If you are trying to call us today, please accept our apologies for any difficulties getting through - we are having problems with our phone system!
Our dedicated in-house team is always on hand to take you all the way from manuscript to bookshelf. Every author is treated as an individual, not a number.
Last year, 50% of our authors came back to us with another book - read on to find out why.
Book Guild Publishing is a well-established independent publishing company which has been publishing books for 25 years.
Apart from the intrinsic pleasure of publishing a diverse list, in a small way we help to maintain the broad base of general publishing so often under threat from 'reduced product lines' and 'list rationalization'.
We offer an eclectic mix of quality books: novels and stories to enchant and engage both adults and children, vivid memoirs and biographies that give insight into remarkable lives, past and present, and timely books on current affairs. We publish under 100 books a year so that we can maintain our high standards and we pride ourselves on offering an effective and efficient service to a wide range of authors, both established and new. We are committed to bringing quality books to their potential readers, and many Book Guild titles find both critical and sales success.
Book Guild Publishing has been providing authors with publishing expertise for 25 years. We are experts in the fields of editorial, production, promotion and distribution, and offer our authors a high level of creative control and involvement. In an age when 'self-publishing' is in vogue, we were the first to offer the middle way between self-publishing and mainstream. Our joint venture scheme (Partnership Publishing) with authors gives a total publishing package to the highest industry standards, and the coverage we achieve for our authors speaks for itself. We are not only for first-time authors: over 40% of our writers have been previously published by solely mainstream publishers. 70% of our authors come to us by recommendation and reputation and over 50% of our authors come back to us with their second and third books. We work in a variety of ways, for a wide range of authors:
Also known as mainstream publishing, this is where the publisher will pay for all costs and may pay an advance to the author.
Due to the high level of risk in conventional publishing, books generally have to be considered to have mass market potential. At present, this means that the focus tends to be on "dead certs" - previously published authors with a successful track record and/or well-known names, particularly from celebrity culture.
Every single successful author will have had their manuscript rejected by a number of publishing houses, and, while disheartening for authors, this is not necessarily an indicator of the quality or the potential of the work: Harry Potter is a perfect example.
The Bookseller has said that three out of four publishers' books do not make money, so for a small, independent publisher the risks are even higher.
Every year Book Guild Publishing brings out conventionally published titles that we think will sell well in the mass market, and we have an excellent record of sales, though, of course, it is still a risk to us, as it is to all publishers. We are then able to apply our position in the marketplace to all of our books, not just to those conventionally published.
We rely on sales to keep our company afloat and we do not print on demand or do very short print runs – in fact our print runs are entirely in line with those of conventional publishing companies – and this is why our experienced in-house Marketing and Publicity team, and our Sales and Distribution agents, are so very important.
At Book Guild Publishing we give as much attention to the books published under our Partnership Publishing programme as we do to our conventionally published titles, and this is what makes us unique in the UK book publishing arena.
This is a full publishing package, which gives the author creative control and a high level of involvement. Unlike self-publishing, our full package includes a rigorous editorial service, high-quality production, professional jacket design, publicity, marketing, a UK sales force, global marketing where appropriate, warehousing, distribution, accounting, representation at the London Book Fair, and inclusion in our catalogue, on our website and on Amazon.co.uk. If we publish your book, you will be asked to pay the costs of the first edition.
Partnership Publishing offers a higher royalty rate: On each book sold you will receive 30% of the full retail price of the book, which is the equivalent of 80% of the net revenue - this is a higher royalty rate than mainstream publishing, which offers between 7-10%. The fact we receive 20% of the net revenue ensures that our incentive to sell your book is maintained. This is why we represent you for two years after publication.
You only pay for the origination costs for the first edition: any subsequent reprints are paid for in full by the Book Guild.
This service includes the full editorial, production and design of your book to provide you with finished copies for your own distribution and use.
Providing the publishing expertise for company-backed books according to your needs.
Book Guild Publishing are bespoke publishers, and provide an individual service of great quality. Printing is only a small part of the publishing process, and our selection procedures are rigorous. From the thousands of manuscripts we receive each year, we publish only about ten books per months – keeping our standards high, and ensuring that all our authors receive the attention they deserve.
Book Guild Publishing has a team of skilled and experienced professionals to offer you:
An experienced marketing and publicity department with established contacts and an excellent track record of obtaining press, radio and TV coverage; bookshop and library distribution; online promotion, including Amazon.co.uk and www.bookguild.co.uk; and, global marketing where appropriate.
A team of sales representatives who cover the whole of the UK and Ireland. More >
Quick efficient distribution from our warehouse. We have accounts with all the major booksellers in the UK, including internet specialists such as Amazon.
A team of highly experienced editors to deal with a broad range of subject matter.
Expert editorial guidance, including thorough copy-editing and full consultation.
A production team who maintain high standards while obtaining the best print-buying deal for your book.
Jacket designers who excel at producing eye-catching, commercial designs.
Full accounting every step of the way.
Entry in our bi-annual catalogue.
The effective selling of rights, such as large print and audio.
Support for two years after your book is published.
Representation at our stand at the London Book Fair.
Following your initial publishing enquiry, if you would like to proceed and submit your work for consideration:
We are quite happy to receive a printed-out hard copy of your manuscript as it stands, for the purposes of assessment.
However, if we are to publish, we would need manuscripts in the following format: - typewritten; - double-line spacing; - it can be double-sided; - wide margins all around.
An SAE. We can't return material to authors who have not sent a stamped addressed envelope with the correct postage.
Please DO NOT send:
The only copy of your manuscript, photographs and documents. We may not be able to return them.
We will acknowledge receipt of your manuscript on the day we receive it and will reply within one month of submission with our proposals. However we cannot be held responsible in any way for loss or damage of any material you submit.
Please mark envelopes, Submissions, and send for the attention of Ali Hinchcliffe.
