Publishing Talks: Interview with Jeremy Facknitz
October 2, 2026 by David
Filed under PublishingTalks, Technology, The Future
Publishing Talks began as a series of conversations with book industry professionals and others involved in media and technology. Mostly we’ve talked with people in the book industry about the history and the evolution of publishing and books.
I’ve had the pleasure of speaking with editors, publishers, technologists, innovators, and leaders in independent publishing and bookselling past and present.
These conversations have been inspirational to me. I’ve learned a great deal from people who have influenced and changed contemporary literature and culture, as well as many interesting friends and colleagues in the book business.
Today’s Publishing Talks conversation is very different. Jeremy Facknitz is not in the book business. He is an independent songwriter and musician. Of course there are obvious differences between books and music—you can listen to music while you do other things, and people pay real money to hear singers and bands play live for them; whereas books require your full attention and reading is only rarely a shared public experience. But there are many similarities when you look at the actual business structures of book publishing and music distribution, especially for writers and musicians.
This is especially important now when technology has opened the floodgates of human creativity and enabled the creation and circulation of many more books and songs than was ever possible in the past. This outpouring has upended the economies of both the book business and the music business and inalterably changed how books and music are discovered by readers and listeners. And at the same time, this ocean of books and music has created massive challenges for creators (and their publishers and music labels) to reach audiences.
Jeremy stands out as someone who has found a meaningful path to creating a livelihood as a singer/songwriter, and that’s what got my attention.
Jeremy has been active as singer/songwriter for a long time (see his bio below). While he started out in a band, like many other musicians, he worked in many different non-music jobs for a long time, but finally in his thirties decided to make a living as a performer. He discovered that doing house concerts could be his primary form of revenue. He does his own booking and has created his own unique form of audience building. He now performs over 100 concerts a year in people’s homes.
When I first learned about Jeremy’s work, I thought he would be perfect for this series. Even though his performing does not align exactly with the way authors and publishers work , there is alot to learn from what Jeremy does. His values and commitment to connecting with his audience in a human way is crucial.
So please have a listen and do let me know what you think. There are some links below so you can learn more about Jeremy. I hope you will listen to (and enjoy) his songs. You might want to host him for a house concert of your own!
I love Jeremy’s motto: The Revolution Will Not Be Streamed
TIDBITS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Finalist for the 2020, 2022 and 2025 Grassy Hill Kerrville New Folk Songwriting Competitions at the Kerrville Folk Festival… Winner for the 2023 Empower Music Awards (formerly known as the Posi Awards)… Awarded 2nd place in the 2022 Indie International Songwriting Competition (“Unsung”)… Runner-up in the Renaissance Artists and Writers Association “Songs For Social Change Competition”, 2020 (“Land Fills”)… Member of “The Ottomans” from 1997 through 2002 (2001 Detroit Music Award Winner, “Best New Alternative Group”)… Member of “Standing Room Only” with brother Jarod Facknitz from 2001 through 2003… 2009 Pikes Peak Arts Council nominee for “Best Solo Performer of the Pikes Peak Region”… has opened as solo act for/performed with The Samples, Tim Reynolds (Dave Matthews Band), Pat Donahue (Prairie Home Companion), Edie Carey, Charlie Milo, Lindsay Weidmann… graduated from the Specs Howard School of Broadcast Arts in 1997 and was a radio DJ for 4 years (gospel and adult contemporary)… passed the series 7 test for license to sell securities in 2013 and one year later quit working in finance… loves baseball and is an avid fan of the Detroit Tigers baseball club… is married to singer-songwriter Lindsay Weidmann and together they have two children… is a U.S. citizen with Canadian permanent residency and will soon be based in the Vancouver area.
Video “As of This Morning”
Video “Smilin’ at the Future”
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