I am so excited to share this episode of Elena Meets the Author with you! I had the absolute pleasure of sitting down with Gretchen Young, a powerhouse in publishing and the inspiring founder of Regalo Press.

Gretchen’s journey is incredible, from her early days in television production, to decades at major publishing houses, and now running her own indie press with a beautiful philanthropic mission at its heart. We dive into the changes shaping publishing today, the joys and challenges of building an indie press, and the advice she wishes every debut author knew.

We also chat about the power of great storytelling, how belief and perseverance can carry writers through, and why social media and AI are transforming the way people discover books. Gretchen even gives us a sneak peek at some exciting new titles coming soon from Regalo Press.

If you’ve ever dreamed of writing a book or simply love hearing about the world behind the stories you read, this is an episode full of wisdom, encouragement, and inspiration.

Episode Highlights:00:00 – Introduction and pre-interview chatter00:28 – Meet Gretchen Young02:17 – Gretchen's publishing journey03:49 – How the industry has changed04:32 – Challenges and innovations in publishing07:38 – The birth of Regalo Press09:26 – Impact and partnerships11:11 – Indie publishing vs. big houses15:03 – Gretchen’s advice for aspiring authors16:58 – Fresh trends and experiments in publishing20:09 – The power of belief and perseverance20:33 – The meaning behind “Regalo”21:10 – The state of publishing today23:28 – How social media and AI are reshaping reading29:05 – Upcoming books to get excited about34:35 – The inspiring journey of a publisher

Get full access to Elena Meets the Author at elenabowes.substack.com/subscribe