Writing a book is a massive undertaking. But for many authors, the publishing process feels like a choice between two bad options: the “black box” of traditional publishing where you lose control, or the risk of drowning in details by going it alone.
Dexterity exists to offer a third way.
We’re book people with startup hustle—a community-built publisher that partners with authors to create books that make the world a better place. We replace the guesswork of self-publishing with big publisher expertise. Led by industry veterans, we utilize a data-driven, 3-stage, “6D Process” to engineer your success:
Discovery & Data
Development & Design
Delivery & Distribution
This proven process ensures your book is prioritized by sales channels and positioned to find your readers before it ever hits the shelf.
Backed by the Dexterity Collective—a powerhouse community of over 175 vetted writers, editors, and marketers—we provide the bandwidth of a large agency with the personal care of a boutique partner. Whether you need our full imprint, assisted self-publishing, or flexible publishing services, we have the team to help.
We are proud members of the Nashville Entrepreneur Center and the IBPA, and our titles have been featured on Good Morning America, People, and Fast Company. But our greatest award is helping authors like you move your content forward.
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.
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 is Dexterity’s Assistant Marketing Manager, 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.S. 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 cross-stitching, building LEGOs, hosting game nights, cuddling with her cat Luna, and searching for the best tacos on Earth.
Lauren Arieux Bryan is Dexterity’s Production Editor, primarily focused on managing projects and providing coordination and support for our clients and freelancers. A former Dexterity freelance editor and proofreader herself, Lauren certainly lends these skills to the role, as well. She originally hails from Alabama, where she earned a B. A. in Journalism from Auburn University (War Eagle!) and a Masters of Library Science from the University of Alabama, which further solidified her love of books and data. After working as a librarian and bookseller, she moved to Nashville 15 years ago and has since hung her hat at (the unfortunately now-closed) Davis-Kidd Bookstore, managed data and research for the administrative arm of the United Methodist Church, and served as an acquisitions editor for the United Methodist Publishing House.
She lives in Bellevue, Tennessee with her husband, where they attempt to keep the chaos under control with their two wild boys and their two, also wild, dogs. When not hiding somewhere quiet to read, she can be found killing houseplants, working in her vegetable garden, traveling to visit family and friends, and longing for the day she has access to a neighborhood pool.
Anna Summerville is Dexterity’s Publishing Coordinator, training under the staff in book production, editing, and marketing. Anna also assists with data entry, proofreading, fact-checking, and more. Anna started her apprenticeship with Dexterity in August 2024. She has also completed an internship with Humanities Tennessee.
Anna attends Lipscomb University, where she is working toward a BA in English. When she is not curled up with a book, she spends her time writing short stories, cross-stitching, playing video games, and roller-skating on the weekends. Originally from Knoxville, Tennessee, Anna currently resides in Nashville.
Shirley Lachance is Dexterity’s Marketing Coordinator, working to develop and launch social media and email marketing campaigns. She assists in pitching stores and media outlets, data entry, sales tracking, and more. Shirley joined team Dexterity in January of 2025 as a marketing and PR intern while finishing her undergraduate studies.
In May of 2025, Shirley graduated from Belmont University where she earned a B.S. in Creative and Entertainment Industries with a minor in Music Business. In her free time, she can be found volunteering at her church, enjoying quality time with friends and family, testing out new recipes, or weeping her way through a contemporary romance novel. Originally from Rhode Island, Shirley now lives in Columbia, Tennessee.
Raegyn Oliver is an intern at Dexterity where she gains experience in editing, marketing, and book production. She began her internship in May 2025 and also works as a bookseller at Parnassus Books. Raegyn graduated summa cum laude from Lipscomb University with a B.A. in Psychology and minors in English and Studio Art. While attending Lipscomb, she served as a Writing Consultant in the university’s Writing Studio and launched a passion project focused on grief. Her “Sincerely Yours: A Therapeutic Writing Approach to Grief” research proposal was presented at the Student Scholars Symposium in Spring 2025.
Professionally, her writing has been featured in Ready Nest Counseling’s blog. Her short story “Id Number 15” was published in Pulp Lit Magazine in Fall 2024. Other fiction works, “The Wicked Interview” and “Ballad of Ikaris,” are being revised and reviewed for publication. Raegyn currently resides in Nashville, TN. Outside of writing, she enjoys dwelling in fictional worlds, sending letters to nursing home residents, and emotionally unraveling during Keira Knightley movies.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
Dexterity is always looking to connect with top talent – if you’re interested in joining our community, please contact us below.
Being a service provider in the Dexterity Collective is a very rewarding experience. Not only do you get to work on projects that are high-quality with a tremendous amount of cultural impact, you are also treated with a great deal of respect and value by every member of the Dexterity team. Along with a high level of excellence, Dexterity leads with a high level of kindness and care for every person they partner with.
