Workplay Publishing is the newest advertiser in The Bluffton Icon. The Bluffton-based book publishing company is owned by Andre Swartley, 137 N. Mound St.

The book publishing company became a reality last summer. Workplay seeks non-fiction and fiction works from authors.

"I hope to help people like myself who have finished manuscripts (publish their works as a book)," he said. "I love to discover new writers with new talents who have the patience to get to a professional level."

He said that self-publishing has become more common and respected in the aging print industry.

Authors who agree to have works published through Workplay will have help polishing their work. Swartley says that he is not an agent or a book promoter. Workplay published books, however, will be listed on the Internet through Amazon and Borders. All Workplay published works will have their own ISBN, which enables the books to be sold in bookstores.

Swartley says that there are several options for book sizes and press runs for Workplay pieces.

"The smallest book could be 85 pages," said Swartley. "We can also publish works of up to 800 pages." There are several finished sizes available, ranging from 5- by 7-inch to 17- by 20-inch coffee table books.

Assisting Swartley with Workplay Publishing is his wife, Kate, an adjunct Spanish instructor at Bluffton University, who is a co-owner and test reader in the enterprise. In addition, Alison King of Bluffton takes care of book covers and interior designs.

Workplay books are printed by Lightning Source; Inc. LSI is the Print on Demand division of Ingram Book Co., which is the largest wholesale book distributor in the world.

Swartley explains that print on demand means that books may be printed in runs of 100 copies at a time and shipped directly to buyers.