Five Go Publishing
The job of being an author doesn't stop with the words "The End".
In many ways that's just the beginning.
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Publishers tend to spend their marketing budget on promoting books from authors who they know will turn out best-sellers time and time again and they tend not to take risks with new or unknown writers. In many ways, who can blame them? However, that means there is a massive glass ceiling that makes it very difficult for a new author to get noticed by the reading marketplace, let alone bookshops, where shelf space is at a premium and margins are tight.
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Towards the end of 2015, five UK authors formed an unofficial cooperative with an agreement to help market each other’s books. Some then decided to buy back the rights to their books from their various publishers in order to form their own publishing company to market and promote their titles ... which from experience, they were aware is something that authors have to do anyway, with a few exceptions.
In addition to writing books, each of the authors brought a specific skill-set to the group: proofreading, web design, artwork, media know-how, social media expertise and marketing. The five felt the combination made them a capable operation and they therefore launched Authors Reach Ltd in 2016 to initially concentrate on promoting each other's books.
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This developed, through a sharp learning curve, into knowing how to negotiate print runs, organise distribution and bookshop stocking, to the extent that some are now representing Authors Reach Ltd at book fairs, literary festivals and book signings and even speaking to groups on creative writing. Radio and television interviews took place, with most of our authors now having given radio interviews, and podcasts are scheduled, leaving little time for the real job in hand ... writing books!
As time has gone by some of the founders are no longer published by Authors Reach Ltd. Several new authors have joined however, bringing their back-catalogue of books with them. These include Robin Driscoll, Francesca Tyer, Veronica McGivney, Corinna Edwards-Colledge and Teresa Bassett.
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Unlike many smaller publishers, Authors Reach Ltd believes that independent bookshops have a future in the UK sitting alongside the bigger chains and Amazon, and that creating relationships throughout the UK is essential. Authors Reach Ltd intends being part of that future by bringing their books to readers and bookshops alike. However, we also recognise the massive love for eBooks and the growing market for audio.
Authors Reach Ltd may not be a major player, but the potential is massive and may even indicate the future of publishing.