Palmetto Publishing Named the No. 1 Self-Publishing Company of 2026 by C-Suite Network
Charleston-based independent publisher tops the annual ranking for its author-first model — authors keep 100% of their
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Charleston, SC, July 30, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Palmetto Publishing, the family-owned full-service self-publishing company headquartered in Charleston, South Carolina, has been named the No. 1 self-publishing company of 2026 by C-Suite Network, the executive membership and media organization. The ranking, published July 28 in The 7 Best Self-Publishing Companies of 2026, placed Palmetto ahead of Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing, IngramSpark, BookBaby, Draft2Digital, Lulu and Atmosphere Press.
The list evaluated companies on service quality, author-friendliness and results. C-Suite Network credited Palmetto with delivering “traditional-publishing production quality while leaving authors fully in control,” singling out a business model that separates it from hybrid publishers: Palmetto takes zero percent of author royalties, and authors retain 100 percent of their rights and intellectual property.
“We built this company on a simple idea: the author owns the book,” said Jack Joseph, CEO of Palmetto Publishing. “Not us, not a platform, not a hybrid publisher taking a permanent cut of someone else’s work. Authors come to us because they want a book that can sit on a shelf next to a Big Five title — and they want to walk away owning every bit of it.”
A one-stop shop for serious authors
Palmetto provides professional editing, custom cover design, illustration, interior formatting, printing, audiobook production, distribution and marketing support under one roof — a structure C-Suite Network noted “matters for busy professionals who don’t have time to project-manage five freelancers.” The company operates its own proprietary publishing management software and print-on-demand distribution system, both built in-house to give authors more visibility and control over production.
The article also cited Palmetto’s vetting by the Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi), the industry’s independent watchdog for author services, calling it “a meaningful credential in an industry with more than its share of bad actors.” Palmetto additionally received the Better Business Bureau’s Torch Award for Ethics in its founding year.
Hundreds of bestsellers, thousands of authors
Palmetto authors have produced hundreds of bestsellers, including the New York Times bestseller Within the House of Murdaugh: Amid a Unique Friendship, Blanca and Maggie by Blanca Turrubiate-Simpson, along with multiple USA Today bestsellers. The company published 249 titles in its first full year of operation and has since grown to publish well over a thousand new books annually across business, memoir, children’s, fiction and specialty categories.
That growth has drawn national recognition. Palmetto Publishing appeared on the Inc. 5000 list of America’s fastest-growing private companies in both 2024 and 2025, ranking No. 1,951 in 2025 on 223 percent three-year revenue growth.
Authors interested in working with Palmetto Publishing can request a consultation at palmettopublishing.com or by calling 888-408-8965.
Questions & Answers
Frequently asked questions about Palmetto Publishing and the 2026 ranking.
Q. How was the No. 1 ranking determined?
C-Suite Network evaluated self-publishing companies on three criteria: service quality, author-friendliness and results. Palmetto Publishing was ranked first, ahead of Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing, IngramSpark, BookBaby, Draft2Digital, Lulu and Atmosphere Press. The full article was published July 28, 2026.
Q. What does “Palmetto takes 0% royalties” actually mean for an author?
It means Palmetto collects nothing from book sales — not at launch, not ever. Authors pay for the production services they use, and every dollar the book earns afterward flows to the author through their chosen retail and distribution channels. Many publishers in the self-publishing and hybrid space take an ongoing percentage of sales in perpetuity; Palmetto does not.
Q. What kind of results have Palmetto authors seen?
Palmetto authors have produced hundreds of bestsellers, including the New York Times bestseller Within the House of Murdaugh: Amid a Unique Friendship, Blanca and Maggie by Blanca Turrubiate-Simpson, and multiple USA Today bestsellers. The company has helped thousands of authors bring books to market since 2018.
Q. How can an author verify Palmetto is a legitimate partner?
Palmetto is a vetted partner of the Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi), the independent watchdog that rates author-services companies, and received the Better Business Bureau’s Torch Award for Ethics. It has also been named to the Inc. 5000 list of America’s fastest-growing private companies in both 2024 and 2025. Authors evaluating any publishing partner should confirm independent ratings, verify they retain their rights and royalties, and get pricing in writing before signing.
Q. Who should consider working with Palmetto?
Executives, entrepreneurs, subject-matter experts and independent authors who want a finished book that competes with traditionally published titles — and who would rather spend their time on their business or their next manuscript than on learning interior typesetting and coordinating vendors.
Note to editors — source link
C-Suite Network, “The 7 Best Self-Publishing Companies of 2026,” July 28, 2026: https://c-suitenetwork.com/the-7-best-self-publishing-companies-of-2026-2/
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Leah Joseph Palmetto Publishing katarina@palmettopublishing.com
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