About
LEFT FIELD PUBLISHING is a forward-thinking publishing company created to combine the best attributes of traditional publishing with the best attributes of independent publishing. We exist to help authors bring their work to market in a cost-effective way while allowing them to retain control over their writing projects. Our vision is to reimagine what publishing can be—bold, collaborative, and purpose-driven—by amplifying genre-defying voices across fiction, non-fiction, YA and kids books. Because great books aren’t defined by a category.
While authors in traditional publishing are well-compensated with advance payments, they are forced to cede control of their projects to their publishers, and are far from equal partners in sharing ongoing (royalty) revenue. Independently published authors keep that creative control, but lack the experience, expertise, and connections to successfully bring their books to a very crowded market. Indie publishing also requires a substantial up-front investment on the part of the author.
The LEFT FIELD Approach is Simple…
We will secure the services typically provided by traditional publishers—editorial, design, production, distribution, marketing, and publicity—sharing up-front costs with the writer, who will share back-end revenue with LEFT FIELD. LEFT FIELD PUBLISHING will never charge an author for our services; we will only ask them to share costs. At the same time, we will use crowdfunding campaigns to build excitement and raise money for some of those costs. The benefit to the author is clear: They will have a professionally produced book made available to a variety of sales channels and a kick ass marketing plan. The benefit to Left Field is equally clear: We will participate in the success of books in which we believe.
Our initial projects, scheduled for publication in 2025 and 2026, include:
-An off-beat fantasy-YA from a critically-acclaimed, bestselling writer.
-A brilliant business book (on the art of negotiation) in the form of a novel by a successful real estate developer.
-An engaging fantasy-horror novel by a debut author.
-A heartbreaking yet uplifting memoir of an Armenian woman’s young self in war torn Armenia.
As these projects mature, we will, in the future, seek other projects and invite interested writers (or agents) to submit queries.
Who We Are
Led by book industry veterans Kristen Gilligan and Len Vlahos, Left Field is well-positioned to help overlooked publishing projects find the audiences they deserve.
KRISTEN GILLIGAN spent the majority of her career at the national trade association for independent bookstores, the American Booksellers Association, where she held a variety of positions, including Director of Meetings and Events and created with Len the ABA’s Winter Institute. As a member of the ABA’s senior staff, Kristen participated in strategic discussions on the current state and future of the book industry with many of the industry’s leaders, participated in the creation of ABA’s education program; counseled potential members on opening a bookstore; managed ABA’s public relations and publicity; actively monitored publisher trade terms of sale to ensure a level playing field for independent booksellers; advocated on behalf of independent booksellers on First Amendment issues, Internet sales tax, and the development of sustainable local economies; and created and executed ABA’s membership marketing plan. During her tenure at ABA, Kristen was a member of the American Society of Association Executives and sat on the Children’s Booksellers & Publishers Committee, a joint group of ABA, the Association of American Publishers, and the Children’s Book Council. Kristen also organized an industry-wide Children’s Picture Book art auction in support of free speech for ABFFE (the American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression). She is also the former co-owner of the Tattered Cover Bookstores in Denver, with her husband, Len, where she focused on creating opportunities to get kids to read. She brought more than 100 authors each year to public and private schools in Colorado, started two Teen Advisory Boards and a teen writing group, created the Colorado Teen Book Con, hosted many Educator Nights, created the statewide Colorado Big Summer Read, and the Colorado Book & Arts Festival. Kristen also had the honor of serving as a judge for the National Book Award for Young Readers.
LEN VLAHOS is the author of six traditionally published novels for young adults, including: The Scar Boys (Lerner), a finalist for the American Library Association’s William C Morris Award for Best Debut Teen Fiction; Life in a Fishbowl (Bloomsbury), which was published in 10 languages and 18 countries; and Hard Wired (Bloomsbury), which The New York Times called, “a combination of nerdy humor and scary science” that “is sure to captivate sci-fi lovers and haters alike.” Len dropped out of NYU film school in the 1980s to go on the road with his pop–punk band, Woofing Cookies (now available on major streaming services.) He is also, with his wife Kristen Gilligan, the former co-owner of the Tattered Cover Bookstores in Denver, at the time, the largest independent bookstores in the state of Colorado; the former Executive Director of the Book Industry Study Group, where he helped maintain and develop metadata standards for the U.S. book market; and the former Chief Operating Officer of the American Booksellers Association, where he oversaw the development of Indie Commerce and ABA’s Winter Institute. He currently works for ReedPop, a division of Reed Exhibitions, overseeing literary programming at some of the largest pop culture events in the U.S., including New York Comic Con and Book Con. When he’s not writing, you can find Len at the local hockey rink stinking up the ice, practicing and gigging with his #lamedadrock band -ish, or hanging with his wife, two sons, and menagerie of pets the Denver suburbs. His first book with Left Field is The Story of Oog.
Our Mission
Left Field Publishing exists to publish powerful, beautifully told stories that fall outside the traditional lines. We champion authors whose work blends genres, expands minds, and invites conversation. With a fiercely author-forward approach, we combine editorial excellence, unconventional marketing, and deep bookseller partnerships to give our titles the life—and audience—they deserve.
Our Goals
Champion Cross-Genre Storytelling
Support and publish books that defy neat categorization, blending literary merit with commercial appeal across formats (print, digital, audio, visual).
Redefine the Author-Publisher Relationship
Build equitable, transparent partnerships with creators by offering shared cost and revenue models, hands-on marketing support, and personalized attention from pitch to publication.
Put Bookstores and Their Communities Front-and-Center
Establish meaningful, reciprocal relationships with independent bookstores through grassroots programs that include free stock, staff reads, social media promotion, and collaborative visibility.
Forge Bold, Original Marketing Paths
Create custom, author-aligned campaigns that blend digital outreach, influencer engagement, live events, and unconventional press strategies to reach passionate, loyal readers.
Build a Curated, Mission-Aligned List
Grow intentionally, focusing on a select number of books each year that reflect the values, voice, and ambition of Left Field Publishing—books that matter, books that last.
Our Values
Authenticity
We lead with honesty, clarity, and heart—on the page, in our relationships, and in the stories we choose to tell.
Earnest Engagement
We believe in showing up—fully, consistently, and without pretense. Every project, partnership, and conversation is approached with genuine care and presence.
Hands-On Collaboration
We’re a team. Authors, artists, booksellers, and readers are partners in the process, and we’re deeply invested at every stage.
Creative Courage
We champion bold, genre-defying voices that don’t fit into neat boxes. Innovation and risk-taking are not exceptions—they’re our baseline.
Respect for Craft
We honor the long, hard work of writing and storytelling by holding ourselves to the highest editorial and production standards.
Kindness as Strategy
We believe kindness is not just a value—it’s an advantage. Thoughtfulness and empathy are built into how we lead, communicate, and grow.
Community Over Competition
We invest in long-term, reciprocal relationships—with authors, booksellers, printers, editors, designers, distributors, educators, and readers—because publishing is a collaborative act. We believe the industry works best when everyone at the table is supported, valued, and seen.
Not Money-Motivated
We are not motivated by money. Our work is driven by purpose. Our decisions are guided by what serves the book and the author’s long-term career—first and always.
AI
Left Field Publishing proudly publishes books created by real people. Every work we release is written by human authors—not by artificial intelligence. We believe in the power of lived experience, original thought, and the human voice.
Why We’re Called LEFT FIELD
(Written by Len) For the entirety of our lives together, truly random events — good and bad — have seemed to befall Kristen and I. Whether it was a crazy wind storm ripping off the side of our house, or one of my books getting optioned years after it was in print, things just seemed to come at us out of left field, which became a sort of battle cry for the two of us. Something truly unexpected happens, and one of us will look at the other and say “left field.” But that’s not the full story.
Our house backs up to a school and green space, including a ball field. One day — five full years into our stay in Colorado — Kristen and I were sitting on the back porch when she turned to me, laughing, and said, “How have we missed the fact that we literally LIVE in left field?!”
Yes, the fence to our back yard is the home run fence in left field. (This photo was taken by Shea, our dog, named for Shea Stadium, also a ball field. No doubt, if she could don a mitt, she’d play in left.)
Meet Cameron!
CAMERON BERRY works with Left Field Publishing on special projects, bringing their unique expertise and creative insight to initiatives that fall outside the day-to-day publishing flow. Whether helping shape new programs, advising on strategic direction, editing manuscripts, or jumping in where fresh thinking is needed, they’re an essential part of our extended team. Moving to Colorado from Tennessee at age 8, Cameron comes back to us after getting an English degree from Wesleyan University and a masters degree in English from the University of Virginia. Their love of books brought them to work at Tattered Cover Book Store while in high school, they were an active member of the Tattered Cover Teen Advisory Board, as well as the Tattered Cover Teen Writing Group.