The Experience that
Sparked Aloha

Aloha Reader,

Every great company begins with a story. Over the next few months, we’ll be sharing the journey that led to the birth of Aloha Publishing—a three-part series about our founder & CEO, Maryanna Young, and the lessons she's learned along the way.

The first part of the story takes us back to the years before Aloha existed, when Maryanna worked as a sports agent representing Olympic and Paralympic athletes. These athletes longed to share their inspiring stories, and at the time, the most common and often only way to write and publish was through traditional publishing. Although Amazon was gaining momentum, it wasn’t what it is today.

So, trusting the existing system, Maryanna partnered with respected literary agents and major publishing houses, believing her athletes’ voices would be honored and amplified. But instead of lifting those stories up, the process often made it harder for them to be heard. Even athletes with well known brand sponsors such as Nike, Bank of America, and United Airlines, struggled to have their stories told the way they wanted.

The publishing process would often drag on for two years or more, weighed down by endless details and delays. Authors had little to no say in their covers, content, or even how their books got to the readers.

At one point, Maryanna discovered that a book by one of her athletes—who had already sold thousands of copies—was suddenly being pulled from print. Speaking events had been scheduled, audiences were waiting, yet the publisher had decided it wasn’t “selling enough” to continue. For the author who had poured her heart into telling her story, it was devastating. After plenty of back and forth, the publisher saw that the author was gaining momentum with dozens of events already scheduled. Seeing that it would likely start selling more, they decided to reinstate it.

This experience changed everything. Maryanna realized that publishing didn’t have to leave authors powerless and uncertain. What if there could be a better way? One where clarity, collaboration, and celebration replaced confusion, frustration, and lack of control?

That vision became the seed from which Aloha Publishing would grow. Today, it’s why we exist: to ensure that authors are not only published, but supported, respected, and proud of what they’ve created.

This is just the beginning of the story. In the coming months, we’ll share two more parts about Maryanna’s journey: why she was inspired to help dyslexic entrepreneurs share their stories, and what her first costly publishing mistakes taught her about helping others.

Mahalo for being part of this journey with us.

If you’re dreaming about writing a book, or simply want to learn more about how Aloha makes publishing clear and collaborative, we’d love to connect with you.​

With gratitude,

The Aloha Publishing Team