DEXTERITY is an award-winning indie publisher and publishing services company built on community. Self-described “Book People with Startup Hustle,” both our in-house team and the Dexterity Collective that is now more than 100+ book publishing professionals, believes in the power of books to make a difference. From editorial development and production to distribution and fulfillment, we both publish our own titles and deliver premium publishing services to publishers, content creators, corporate clients, and indie authors. Based in Nashville, Tennessee, Dexterity launched in 2017 and is a member of the Nashville Entrepreneur Center and the Independent Book Publishers Association. 

Let us know how Dexterity can help you to move your content forward.

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Matt West
Founder & CEO

Matt has 20+ years in publishing, having worked with everyone from Fortune 500 companies like Amazon and Barnes & Noble to indie bookstores, libraries, and just about everywhere else books are sold. He has worked for both Thomas Nelson (now Harper Collins) and LifeWay’s B&H Publishing Group and held roles in business and product development, sales operations, digital publishing and data strategy before becoming an independent consultant.  

Matt most recently served as industry lead for a 9-month project with the Nashville Entrepreneur Center called 1440, an Ingram Content Group-sponsored Accelerator program for tech startups innovating in publishing. He’s a Nashville native, and when he’s not working, he can likely be found tinkering with tech, listening to vinyl, or hiking and camping with family.​

Karen Longino
Editorial Leader

Karen Longino is Dexterity’s Editorial Leader. She has 20+ years in the book industry, she manages key brand relationships and leads our editorial and production teams. Karen will also be acquiring titles and clients to grow Dexterity’s publishing program and reach.

Karen has worked with two of the big five publishers, serving as Managing Editor at Howard Books, a division of Simon & Schuster, for twelve years, and as a Senior Acquisitions Editor with Hachette Nashville for almost three years.  She has held roles in editorial, product development, and operations, and has worked with numerous bestselling authors during the course of her career. Previous to her publishing roles, she worked in retail as a Director of Stores with Barnes & Noble.

She is a Louisiana native, but has lived in the Nashville area for 12 years, she received her B.A. in Business Management and Human Relations from Trevecca Nazarene University in Nashville, Tennessee. When she’s not working, she will likely be found with her family on travel adventures or playing with her Husky,  Kaiya. She is also a lover of all things books, music, and  beach.

Emma Sherk
Editorial Assistant

Emma Sherk is Dexterity’s Editorial Assistant, working alongside Karen Longino to build author relationships, review manuscripts, and manage new projects. Emma worked with Dexterity as an apprentice in Fall 2021 and started part-time in August 2023. She has also completed internships with Harpeth Road Press and Publisher Spotlight.

Emma earned a B.A. in French and book publishing with an emphasis in editing from Belmont University in 2023. Other than reading, she loves going to coffee shops, watching movies, and practicing her French. She grew up and currently resides just outside of Nashville.

Kim West
Finance and Operations Director

Kim West oversees finance and operations for Dexterity.   Working with our authors, clients, and customers, she keeps our company’s accounting and order processing on track. 

Before her time here at Dexterity, Kim previously worked in the financial services, real estate, and education sectors, and she holds a B.A. in Government and International Politics from George Mason University.  In her free time, she loves a good coffee, watching documentaries, and spending time with her husband and twin teenage sons.

Ashley Harris
Marketing & Publicity Specialist

Ashley Harris is Dexterity’s Marketing and Publicity Specialist, working with authors and clients to create and carry out creative marketing campaigns and pitch our titles to a wide variety of media outlets. Ashley first began working with Dexterity in 2018 as a student freelancer and continued her professional development with an editorial and marketing internship at Beaufort Books in New York City in 2019.

In 2020 Ashley earned a B.A. in Book Publishing with an emphasis in Marketing and Publicity and a minor in English Writing from Belmont University. She started at Dexterity part-time in October 2020 and joined the team full-time in January 2021. When she’s not reading, Ashley fills her time with escape rooms, cross-stitch, game nights, and cuddles with her cat Luna.

Matthew Meyer
Sales Representative

Matthew Meyer is Dexterity’s Sales Representative serving independent bookstores, as well as lead for metadata and analytics projects for the company, with occasional special project assignments as well. He is a graduate of Belmont University with a double major in Marketing and Business Systems & Analytics, with a minor in Book Publishing. After serving as Dexterity Apprentice for a year, he confirmed his passion for the publishing industry. He is proud to work with authors whose stories and ideas make the world a better place. When he’s not working, you might find him losing track of time in a local bookstore, pondering over a chess board, or exploring a trail at Radnor Lake State Park.

The power of many, and the power of community, at your disposal.

The Dexterity Collective is a community of like-minded publishing professionals, either small firms or solopreneurs, who love the art of publishing and love working together to achieve something greater than we can do on our own. We value and respect one another, as well as the shared vision to put author, publisher, and client needs first. Our community of 40+ partners is constantly growing, evolving as fast as the publishing market itself.

Meet some of our core team that form the Dexterity Collective.

Richard Sowienski

Writer and Editor

Richard pioneered the first book publishing major in the country at Belmont. His 30+ years in publishing include marketing, ghostwriting and editorial gigs. Also, he converted an old wooden-shoe factory to a coffee shop.

Sarah Siegand

Typesetter and Graphic Designer

Sarah honed her design skills during her 20-year marketing career, working in various industries including financial services, healthcare, entertainment, and non-profit. She’s a wife, mother, author, and online safety guru.

Bruce Gore

Cover Design Extraordinaire

Bruce has worked as a designer in the publishing industry for over 25 years, as a long-time freelancer as well as art director. His free time is taken up by a love of photography and gawking at vintage craftsman architecture.

Lisa Stillwell

Editor

After 20 years in Christian publishing, Lisa’s expertise spans from consulting to proofreading. She’s compiled and authored several books but is most at home helping others put into words what’s in their heart.

Matt Litton

Writer and Editor

Matt Litton is a #1 national bestselling ghostwriter, author, editorialist and content editor. He believes that powerful stories can change lives and affect positive and enduring change in our world.

This Could Be You!

Dexterity Collective Member

Dexterity is always looking to connect with top talent – if you’re interested in joining our community, please contact us below.

Are you an author, publisher, bookseller, or solopreneur looking to connect with Dexterity?
We would love to hear from you.