Are you a writer?
You’ve written a manuscript and you think you’re ready to take the next step to become a published author. We welcome submissions from authors of fiction, memoir, local and regional history, nature writing, poetry and children’s books. We are known for publishing books that are beautiful inside and out that you and your family will treasure.
Scroll down for our guides to editing, illustration and our top tips for a successful submission.
How to get started:
Crumps Barn Studio is a book publisher in Gloucestershire, based in the heart of the Cotswolds near Cirencester, England. We were founded in 2012 and we are an independent publisher operating on a collaborative basis. This means that the author shares some of the costs of getting their work into print but in all other ways we are comparable to mainstream publishing, particularly in the way we present and distribute our titles. Our authors love the fact they get to work with an experienced editor, and they also gain confidence from knowing that their talent has been recognised and they have a publisher representing their work. Following your dream of becoming a published author can be exciting, but it can also be daunting. We are proud that we are friendly and accessible.
Some useful guides to help you become a published author:
Why choose us?
Our authors usually submit to us because our books are found in bookshops across the UK and because we treat each work as the individual it deserves to be. We are selective about the titles we represent, but we are friendly and approachable, and we could offer you the publishing opportunity you have been hoping for.
Book marketing can be daunting if you have never done it before, but we provide plenty of advice and you’ll often hear our authors speaking on the radio or spot them in newspapers and magazines. We supply the mainstream distribution network so that UK bookshops can access your title easily, and also publish worldwide to Amazon and ebook. We also pay royalties.
How do we choose our authors?
First and foremost, our authors have an original story to share. Our submissions process is easy and at the moment we’re particularly keen to hear from authors of personal memoir and fiction.
We love local and regional history and countryside, so we’d love to hear from you if your work falls within these categories.
For poetry, we enjoy thought provoking and personal collections with a connection to classics, nature or history.
We also publish a selection of children’s books. Our picture books and chapter books tend to feature nature and countryside, while for older readers, we love stories with a connection to fairy tales, mystery or magic. Submissions which will require illustration by our in-house illustrator are welcome.
We are happy to consider work of all genres and take each title on a case by case basis, so please get in touch by following the steps below.
We are a human-authored publisher, and this includes a ban on using AI in text or illustrations including cover design. In short, we are dedicated to publishing books that are beautiful inside and out that you and your family will treasure. We hope you will feel empowered by our approach to publishing. If you’re the right author for us, you’re looking for a friendly and accessible publisher who recognises your talent as you pursue your dreams as a published author.
What happens when we agree to publish a work?
Once we have made a publishing offer and it has been accepted, your work will be added to our publishing programme. All manuscripts go through a thorough editing process before they are released. Naturally, we undertake all design work, including layout and cover design, and we can even scan images in-house (eg old family photographs for a memoir). Our books are known for their beautifully written content and their elegant presentation.
Our in-house illustrator has a busy programme but welcomes submissions of children’s stories. He also illustrates poetry.
Most importantly, you will move forwards towards your publishing date with the confidence of knowing your talent has been recognised and you have a publisher representing you and championing your work. Soon you’ll be a published author.
Where will your books be sold?
We publish in paperback for the distribution network that supplies UK bookshops, and also worldwide through Amazon and ebook.
How to submit your manuscript
Please get in touch by email. We’d love to hear from you. Ideally, your email will include a short description of who you are and a brief summary of the work. You should also include the manuscript as a Word document or .pages file. And you are always welcome to ask any questions you may have.
Once we’ve received your manuscript, we’ll get back to you swiftly with our thoughts.
We only publish titles that we really love, but we’re also very friendly. You can be a new author or an established name. All of our published authors have an original story to tell and you could be just the writer we are looking for.
Top tips for a successful submission:
- Include a covering email outlining who you are and introducing your book
- Attach your full manuscript as a Word document or .pages file
- If your work is an illustrated work, we prefer to receive the text as a word document with illustrations attached separately as jpegs
- Write your email yourself in your own words – we want to know who you are, not what a template told you to write!
- Explore our website and our catalogue of titles so that you are familiar with our work and you know you already love what we do
Browse our current titles:
We publish beautiful bookshelf reads in paperback and ebook, and our print editions are ethically printed in the UK on fully traceable FSC certified paper. All our books are available from high street bookshops and online retailers across the UK. Browse our titles on these main outlets:
