FastPencil: A New Kind of Book Publishing Company

What We Are

FastPencil is book publishing without the pain. The traditional book publishing process can take many months of effort and more money than most writers anticipate. It’s no wonder authors get discouraged.

You shouldn’t have to ask anyone’s permission to write and publish your own book! We have removed the hurdles inherent in traditional book publishing by combining amazing advances in print on demand technology with a sophisticated online workflow system.

While powerful technology makes it possible for anyone to publish a high-quality book, our collaboration capabilities make FastPencil the easiest, fastest, and most exciting way to write and publish. Regardless of the type of book they’re writing, most writers need feedback as they create. When authors have ready access to friends and collaborators, the writing and editing process is faster and easier.

At any point in the writing process you can connect with like-minded people, share knowledge, chat, gather feedback from reviewers and editors, and collaborate with other authors, all without leaving FastPencil.

Our Team

Steve Wilson — Ship’s Captain
If FastPencil is a ship, Steve is undoubtedly its captain. Managing a fast-moving startup is no easy task, but Steve makes deals, creates partnerships, and keeps us all moving in the same direction with seeming ease. He’s always got his eye on the horizon, but he also enjoys getting into the details. Much of the atmosphere at FastPencil is a reflection of his fun-loving spirit and infectious enthusiasm. Before finding a real job as the CEO of an upstart book publishing company, Steve held senior management positions at Genentech, VeriSign, and Yahoo.

Michael Ashley — Chief Innovator
With a nickname like “Mash” it should come as no surprise that our Chief Technical Officer is a synthesizer and innovator. He created two companies before coming up with FastPencil, and knows the ins and outs of the book publishing industry. He has mastered the art of collaboration. He is a whiteboard wizard and always astounds the team with his ability to pull ideas from disparate sources into a cohesive, workable whole. When it’s time to recharge, Mash grabs his board and hits the surf.

Steve O’Deegan — Revenue & Market Hound
No wonder he enjoys chess as he’s a good strategist and he’s always thinking three moves ahead. He brings a great deal of enthusiasm and energy to the mix which is why he’s front and center with FastPencil customers. Steve has started two consulting companies and has been working with Thought Leaders and Influencers since the early nineties. As Managing Partner for two Silicon Valley executive search firms, Steve has counseled 100’s of public and venture-backed companies on talent evaluation and acquisition. Although Steve is an avid sports enthusiast his nickname, O’Divvit, is well earned as he has been known to chew up a golf course on occasion.

Dave Claytor — Money Guy
Detail oriented people aren’t usually risk takers, but Dave breaks the mold. As our Controller and Director of Finance, he is responsible for making sure Steve has money to work with, which also means making sure Mash doesn’t spend it all. A pragmatist through and through, Dave is great at turning ideas into plans. That’s why he also oversees Customer Care and Internal Systems. Dave’s nickname is Cliff Claven, because he knows more trivia than anyone. Unlike Cliff, Dave is an avid runner who also rides his bike 20+ miles to work at least three times a week.

Jeremy McNevin — Builder
Someone has to lead the actual coding of FastPencil. His title is Lead Developer, but Lead Nurturer is a more apt description of what Jeremy does. He takes care of the FastPencil code like it’s his child, cleaning it up, protecting it, and always striving to make it better. Despite the zealousness of his programming efforts, Jeremy always maintains an effortless aura of calm. Jeremy is the unofficial FastPencil DJ; his eclectic tastes keep our little book publishing company humming on many afternoons. In keeping with his programmer/DJ persona, Jeremy drives a really cool Mini.

Board of Directors

Bill Ihrie — Technology Guru
Bill sits on our Board of Directors with Steve and Mash. He comes to us from Intuit, where as a Senior VP he put his name on seven patents and helped the company scale revenue from $1 billion to $3 billion in eight years. Prior to his time at Intuit Bill led development of the world’s first automated letter-of-credit system, the leading payment and cash system for major banks, and other groundbreaking technologies. He holds undergraduate degrees in mathematics and management from MIT, and a Master’s in computer science from UC Berkeley. Bill is also astoundingly humble for a man of his accomplishments.

Martin Logies — Master of Money
Martin is an advisor to the Board. He helps us stay on the right fiscal path. A partner in the firm of Logies, Skirtich & Co. and a published author on a number of technical subjects, Martin holds several advanced business degrees and has taught accounting at Case Western Reserve University. He doesn’t just advise commercial clients; Martin provides the gift of his expertise to the boards of directors of numerous non-profit organizations across the United States