Hidden Gems: Meet Nadia Pupa of Pique Publishing

Today we’d like to introduce you to Nadia Pupa. 

Hi Nadia, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
My story begins when I was a kid. I was shy, nerdy, and always had my nose stuck in a book. Today, not much has changed. I’m still a nerd who loves books, but I’m not as shy as I used to be. I am the co-founder and CEO of Pique Publishing, Inc. and the host of a new podcast, The Editor’s Half Hour, which was founded in San Diego. 

I’ve lived in Chicago and Boston, but it wasn’t until moving to San Diego when I really connected with other editors. Still feeling extremely shy, I joined the San Diego Professional Editor’s Network (SD/PEN) in 2018 and it quite literally changed my life. I met so many amazing editors who were not only inspiring but extremely warm and welcoming. They were all eager to share information and resources with each other and discuss the difficulties of running their own freelance businesses. The more meetings I attended, the more I got to dive deeper into discussions surrounding the craft of editing. At the networking events, I asked questions and absorbed the entrepreneurial spirit that came alive before, during, and after meetings. I was encouraged by editor Chris Zook, owner of The Conscious Writer (theconsciouswriter.com), to join the SD/PEN board. After a few conversations and gentle nudges, I decided to join, and I was pleasantly surprised to be surrounded by so many kindhearted and inviting people. After a few years of board service, I was encouraged by editors and SD/PEN co-presidents Erin Willard (erincopyeditor.com) and Isabella Furth (bluefisheditorial.com) to become the 2021–2022 president, and that is what changed everything for me. It forced me to break out of my shell. I enjoyed facilitating our program meetings so much that I was always asking interview-style questions to the speakers out of genuine interest in the editorial topics that were covered. Doing this eventually led me to start my own podcast, The Editor’s Half Hour (redcircle.com/shows/the-editors-half-hour). In the podcast, I get to stay true to my nerdy self and ask guests questions about all the intricate details of editing. 

After gaining a new sense of confidence in speaking to other industry leaders, I also paved a new path for myself professionally. I consider myself a content development partner and problem solver because I help writers fix manuscripts that they think are “broken” or incomplete. Through a series of book coaching sessions, I ask deeply personal questions to get to the root and purpose of why they want to publish in the first place. I have witnessed authors improve and excel in their writing based on these powerful coaching sessions. 

We offer full-scope publishing services from ideation to distribution for self-published authors and corporations around the world. I plan for and strategically find the best editors for every single project within my company. Everything shared with our clients will pass my desk to ensure the highest level of quality—from writing to editing to design. If I believe I’m not the right editor for the job, I will find a local editor who I know is trustworthy and can get the job done. There are so many freelancers here in San Diego hiding in plain sight. I am constantly discovering resources like podcasts or small businesses that offer professional services that I think are essential to our success. 

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
The road to running and operating my own corporation was not smooth—at all. I struggled the most in 2008 when I was newly married and living in the Chicago area. The job market for editors was horrible, and at the time, I only had a part-time freelance editing job. My husband, Phil Pupa, co-founder of Pique Publishing and industrial designer at Becton Dickinson (BD), lifted me up and suggested that I learn how to use Adobe InDesign (page design software). I was a stubborn purist and thought graphic design work was beneath my “superior” editorial skills. I had wrongfully and arrogantly thought that content came before design, but I couldn’t be more wrong! 

At the core of Pique Publishing, we believe that when it comes to content and design, one does not supersede the other. A client may write an amazing award-winning book but neglect the thought that should be placed on the cover design. The truth is that people always judge a book by its cover no matter how much they’re encouraged not to judge. I continue to witness writers publishing books that lack personality. Unfortunately, their book designs are not a real reflection of what’s contained within the pages. Seeing this ignites a passion within me to help writers share who they really are, which leads to our company tagline, “publish with personality.” 

The moment Phil created the company logo for Pique and showed it to me, I realized the power of design. It should be simple, effective, and feel effortless. My logo is a play on the standard paragraph symbol that is turned backward to represent the letter P for Pique. (Nerdy fact: the paragraph symbol is called the pilcrow and coincidentally starts with the letter P.) 

After feeling like I could navigate my way through InDesign, I started to land more interviews during a time when unemployment rates were soaring. My skills became appealing in the corporate environment which is infamous for outsourcing editing, proofreading, and graphic design work. I landed my first corporate job specifically because of my design skills. 

I owe so much of what I do to my husband, Phil. He demonstrates true precision in the way he designs and thinks through projects. After 15 years of marriage, I have adopted his way of thinking when it comes to problem-solving. He not only opened a door to the world of design that I didn’t even consider, but he also teaches and challenges me to be more precise in my business decisions. Two heads are always better than one. And after knowing each other for so long, we practically share the same brain! 

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Pique Publishing, Inc.?
Pique Publishing, Inc. is a content development partner for all things digital and print. We serve both corporate clients and self-published authors for both fiction and non-fiction. 

Our corporate clients consist of government agencies, private corporations, academic institutions, and nonprofit organizations. We work with companies all over the world for a variety of projects ranging from magazine management to overall content and design strategy. 

In the world of self-published authors, we assist in a variety of ways. We offer in-depth book evaluations, book coaching sessions, developmental editing, copyediting, proofreading, and book cover and interior design. 

Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
I have been editing and writing for more than 20 years. I started my career thinking I would be a journalist, I later gained experience in academic journals, trade magazines, and finally books. There is nothing more exciting to me than getting to hold a book in my hands knowing that I played a major role in getting it published. 

Aside from all the buzz surrounding generative AI, I firmly believe that editors and writers still have a place in this world. In fact, AI-generated content is only shining a light and weeding out quality. Writers and editors who provide real value will quickly rise to the top and become essential—especially in the corporate world. For instance, several trade industries have extremely nuanced descriptions to describe what they do, which could be highly technical, educational content used for teaching or earning credentials. You can only get so far when relying on subject matter experts to write content—even though they’re experts, they might not be the best writers. So, depending on AI to create content by scraping the internet could be considered by some as irresponsible. 

I am on a mission to use my podcast as a resource for anyone in the editing industry who is curious about what other editors do and to discover ways to supplement their editorial skills with new service lines they haven’t considered. Sharing in the entrepreneurial successes of others is what helps other small business owners to learn and grow. 

Contact Info:

• Website: www.piquepublishing.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/editors_half_hour/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/piquepublishing
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/pique-publishing-inc/
• Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/piquepublishing
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2-rom-JSrmQlg-ZCqS5g8Q
• Other: https://redcircle.com/shows/the-editors-half-hour 

Image Credits
Sarah Morgan Photography