How Cecilia and Jason Hilkey Built a Publishing Empire in Just 5 Months

When Cecilia and Jason Hilkey decided to publish their first book, they faced the same question that haunts every aspiring author: “Is now the right time?” Their answer might surprise you.

“I don’t think it’s ever the right time,” says Jason. “Is there ever a good time to have a baby? No.

Is there ever a good time to start a business? No. So we just kind of went for it.”

That leap of faith resulted in The Perfectly Imperfect Family, a parenting anthology that became a #1 international bestseller and transformed not only their business but the lives of nearly 60 contributing authors.

Why They Chose Anthology Over Solo

Rather than writing a traditional solo book, the Hilkeys made a strategic decision that would amplify their impact exponentially. As leaders in the parenting space through their company Happily Family, they recognized a crucial gap in the market.

“We know that there’s not just one kind of parenting information, there’s not just one expert out there,” explains Cecilia. “We wanted to figure out a way to highlight all those different voices and give parents a variety of different folks that are up-and-coming.”

This anthology approach served dual purposes: providing parents with diverse perspectives while creating a platform for emerging parenting professionals to build their credibility and reach new audiences.

The Community That Changed Everything

What set their anthology apart wasn’t just the quality of the content—it was the unprecedented level of community engagement they fostered among contributors. The Hilkeys created a dedicated space where all 60 authors could connect, collaborate, and support each other throughout the process.

“We’ve never really looked at other people as competitors,” says Cecilia. “Let’s collaborate together and have fun. The more somebody else’s business succeeds, the more we succeed.”

This philosophy proved transformative. Contributors didn’t just write their chapters and disappear—they became passionate advocates for the book and each other. Six weeks before launch, authors were actively promoting not just the book but each other’s work, creating a marketing momentum that industry professionals found remarkable.

Beyond the Book: Life-Changing Results

The impact extended far beyond bestseller status. Contributors have since landed podcast interviews, magazine features, and one was even approached by Forbes. Many formed their own ongoing mastermind groups and continue meeting regularly to support each other’s businesses.

“The amount of credibility that being an author can give them when they step out on a stage or step into a podcast,” Jason notes, “knowing ‘hey, I deserve to be here’—that’s what happens when you get to step into the author space.”

Overcoming the Biggest Fears

Like many first-time authors, the Hilkeys faced significant concerns about managing such a large collaborative project. Jason’s biggest worry was operational: “My fear was that I was going to have to figure out how to publish a book, which is bonkers, and then also market it.”

Working with Summit Press Publishers alleviated these concerns entirely. “We had so many fears of like, how do we figure this thing out or that thing out?” Cecilia recalls. “You and your team had an answer to every single thing. We could hit the ground running because we knew whatever came up, it was handled.”

The Business Impact

The book’s success repositioned the Hilkeys in their industry as legitimate community builders who understand how the business works—and more importantly, who are willing to share that knowledge rather than hoard it.

“There’s something about a book, especially in the parenting world, that gave that little bit of credibility,” Jason explains. The book created new revenue streams, opened different opportunities, and provided a physical testament to their expertise that their previous digital-only content couldn’t match.

The Perfect Time Is Now

For experts considering their own book project, the Hilkeys offer both practical and emotional guidance. From Jason’s business perspective: “The way I would have actually answered when the perfect time for us to have done this book would have been years ago. I wish we would have had this years ago.”

Cecilia’s advice goes deeper: “Go inside your body and feel and listen to that inner wisdom. We often don’t regret the things that we do in life. Often at the end of our life, we regret the things that we don’t do.”

The Hilkeys’ journey from concept to #1 bestseller in just five months proves that with the right strategy, support system, and collaborative spirit, extraordinary publishing success is within reach—even for first-time authors ready to think bigger than going it alone.