to read. So my son, who was ten at the time, sat down and began writing a little story for his younger sister, who was seven. Bedtime arrived before he could finish it, and the two of them begged me to complete it for them. Anything to get them to bed, I agreed. But when I looked at what he’d written, I was stopped in my tracks. The imagination. The wonder. The sheer sense of adventure in something so simple. And I found myself asking a quiet, uncomfortable question: had I lost all of that somewhere along the way?
I sat at my computer with a small but real dilemma. How could I possibly do justice to the story he’d begun? So I re-read his words a few times. And then I just started writing. No planning. No second-guessing. No stopping. The next night, I had my first instalment ready. They loved it. So I kept going. Night after night, I wove little life skills and small words of wisdom into the stories. Before long, I had written my first book. It wasn’t published, mind you. It was just sitting there on my laptop.
What now? Getting a book into print and onto Kindle was something I’d always quietly wanted to do, but I had no idea how. So that became my next challenge. And it turned out I rather liked these challenges. Over time, I taught myself how to format, convert and set up a book on Amazon. I discovered something along the way: I genuinely loved writing. So I carried on, writing and self-publishing independently. It was only when I was awarded a place on the Greenshoots Emerging Entrepreneur programme that I decided to treat writing and publishing as a real business. And so, Orla Kelly Publishing was born.
Here’s the part many people don’t talk about. Publishing can leave you feeling exposed. Vulnerable. Maybe you worry your work isn’t quite ready, or that it’ll never see the light of day. I know that feeling intimately, because I waited a long time before telling anyone what I was doing. Would people hate my work? Would they think I’d got “notions” about myself? I felt completely exposed. That experience changed everything about how I run my business.
And through it all, my children have remained at the heart of this journey. They were the spark that reignited my imagination, the reason the first story was ever written, and the quiet inspiration behind everything that followed. This business, in many ways, began with them. And it is to them, with love and gratitude, that this part of the story is dedicated.
My Values & Beliefs
Passionate about sharing your story
I am incredibly passionate about helping clients achieve their dream of getting their book published and what it means for them personally and/or professionally. I genuinely believe that everyone has a book inside them waiting to be shared with the world, and it is an honour and privilege for me to help make this happen.
Being authentic and building relationships with clients
I have published for clients from all walks of life and background supporting them in telling their stories authentically and publishing the kind of books they are delighted to share with the world.
Providing an exceptional publishing experience
My ultimate goal is to provide an exceptional publishing experience for every one of my clients while also helping them reach their target audience, grow their following, and raise their profile as published authors.
Honesty and Transparency
I work with clients who have integrity, are honest and transparent and who genuinely care about their clients just as I do.
Working Together
I don’t see myself working separately from my clients but with them. We are a team and so communication is very important to me. They trust that I have their back, will look out for them and will create a book that really aligns with who they are and what they want to achieve.
Taking it personally
For me, work is personal. I love what I do and I like to think that this shows in the calibre of books I publish. We have all been on the receiving end of less-than-satisfactory customer service and inferior products that failed to live up to our standards. I am the point of contact for all clients and oversee everything personally.