Plymouth James Press
An imprint of The Open Book Company
An independent hybrid-ish publisher.
With an “author first, book second” path to publishing, we emphasize the power of
human-to-human, personalized connection in the storytelling process and pride ourselves on transparency and ethics.
We are a values-driven house, publishing books with meaning and a message.
Our Books
How to Stay Grounded, Build Trust, and Lead with Wholeness in Uncertain Times
Leadership Integrity Framework
By Maria Wade
Leadership Integrity Framework explores what it means to lead with integrity in an era of unprecedented complexity, where leaders face the constant challenge of maintaining their authenticity while navigating organizational pressures, systemic forces, and rapid change. It combines a sophisticated theoretical foundation—drawing from neuroscience, adult development, and systems thinking—with deeply practical tools gleaned from over 3,000 hours of coaching senior executives.
The core message is that leadership effectiveness doesn't come from mastering isolated skills but from integrating four essential dimensions: Purpose (your inner clarity and values), Presence (how you show up under pressure), Partnership (the quality of relationships you build), and Perspective (your ability to see and work with whole systems).
Readers will walk away with a transformative framework for developing sustainable, authentic leadership that feels coherent rather than fragmented, along with real-world examples of how leaders have used these principles to navigate major transitions, find their voice in challenging environments, and create conditions where both they and their organizations can thrive.
More than a leadership development guide, this is an invitation to explore what wholeness looks like in leadership—not perfection, but integration that allows leaders to stay connected to what matters most while effectively responding to complexity.
On Writing Through Struggle, Shame and Self-Doubt
Avoided No More
Edited by Kim Marsh
14 Writers * 14 Stories *
14 Truths
The stories contained within this anthology were almost never written. Each contributing author dug deep to discover the one thing they’d avoided writing about and made the brave decision to speak their truth. But they didn’t stop there. Every essay in this collection also includes a companion piece, a “behind-the-scenes” look at what it took to move through the struggle, shame, self-doubt, fear, and more to put these words to the page.
Avoided No More reminds us that we all have stories buried within us, that there’s power in sharing our truth, and, perhaps most importantly, that none of us are truly alone on this journey.
Maria Wade
Author of Leadership Integrity Framework,
Executive Coach & Founder, Leadership Integrity Group
“Working with Kim and Plymouth James Press transformed not just my manuscript, but my entire relationship with the writing process.
When I began this book three years ago, uncertainty surrounded me. I was an immigrant rebuilding everything—my career, my sense of home, my body's capacity to heal. I was raising twins while establishing a coaching practice in unfamiliar terrain. I was carrying a framework that felt vital but formless, and trying to write it in an academic voice that wasn't mine.
Kim didn't just edit my book. She became a true partner in its emergence. When early reader feedback was brutal enough to make me consider abandoning the project, she supported me in seeing it as redirection rather than rejection. She held space for both my doubt and my conviction. She challenged me to find my authentic voice instead of performing academic authority I didn't need.
What sets Plymouth James Press apart is this: Kim understands that a book is not just a product—it's an expression of who you're becoming. She doesn't impose a formula. She helps you discover what's already alive in your work and gives it permission to breathe.
My book, Leadership Integrity Framework, exists because Kim believed in it before it was coherent, trusted my voice before I found it, and created the conditions where deep work could unfold at its own pace. She never rushed me toward efficiency at the expense of truth.
This is human-to-human publishing at its finest—ethically grounded, individually tailored, and committed to books that matter. If you're looking for someone who will see both you and your work, who will challenge you without diminishing you, and who will help you create something that feels both excellent and true, this is your publisher.
I didn't just write a book with Plymouth James Press. I found the courage to write my book."
About Plymouth James
The most important thing to know about us: we pride ourselves on transparency and ethics.
We are a different kind of hybrid-ish publisher.
We recognize the publishing process is a personal one, and our approach is customized to meet each author’s needs.
(There are no cookie cutters in this kitchen!)
We’re not here to simply throw the map at you and tell you which direction to go; we serve as a guide and partner on your entire publishing journey from blank page to book-in-hand.
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We currently publish by invitation-only. This means less focus on the number of books published and more focus on individual authors.
We have an author-first, book-second approach to publishing. The author, their hopes, goals and desires are primary, and we customize each publishing experience to meet their needs.
Authors don’t get lost in a black hole as “just another” number. We provide 1:1 support to authors through the planning, preparation and publishing of their book. Led by me. Kim. The person writing these words.
We work in partnership with authors to provide an extensive range of services including: book coaching, developmental editing, beta reader management, copyediting, proofreading, cover design, interior book design and book launch support.
The author retains 100% of the rights to their book.
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As brand-new house, through fall 2025, Plymouth James Press will publish by invitation-only. Submissions for publication will open in 2026.
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We work in partnership with authors to provide an extensive range of services including: book coaching, developmental editing, beta reader management, copyediting, proofreading, cover design, interior book design and book launch support.
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As part of our commitment to transparency, here’s some information to know about our process.
As a hybrid publishing company, our authors pay for many of the services we provide.
We do not use AI in any of our editing or content services. This is a human-to-human experience from start to finish.
Author’s books are available on the following platforms: Amazon, Kindle, Ingram Spark, bookshop.org and Goodreads. U.S. authors also have the option for expanded distribution which includes: Barnes & Noble Online, Target Online and more.
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Kim Marsh is the Founder of Plymouth James Press. Her dad, Michael, was an aspiring actor who was born in Plymouth, England and traveled to the United States in his mid-twenties to try and “make it” in New York. He later met her mom, Stacie, and ultimately settled in a town called St. James, where Kim grew up.
Plymouth James Press is a tribute to Kim’s dad; it’s a name that both bookends his life and connects them both through the paths of their childhoods. (Check it out, Dad. Whatcha think?) It’s also a reminder that all of our stories include where we’ve come from, where we are, and where we’re going.
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