About Pen2Paper
Writing a book is a significant accomplishment. Publishing it should not feel overwhelming.
Pen2Paper was created to help independent authors confidently navigate the Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) process without giving up ownership of their work. We are not a traditional publishing company, and we do not claim ownership, royalties, or publishing rights. Instead, we work alongside authors, providing professional guidance from manuscript development through publication.
Founded by Edward D. Smith, Pen2Paper was built on a simple belief: every author deserves honest guidance, transparent service, and complete control over their own story.
As both an author and educator, Edward understands the challenges of turning an idea into a professionally published book. Having written and self-published multiple nonfiction books and guided others through the same process, he knows that publishing involves far more than uploading a document. It requires thoughtful organization, professional formatting, effective cover design, and a clear understanding of how Amazon's publishing platform works.
Our goal is not simply to produce a book. Our goal is to help you publish a book you can be proud of while ensuring you understand the process at every step.
Whether you're writing your first manuscript or preparing your next release, Pen2Paper provides practical support designed specifically for independent authors who want to publish professionally while retaining 100% ownership of their work.
Every completed project is returned to the author with the original Microsoft Word files, print-ready PDFs, and any complete publishing assets. Your book remains yours, from the first word to the final publication.
We believe independent publishing should be transparent, educational, and empowering. Our role is to help make your publishing journey simpler, more professional, and ultimately more successful.
Why Authors Choose Pen2Paper
- You retain 100% ownership of your manuscript and publishing rights.
- Your book is published through your Amazon KDP account.
- No royalties or long-term contracts.
- Practical guidance from an experienced independent author.
- Professional support from manuscript development to publication.
Our Three Core Principles That We Operate By:
- Education before execution. Help authors understand the process, not just complete it.
- Transparency before the transaction. Be clear about what you do, what you don't do, and who owns the finished work.
- Professional results without taking ownership. Your role is to equip authors to publish confidently, not to become their publisher.
Edward "Ed" Smith
Founder Who Built Pen2Paper Through Discipline - Not Theory
If you had known me 40 years ago, you would never have thought in a million years that I would be where I am right now. I hated reading and writing reports in school, so I relied on the old CliffsNotes to get me by. It was that way for years.
Eventually, I began to enjoy reading non-fiction books on sales, marketing, and recruiting that supported my current employment role at the time. Because I would either get a new idea or reaffirm things I was already doing.
Then something changed for me when I was in the hospital undergoing chemotherapy. Spending 5 days in the hospital each treatment gave me a lot of time on my hands to contemplate and reevaluate myself. That’s when my writing journey truly began for me.
I did not enter publishing through a creative writing program or a marketing funnel.
I earned it the same way I've approached most of my career.
- By learning the system.
- By executing the work.
- By refining it repeatedly
Over the past several years, I have independently written and published numerous non-fiction books across transportation, recruiting strategy, leadership development, resilience, and personal perspective. I have also designed a journal series as well.
Every book I have written was:
- Structured from scratch.
- Formatted manually.
- Positioned Intentionally.
- Published through my own Amazon accounts.
- Owned entirely.
That’s why I started Pen2Paper: I am what many would call a servant leader. I find joy in helping others achieve their potential and dreams as much as I do for mine. I wanted to provide a way to pass what I learned along to help others.
My journey wasn’t an easy walk in the park. I had my books stopped time and time again, for one formatting error after another. Each time, it taught me a new lesson; while others may have given up, I pressed forward, refusing to accept defeat. Now that is no longer a concern for me. My goal is to get you across the finish line without letting you quit along the way.
This requires teamwork between the writers I work with and me. If you're ready for the journey, so am I.
I’ll leave you with this. Regardless of whether your finished book is a Bestseller or you never sell a single copy. The moment you see your printed book with your name on the cover, you should be extremely proud of yourself. Many talk about writing a book, but you really did.
