This is part of a series of interviews taking place with small press publishers. This interview series will be partially published online and partially in print, as a part of a nonfiction book to demystify publishing, published in January 2020 and written by Isabelle Kenyon. The following is an extract from an interview with Director, Louise Walters.
What does a typical book marketing plan look like for you?
Several months ahead of publication I plan blogs and book shop appearances; I send out early review copies about six months before publication date; and I contact indie bookshops, and the chains, requesting they stock the books. Mixed results here! I offer giveaways and competitions; and keep my website updated with the latest news. I send out newsletters and offer Supporter subscriptions - four books a year, invites to book launches, that kind of thing.
How do you continue to build your brand within a busy market?
I try to be authentic; I engage a lot on Twitter with anybody and everybody bookish; readers seem to like the whole indie publisher ethic so I try to engage and be social... it is SOCIAL media after all...
How have you seen the independent publishing industry change since you started publishing?
I think there is a groundswell of support for indie presses in recent times; the smaller publishers with no money take all the big risks... the bigger publishers play it too safe and as a result publish a lot of mediocre stuff. Not all of what they publish is mediocre, of course - but there is too much of it.
This interview is part of 'Small Press Publishing: The Dos and Don'ts' released January 2020. You can pre-order the book here.