We are an independent publisher operating on a collaborative basis, but what does that mean? What is collaborative publishing? And how does our approach compare to other routes into print?
The main routes into print
There are a lot of different routes into print, and we firmly believe authors should choose the route which suits them the best. The definitions of the different kinds of publishing often fall into three camps: self-publishing, traditional publishing or collaborative publishing.
We classify as a collaborative publisher, in that the author shares some of the costs of getting their work into print – but in most other ways we operate on a mainstream publishing model, particularly in terms of how we present and distribute our titles.
What sets us apart:
- This is not a publishing service where you pay to have your book produced and you receive a quantity of books. We work closely with our authors, but we’re publishing for mainstream release;
- We only publish titles we truly love and feel we can represent. If you’re set to be one of our authors, this is because we’ve seen something special in your work;
- There are some costs involved with this route – but we only ask our authors to pay a share of the cost of publishing their work;
- The majority of our sales are through high street bookshops and online retailers – and we market our titles.
This is how we are able to treat each title as the individual it deserves to be. Our books are also truly beautiful.
A closer look at the three main routes into print:
When authors speak about publishing, their experiences often fall into three camps: self-publishing, traditional publishing or collaborative publishing. But what do these terms mean, and how do you know which is the right one for you?
Self-Publishing
Self-Publishing is the term for authors who publish their own work and manage their own titles. Indie-authors also produce their own cover design and formatting – or pay skilled service providers to create this for them. They are often computer literate and internet-savvy, as a lot of self-published books are produced online.
Sometimes authors take this approach because they only want a few titles for their own use. We absolutely encourage authors to pursue this route if it is the right option for them. Some incredible authors are self-published. However it can be difficult to get your books into stock in high street bookshops and it is harder to access the mainstream distribution network. Getting professional editing of your text can be expensive as well.
If you are set to be one of our authors, you’ll come to us because you don’t want to be a lone voice in the bustle of the internet world. One of the benefits of having a publisher is that editing forms an integral part of our publishing process. Find out more about our approach to editing >
If you think you’ll enjoy having a publisher to represent you and seeing your book being championed to bookshops and online retailers such as Amazon, we’d love to hear from you. Please get in touch.
Traditional publishing
Traditional or mainstream publishing is the term used for the route into print where a publisher signs you into a contract and, hopefully, pays an advance.
At first glance, this can seem like the ideal option for most authors and there is a bias towards this kind of publishing on social media.
However … there can be a lot of pressure to conform, which can be stifling, and a lot of people are excluded simply for being too old, too young, or simply not famous enough to count as ‘commercial’. If you are set to be one of our authors, you’ll come to us because you want to know you are seen as an individual and not a number on a spreadsheet. You’d like to sign a publishing agreement which is written in clear language and you’ll also enjoy feeling confident that your book is being presented as the gem it is, and not mis-sold as something else.
In short, if you want a publisher who is passionate about helping you to follow your dreams as an author and one who treats you as the unique voice you are, we’d love to hear from you. Please get in touch.
Collaborative Publishing
Confusingly, collaborative publishing covers a huge spectrum of different kinds of publishing, but put simply, we use this term to be transparent about the fact the author contributes to the cost of getting their work into print.
This form of publishing is extremely flexible and ranges from assisted self-publishing (sometimes called a publishing service or hybrid publishing) through to our form of collaborative publishing – which is very close to traditional publishing. We have experience of all three route into print and this is our preferred route into print. We find that it allows us to empower our authors while also ensuring that they can move forwards with their writing journey with the confidence that comes from having a publisher representing their work.
We’re proud that our approach allows us to showcase authors who have a lot of talent and write original work and that our books are found in UK high street bookshops and online retailers.
Our mission
Our mission is simple. We have a reputation for publishing beautiful books. In the same way that the great authors of old forged their own path, we want to continue to build our catalogue of unique reads, whether that is original fiction, meaningful personal stories, overlooked history, subtle poetry, or captivating children’s books.
We also like the way our approach allows us to be friendly.
Our authors are:
- Excited about seeing their work in print;
- Polite and enthusiastic;
- Ready to work with a publisher.
We treat every single one of our titles as the unique work it deserves to be. Our authors tend to be very committed, but are also looking for the support and confidence that we can give them. If you think you would like to become one of our authors, please get in touch.