Alexandria (Alex) Brown is the co-founder and CEO of Rising Action Publishing Co. Alex has over ten years of experience in marketing and creative writing. Alex has a Bachelor’s in Communications with a major in Public Relations, a Master of Fine Arts—Creative Writing from the University of Gloucestershire, and is a Creative Writing Ph.D. Candidate currently at the University of Gloucestershire. She has two traditionally published nonfiction books.
Julie Creech (JC): As a co-founder, with Tina Beier, of the Rising Action Publishing Co., you have over a decade of experience in publishing and marketing. As an aspiring editor and publisher myself, it means a lot to me that you’d answer a few questions for the readers of The Broken Plate. First, can you tell me the story of how you became a publisher? How long have you been in the industry? What are some of your proudest achievements in that role?
Alex Brown (AB): I’ve been in publishing and marketing for over ten years, and my journey has always been fueled by a passion for storytelling and helping authors find their unique voices. When Tina Beier and I founded Rising Action, we wanted to create a publishing house that prioritized creativity, collaboration, and a supportive environment for writers. I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve built—over 50 authors published, countless stories shared with the world, and milestones like selling rights for adaptations that bring our books to life in new ways.
JC: You are not only a publisher, but also an author yourself, and you’ve written two nonfiction books: You, Me, & Depression: A Battle of Heart and Mind and The Single Girl’s Guide to Living and Laughing (And Sometimes Loving). What is the relationship between writing and editing for you? Do you think that working as an editor has helped you as a writer?
AB: Writing and editing are deeply interconnected for me. Writing gives me the space to be creative and vulnerable, while editing hones my ability to analyze and refine stories. Working with other authors has taught me so much about structure, pacing, and character development, which I take into my own writing. On the flip side, being a writer has shown me the importance of respecting an author’s voice—because I understand how personal and challenging it can be to share a manuscript. Both roles balance and enrich my perspective.
JC: Rising Action Publishing was founded in 2020 and has published over 50 authors. It is well known for its romance and thriller selection. What inspired you to create Rising Action? What insights have you learned about building and maintaining a publishing company?
AB: When Tina and I founded Rising Action in 2020, we envisioned creating a space that honored both the craft of writing and the unique journeys of writers. We built the company on the values of authenticity, collaboration, and creativity. One of the biggest lessons has been learning how to balance supporting artistic freedom with meeting market demands. Building trust and transparency with our authors and readers has been key, and growing our catalog has reinforced the importance of prioritizing quality and sustainability in everything we do.
JC: While there are an increasing number of women leaders in the publishing industry recently, the publishing world is still heavily male-dominant. What challenges came with creating and operating a women-owned, women-run company in the publishing industry?
AB: The publishing industry is still dominated by men, but we’ve faced those challenges by staying focused on creating meaningful opportunities for voices that have historically been overlooked. As a women-owned business, we’ve shown how much strength comes from teamwork and supporting one another. Our goal has always been to build an inclusive, supportive environment for authors, readers, and our team, proving that collaboration and community can be powerful drivers for success in publishing. It’s about progress—not just for us, but for the industry as a whole.
JC: In our work at The Broken Plate, we prioritized building a community of writers, and we tried to get lots of quality submissions from writers across the country. How does Rising Action build a writing community and draw authors to submit? Have you had problems getting submissions, and if so, how did you combat them?
AB: Building a strong writing community has always been a priority for us. We do this by keeping our submission process approachable, hosting events that bring writers and readers together, and fostering collaboration with our authors. Attracting great submissions has come naturally because writers recognize our commitment to storytelling and creative partnership.
JC: I wanted to congratulate you on your recent sale of Marie Still’s novel My Darlings to Amazon MGM studios for a television adaptation! What was the process like, and how did it differ from the usual publishing process? What would you recommend to authors who are interested in writing work that can be adapted for film or television?
AB: Get a great Hollywood agent! We are lucky we get to work with Katrina Escudero at Sugar23 so to be honest, outside of getting her the book, she did the rest! She worked really hard to get the book to the right team and she did such a good job. The team we have is incredible, and they really were the ones to get it to Amazon! Honestly though, Marie is a talented writer, so I’m sure she would have scored an adaptation no matter what!
JC: You’ve published so many great authors at Rising Action, who are some upcoming authors that you are excited to be publishing?
AB: Honestly, I can’t pick anyone particularly—I’m just excited we get to keep doing this job and continue to publish so many incredible authors!