Publishers & Publications in the UK
A local publisher who will read the manuscript and say honestly whether it is ready, self-publishing help that produces a proper book rather than a print-out, a community magazine that goes through every door in the villages, a trade journal the whole industry reads, a local history imprint, an advert in the parish magazine that actually brings work, or a printer who understands books: find the publishers and publications near you.
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Finding the right publisher or publication in the UK
Publishers and publications produce and distribute the written word: book publishers from the big houses to regional and specialist independents in local history, poetry, fiction, academic and children's books; magazine and journal publishers from consumer and trade titles to the free community, town and village magazines delivered door to door; local newspapers and news websites; directories, guides and maps; and the self-publishing services, editors, designers, typesetters and book printers who help authors publish themselves. Every area has a handful of small publishers, a community magazine or two, and the freelancers who make books, and they are the route into print for local authors and the route to local households for advertisers.
For an author the three routes are traditional publishing, where a publisher pays for everything and pays royalties and takes on a small fraction of what it is offered; self-publishing, where the author pays for editing, design and printing or uses print-on-demand and keeps the proceeds; and the hybrid and assisted publishers in between, some reputable and some vanity presses charging thousands for little, which is where care is needed. For an advertiser, the community magazines and local directories reach households the internet does not, cheaply, and are read because they are local. Look for publishers with books like yours and a track record you can check, editors and designers with published work to show, printers who quote by the copy at several quantities, and magazines with audited or verifiable distribution and rates in writing.
The listings here show each publisher's and publication's subjects and titles, submissions and services for authors, advertising rates and distribution, printing and design, and contact details, so you can see who is nearby, who publishes what you write or reaches who you sell to, and where authors and advertisers in your town go into print.
What publishers and publications do
Book publishers: commissioning, editing, design, printing, distribution and marketing of fiction, non-fiction, local history, poetry, children's, academic and specialist books, with submissions through agents or direct at the independents.
Magazines and journals: consumer, trade and professional titles, subscriptions and newsstand, and the free community, town, village and parish magazines delivered to every household with local news, events and advertising.
Local news and directories: local newspapers and news websites, business directories, town guides, visitor guides and maps, in print and online, with editorial and advertising.
Author services: self-publishing packages, editing and proofreading, cover and interior design, typesetting, ISBNs, print-on-demand and short-run printing, ebooks, distribution and marketing, and assisted and hybrid publishing.
Printing and production: book printers for short runs and print-on-demand, magazine and newsletter printing, and design and layout for publications of every kind.
Before you publish or advertise
- For a book, finish and edit it first; publishers and agents reject on the first page, and a professional edit is the best money an author spends.
- Check a publisher's recent books, where they are sold and what authors say; a publisher who asks the author to pay is a service, not a publisher.
- For self-publishing, get itemised quotes for editing, design, ISBN, printing and distribution, and own the files and the ISBN.
- Get printing quoted at three quantities; print-on-demand costs more per copy but nothing in stock.
- For advertising, ask a magazine for its distribution area and numbers, how it is delivered, and a rate card with series discounts.
- Write the advert for a reader in an armchair: one offer, one number, a reason to keep the page.
What publishing and publications cost in the UK
As a rough guide, a professional copy-edit costs £800 to £2,000 for an 80,000-word book and proofreading £400 to £900, a cover design £300 to £900, interior typesetting £300 to £800, an ISBN block £90 to £160, print-on-demand paperbacks £3 to £6 a copy, a short run of 500 paperbacks £1,500 to £3,000, and a full self-publishing package from a reputable service £2,000 to £6,000; a traditional publisher pays an advance of a few hundred to a few thousand pounds and royalties of 7 to 15 per cent, and charges the author nothing. Advertising in a community magazine costs £30 to £150 for a small advert and £150 to £500 a page, with series discounts, and in a local directory £100 to £600 a year; trade magazines charge £500 to £3,000 a page.
A £60 quarter-page in the village magazine that lands on 3,000 doormats every month is the cheapest reach a plumber will ever buy, and the ones who use it stay in it for years.
Publishers & Publications — frequently asked questions
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How do I find a publisher near me?+
Look at the publishers and publications listed for your town, which show their subjects and titles, submissions and author services, advertising rates and distribution, printing and design and reviews; for a book, match your manuscript to a publisher's list and follow its submission guidelines, and for advertising, choose the magazine or directory whose readers are your customers.
How do I get a book published?+
Finish and polish the manuscript, then either submit to literary agents and to independent publishers that accept direct submissions, following their guidelines exactly and expecting many rejections, or self-publish with professional editing, design and printing or print-on-demand and sell it yourself; local history, poetry and niche non-fiction often find regional independents, while fiction usually needs an agent for the larger houses. Never pay a 'publisher' to publish you without knowing exactly what you are buying.
How much does it cost to self-publish a book?+
Done properly, £2,000 to £6,000 for a professional edit, cover and interior design, ISBN, print-on-demand set-up and a short print run, or under £1,000 with a light edit and template design and print-on-demand only; the editing is the part not to skimp on. Reputable services itemise the costs, leave you owning the files and the rights, and pay you the sales; vanity presses charge more and deliver less.
What is a vanity publisher?+
A company that presents itself as a publisher but charges the author thousands to publish, often after flattering the manuscript, delivering a print run and little marketing or distribution, and sometimes keeping rights or files; the test is that a genuine publisher pays the author, a self-publishing service charges transparent itemised fees and leaves the author in control, and a vanity press charges a lot and behaves like a publisher. The Society of Authors and the Alliance of Independent Authors list the reputable services.
Is advertising in a community magazine worth it?+
For local trades and services, usually yes: community and village magazines are delivered free to every household in a defined area, kept on the side for a month and read for the local news and events, and a small advert costs £30 to £150 a month with series discounts; results come from consistency, so book six or twelve issues, keep the advert simple with one offer and a phone number, and ask the publisher for the distribution figures and area first.
Where can I get a book or magazine printed?+
Book printers and print-on-demand services print paperbacks and hardbacks from a print-ready PDF, at £3 to £6 a copy on demand or £1,500 to £3,000 for a short run of 500, and local commercial printers produce magazines, newsletters and booklets from a few hundred copies; get quotes at three quantities, ask for a proof, and have the files typeset properly first, since printers print what they are given.
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