Ballast Books
A Publisher Finds Its Growth Partner
The Business
Ballast Books is a hybrid publisher founded in 2019 with a specialty most of New York cannot touch: books by special-operations veterans and other authors with real stories and real audiences. It accepts roughly one in ten manuscripts, has been fully remote since before that was normal, and once won a household-name author away from a big-five advance on nothing but trust and a referral.
Andy Symonds comes from a Navy family, started as a journalist, self-published his own first book, and worked his way to a VP seat at a hybrid publisher before founding Ballast on his own. Growing 50 percent a year with no outside capital, he came to Rejigg not to exit but to find a partner: capital and horsepower to scale past what one founder can carry.
Transaction Timeline
How the Deal Happened
Andy connected with Cory Rellas on Rejigg in April 2024, and the two worked from interest to a signed term sheet by August. The investment closed around the end of the year, structured as exactly what Andy wanted: money and a partner in the business, with the founder still running it.
Deal Highlights
Selective by Design
Publishes roughly one in ten manuscripts submitted.
Remote Before It Was Normal
Built a fully remote publishing team from day one.
Organic Growth
Grew 50 percent a year with no outside capital before this raise.
Investment, Not Exit
The founder stayed in charge and gained a growth partner.
The Buyer
Cory Rellas invested as an individual, backing a founder-led publisher with momentum rather than buying it out. The structure keeps Andy at the helm with a partner beside him, the version of a Rejigg outcome where nobody leaves and the business simply gets stronger.
Announcement
Ballast Books Closes Equity Investment Sourced through Rejigg’s Small Business Marketplace
SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 7, 2025 – Rejigg announced today that Ballast Books, a full-service hybrid publisher that handles all aspects of book creation, design, publishing, marketing, distribution, and platform building, has closed on an equity investment from an individual investor. Ballast Books has seen significant organic growth in recent years, and the new investment positions the company to continue scaling their best-in-class publishing services through a concentrated sales and marketing effort. Rejigg facilitated the initial introduction via their first-of-its-kind platform that allows buyers to connect directly with high-quality, off-market businesses. “I did this deal because I wanted a partner that could take us to the next level, and I’m confident that Cory is that partner,” said Andy Symonds, the founder and owner of Ballast Books. “He’s bringing a complementary skillset, which includes leveraging digital technologies to really improve our processes, especially on the marketing side of things.” Cory Rellas, now a minority owner of the company, initially contacted the owner through Rejigg in April 2024. Their first call took place later that month, and the two parties signed an LOI in late August. The deal closed on January 1st. “I loved the flexibility that I got through Rejigg,” added Andy. “I was able to test the waters and explore different opportunities to find the right partner for Ballast. It was a real win-win.” Post-close, Andy and Cory intend to work collaboratively to scale up the company’s marketing initiatives, continue building brand awareness, and further their mission of democratizing publishing. About Ballast Books Ballast Books is a full-service publishing company that aims to democratize the publishing industry by offering authors an alternative to traditional publishing routes. They provide a comprehensive suite of services, including book publishing and author support, enabling writers to bring their stories to life without the lengthy process of querying agents and pitching editors. Recognized as a 2024 Publisher of the Year by the Outstanding Creator Awards, Ballast Books collaborates with top performers, thought leaders, and innovators to produce high-quality publications. For more information, visit ballastbooks.com. About Rejigg Rejigg is a platform that connects owners of small businesses with qualified acquirers and investors. Through their proprietary platform, Rejigg enables buyers and sellers to discover new opportunities, message directly with interested parties, and easily schedule introductory calls to explore potential deals. To date, Rejigg has built a marketplace that includes 400+ off-market businesses, and has made over 5,000 introductions between small business owners and interested buyers. Based in San Francisco and venture-backed, Rejigg is simplifying the process of buying and selling SMBs by using technology to eliminate friction in the discovery process, increase transparency, and reduce transaction costs. For more information, visit rejigg.com.
Coverage
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