We offer a full-service hybrid publishing model that delivers a level of quality in publishing, marketing and distribution that rivals what the top New York traditional publishing houses offer while allowing you to retain your publishing rights and creative control.
As a marketing company we help individuals, businesses, and non-profit organizations develop memorable brands and create customized marketing strategies that distinguishes them from their competition and authentically aligns with their values.
We help individuals and organizations of all sizes engage their audience with clarity and purpose. Whether you are growing a business, trying to increase donations, or building awareness, our creative strategies combine publishing, marketing, branding expertise utilizing the latest technology to help you create real impact and measurable results
After working 20+ years in the publishing industry, first in magazine publishing, then curriculum publishing and ultimately book publishing, David Welday decided to strike out on his own and formed HigherLife Development Services Inc, now known as HigherLife Publishing and Marketing. Here is how we came to develop our unique “Hybrid Publishing Model” that is distinct from both traditional publishing and self-publishing companies.
“I saw that the industry was changing. Traditional publishing where a would-be author has to find a literary agent who then “shops” their book idea to a publisher in the hopes that the publisher will agree to publish and fund their work, well that model still works but only for a very, very small market. Fact is, you can write a brilliant manuscript but if you are not well known and have a large, national following, the chances of getting picked up by a traditional publisher are almost non-existent.
You see, if a traditional publisher is going to take the risk of investing their money in getting your book published, they want to hedge their bets by publishing a book written by someone who is already famous, who already has a large fan base or following. You might have written an amazing business book, ministry book or personal growth book, but if you’re not already famous or a highly sought-after speaker, don’t waste your time trying to woo the attention of a traditional publisher.
What most people don’t know is that traditional publishers make most of their money on the top 15%-20% of their author line up. These are the authors who get all the attention and marketing budget. So even if you get a traditional publishing deal, chances are, you won’t be on your publisher’s A-list so you will have assigned your rights away, be paying too much for the books you buy back from your publisher to sell yourself and not see any substantive royalty income on your publisher’s sales.
With the invention of digital and on-demand printing, that opened the floodgates for a new type of publishing sometimes called vanity publishing or self publishing. There are a ton of small-time operators offering unsuspecting authors a self-publishing package for a fee. In addition, through Kindle Publishing Direct and other online services, authors can choose to go it alone and self-publish their own books. The problem with these self-publishing plans is that the authors don’t know what they don’t know. A company will sell you their “Gold Publishing Plan” or their “Platinum Plan” for a fee. It all sounds great. Problem is, these plans seldom include the level of editing, design and development skill or the marketing strategy and support necessary to have a book actually do well in the market. The author gets a book, but that book may not be well designed, may not be well edited, and while the author has illusions of becoming the next J.K. Rowling or John Grisham, in the vast majority of cases, the author winds up with an inferior book, little or no sales and marketing support and too many unanswered phone calls from their publisher who they assumed would make them a rising star. Sadly, the publishing world littered with disillusioned and disappointed authors who spent too much money and did not have a great publishing experience.
So in 2004 when I struck out on my own, leaving the corporate publishing world behind, I felt there had to be a better way, a different kind of publishing model – one where an author could get the kind of creative and professional development and marketing support that a traditional publisher could offer but where the author could be in control, could own their publishing rights, get their books developed for a modest fee and be able to order books as they need them at deep author discounts so they could actually make money on the books they sell themselves. They would have enough marketing support so that if they are willing to put in the effort, they can publish a book that pays for itself and generates contacts and revenue for the author that can lead to other types of business revenue and speaking engagements. This “new way” of doing business I call “collaborative publishing”. Others call it “hybrid publishing”. But whatever you call it, it’s a powerful publishing model that merges the best of both the traditional publishing and self-publishing models while avoiding some of the downsides of both models.
When I left my previous employment, I had 6-months severance. So I had six months to launch HigherLife and generate enough business to be able to support my family. By God’s grace and favor, that’s how HigherLife began and for the last 20+ years this is how we have had the joy of serving some truly incredible people – people with powerful stories and truly inspiring and helpful insights who each want to make the world a better place through the message they have to share.
This is HigherLife’s story and we invite you to become an amazing part of what we think is a wonderful story.
From shaping your manuscript to crafting stunning visuals, we bring together experts who know how to turn your vision into a polished, professional product. With decades of combined experience, we’re here to ensure every detail of your project exceeds expectations.
Tim Synan is passionate about building meaningful connections and helping people make a lasting impact in the world. As a seasoned consultant and expert in strategic growth, marketing, and publishing, Tim has worked with ministries, nonprofits, and small businesses to expand their platforms, increase their outreach, and build sustainable systems that drive engagement and transformation.
Tim’s journey in service began in the nonprofit sector, where he worked with organizations like Habitat for Humanity, developing community-building initiatives, volunteer engagement strategies, and faith-based partnerships to support affordable housing efforts. His early experiences in nonprofit leadership helped shape his deep commitment to social impact, mission-driven work, and helping others bring their vision to life.
His passion for ministry soon led him to serve as a Youth Pastor, where he worked to equip and disciple young people, building faith-based programs that fostered spiritual growth and leadership. In addition to youth ministry, he also worked in curriculum development, helping churches create impactful discipleship resources to strengthen their communities. These experiences gave him a unique perspective on leadership, content creation, and the power of storytelling in inspiring transformation.
Tim’s love for global missions took him beyond the local church, as he became actively involved with international organizations, including Costa Rica Mission Projects and the Mbale Child Care Foundation (Uganda). Through these initiatives, he worked to meet both the spiritual and practical needs of communities, reinforcing his belief that faith should be lived out through action and service.
Today, Tim continues to use his expertise in publishing, marketing, and strategy as the publisher of HigherLife Publishing and Marketing. His company helps authors, leaders, and visionaries bring their messages to the world through powerful storytelling, strategic marketing, and innovative publishing solutions. HigherLife works with a range of clients, from first-time authors to established thought leaders, ensuring their books and messages not only reach their intended audiences but also create real change.
Born and raised in Boston, Tim brings a strong work ethic, a heart for service, and a deep commitment to excellence to everything he does. An Enneagram 3w2, he thrives on achieving goals while supporting others along the way. He is also a devoted fan of the New England Patriots—a love that runs deep in his Boston roots.
Outside of his professional endeavors, Tim has a deep love for golf, seeing it not just as a sport but as a way to build relationships and create meaningful connections. He also has a unique (and admittedly childish) passion for professional wrestling, helping his friends manage one of the largest professional wrestling Facebook pages in the world, engaging with fans and building a thriving online community.
Beyond his work and hobbies, Tim is a dedicated husband to his talented wife, Jessie, and a loving father to their three amazing children, Atticus, Faith, and Daniel.
Whether he’s coaching ministries on effective outreach, helping authors craft their next book, or strategizing marketing plans for nonprofits, Tim’s ultimate goal remains the same—to help people maximize their influence, grow their platform, and make a difference for the Kingdom.
To book Tim as a speaker or contact him, call: 910-523-4265 or e-mail tsynan@ahigherlife.com
Paint night with my beautiful wife, Jessie.
Our fun and energetic children who are three different shades of my personality.
Three generations in one picture: celebrating the graduation of my brother Chris. Chris is a highly-accomplished leader who works for MLS Next Pro team, Carolina Core FC.
The mission team I lead serving in Costa Rica with Costa Rica Mission Projects.
David Welday is an out-of-the-box thinker, gifted communicator, high-energy motivator, publisher, trainer, marketing strategist and coach.
Whether working with a client one-on-one or speaking to a packed house, David is known for his passionate, high-energy and infectious demeanor and presentation.
He serves as President of HigherLife Publishing and Marketing (www.higherlifepublishing.com), and Executive Director of Next Generation Institute. (www.nextgeninstitute.com)
He has delivered 500+ percent growth for nationwide periodicals, developed New York Times bestselling authors and created award-winning curriculum resources for both for-profit companies and non-profit organizations.
He has served in the publishing and marketing world for more than 40 years with experience in; direct response marketing, magazine publishing, book publishing, curriculum and digital resource development, donor development and organizational development.
His experience includes work in traditional, collaborative and self-publishing models. He does “Contagious Brand Strategy” engagements for both corporations and not-for-profit ministries.
Dave is a published author and does seminars and intensives in the areas of branding, personal development, spiritual growth, publishing, parenting, leadership and marketing. His published books include:
Clients he has served include: Health Central Hospital, The Williams Group, Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, Bill Winston Ministries, New Tribes Mission, Chef Zipora LLC, Voice of the Martyrs, Assist Network International, World Compassion, Change This World, David C. Cooke, Gospel Light, Charisma Media, BOSS the Movement, Kingdom Global, Lionshare, Texas Health Resources, The Service Driven Institute, and many others.
David has served on the board of multiple charitable, non-profit organizations.
In addition, David is a Certified Professional Coach (CPC) and is an Energy Leadership Index Master Practitioner (MP) with the Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching.
David lives in Oviedo Florida, has been married to his lovely wife Amy for more than 46 years. He and his wife have three grown sons, David, Darren and Jason and are actively involved in local church and non-profit charity work.
To book David as a speaker or contact him, call: (407) 563-4806 or e-mail dwelday@ahigherlife.com or simply click this link: Schedule a Conversation with David.
David’s family -As a husband, father and now grandfather, I couldn’t be more blessed.
A milkshake duel with my oldest grandson.
Jana and Ian, a wonderful couple I had the privilege of marrying.
Three generations of Welday men – my dad (now passed) me and my three sons.
Margaret handles the books for HigherLife and in that capacity, makes sure the bills get paid on time. She has been providing bookkeeping services for both for-profit and non-profit organizations for more than 20 years. Margaret and her family enjoy traveling and spending time with family and friends. They are currently working on visiting as many Triple D (Diner, Drive-Ins and Dives) restaurants as they can find.
With a dynamic career spanning corporate leadership, publishing, government, nonprofit work, and financial services, Michelle brings a wealth of experience in operations, business development, project administration, along with design and creative endeavors.
Michelle has been with HigherLife Publishing and Marketing for over 12 years, working in operations to most recently shifting into Project Development.
Michelle’s dedication extends to the nonprofit sector, where she has managed finances, volunteer services, program development and grant writing. She has also coordinated large fundraising events to help at-risk children. Prior Michelle spent six years with Conscious Discipline developing the corporates’ multi-state then global operational success while establishing its own in-house publishing that supported the development of educational books, materials, and music. Her expertise in process administration and quality control has played a pivotal role in driving growth and maintaining excellence.
Michelle has worked on multiple projects as a Publishing Coach and donated services of design on various nonprofit brochures. Her own upcoming works include a children’s book and a journal of healing, reflecting her passion for storytelling and advocacy.
Her volunteer support includes: The Harold Grinspoon Foundation (2000), BTN, and the Foundation for Foster Children, Orlando, FL (2010). Additionally, she created a senior art program for a local Assisted Living community, providing creative engagement and participation for the residents.
She is a former student of Currier and Ives Art school, holds multiple Certificates from Rollins College, Adobe, Microsoft, UCF, Constant Contact, and Intuit. Paralegal Certification(1994) NAMI State Training ( 2008) and Harris School of Real Estate (1998).
Esse Johnson | Senior Editor & Ghostwriter
Jessie is a Social Media Manager, Ghostwriter, and Blogger that uses knowledge of SEO and social media to grow nonprofits, businesses, and ministries. Jessie is passionate about working for the Kingdom through her leadership role in The Whisper Gathering, which is a nationwide life-changing retreat for Christian women. The goal of the The Whisper Gathering is to equip participants to be still and here the still small voice of God. She is married to her husband Tim, and they share three beautiful kids together.
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