Authors Inside began on two separate coasts (California and Virginia), from the minds of a writer, Laura Gaisie, an incarcerated author, Emmanuel Gaisie, and a graphic designer, Lindsay Heider Diamond, who collaborated with incarcerated author Mr. George K. L. Smith to create his book, The Molding of Him, in January of 2020.

Though the team went their separate ways after publishing, they continued working with incarcerated authors. Lindsay was contacted by another incarcerated author who wanted her help with his novel, and she began working with numerous authors behind bars in Virginia. Meanwhile, Laura was collecting and working on manuscripts from several incarcerated authors in California, one of them written by her husband, Emmanuel. He was witnessing firsthand the benefits of writing while incarcerated, not only for his own self reflection, but for his peers, the outside community, and at-risk youth who his story could have an impact on.

The next time Laura and Lindsay spoke, nearly six months later, they both realized the necessity of bringing these voices out from behind bars, and Authors Inside was born.