Two Ravens Press was recently advertised in WW Jobs and Opps. They are a small publisher based in Scotland, and I emailed them yesterday to ask a little about how they promote their authors, etc etc. I thought I'd paste my reply here for anyone who's interested. Sounds good to me!

Hi Sarah,

We promote as thoroughly as we can! We sell directly through our website, and through Amazon. We have full listings on Nielsen BookData (including cover JPEGs) so that booksellers receive our information in advance and can order directly through Nielsen teleordering (we received an order that way the other day from Blackwell's in Edinburgh, for example, for a book we're publishing in April but which so far we haven't publicised). We sell to Waterstones through Gardners (account already set up and accepted) and send marketing material directly to suitable Waterstones branches. We also market directly to local independent bookshops in our area (and in the areas where our authors live). We focus heavily on trying to get the books reviewed, especially in magazines like the Bookseller and Publishing News, and finding interesting angles on the book and the author that will lead to media coverage. We support book signings and readings wherever possible. Additionally, we are part of a programme funded by our local arts/enterprise authority to help local publishers with publicity and which results in our books being advertised at book fairs like Tokyo and Beijing.

However, it's important to note that we are a small independent press. Although this in no way should limit the success of our books, it means we can't afford the high-profile point-of-sale marketing materials, for example, that the major publishing houses lavish on authors that they expect to become bestsellers. It also means unfortunately that we can rarely offer advances - though our royalties are paid on time and are generous compared to most of the big publishers (on average, 15% of net receipts which means that on less discounted sales e.g. via our website, or independent booksellers, you do better than the average 7.5% retail price that you might be offered by a bigger publisher, and which works well on discounts of 50% or more but doesn't benefit you at all on less heavily discounted sales. And we don't ever give discounts over 55% anyway - we couldn't afford to run that way).

Right now we have a couple of authors who have previously been published by big publishers - Headline Review, for example - but whose current work wasn't believed to be likely to sell enough to warrant their investment. As a small press we can afford to take chances on that kind of book - especially mid-list, literary fiction. (Those authors are Cynthia Rogerson and Clio Gray). We accept submissions directly from authors or via agents (both Cynthia and Clio have agents and we are currently negotiating two more manuscripts with other agents).

If you have any other queries please let me know.

All the best,
Sharon

Sharon Blackie B.A. (Hons), Ph.D., C.Psychol.
Two Ravens Press Ltd.
Green Willow Croft, Rhiroy, Lochbroom, Ullapool, Ross-shire IV23 2SF
Tel 01854 655307; mobile 0770 302 4048
sharon@tworavenspress.com; www.tworavenspress.com

Admirably direct and clear. Fits with everything I know about the trade, and anyone offered a contract by them who doesn't have an agent can have it looked over by the Society of Authors (in fact I think anyone offered a contract is barking mad not to do that). I'm sure it would be fine.

Emma

Thanks for sharing that - very helpful and informative.

S

This is an excellent guide to the UK's independent presses, really intended for librarians, so it gives a good idea of what kinds of things the press does (as opposed to the bland 'fiction and non-fiction' they all say themselves. Divided into Small, Medium and Large, and small is really, really small. Large, on the otherhand, is Faber.

http://www.branching-out.net/independent/default.asp

The Independent Publishers Guild is another place to look if you're trying to be comprehensive. Sorry, don't have a link.

Emma

Argggghhhhh!! Ugggg! Grimace, groan! Yet another of the "lovely people" (hey, I'm being polite - so don't knock it! You should see what I typed first ...) who said no to "Maloney's Law" as it wasn't literary enough.

But they knew it wasn't literary when they asked to see it!!!!!!! - as I'd told them in BIG LETTERS in my letter. Waste of my time and, no, I wasn't best pleased. However, at least it's made me see that, no matter how often a novel gains awards or shortlistings, it still isn't in with a snowflake's chance in purgatory in these trying times. (Especially when another very much larger publisher - who shall remain nameless - told me they couldn't take it as it had gained too many plaudits and therefore in their eyes was "published" already. I mean - what???!!)

Which also brings home how b****y lucky I've been with ADM to get someone to take it at all. But I suspect that won't be happening again in a long time - not least because I no longer have the energy for it!!

==:O

A
xxx

Thanks, Sarah and Emma - really interesting and helfpul stuff.

No fantasy, no sci fi...

Sob

Nobody loves me.

S

Great link, Emma.

How about this one for Sapph?:

Dedalus Press: distorted reality in beautiful covers.

But I love you, Sarah Opt. - and all the Sarahs really! But hey, you're special - so no need to sob ...!



A
xxx

Can't seem to find any mention of books already published by 2Ravens - are they that new?

I love you too, Holly!

MF,

They are very new, I think.

I'm going to see how the submissions to the Big Guys go - still waiting to hear from Orion, Bloomsbury, Fourth Estate and the lovely Virago, plus agent is sending to two more this week - but if they all say no, then I'm gonna start hunting down the smaller presses.

My second novel is almost on the back-burner at the moment. I can't get maths problems out of my head: I sent my first three chapters to 14 agents; seven requested the full ms; six rejected it, one took it on. Agent has now submitted to nine publishers. Three have rejected it. Based on these numbers, will I get a book deal?

I believe this could be accurately labelled Obsession.

I'd be obsessed too - fingers crossed for you.

Thank you!

Dedalus Press sent me a rejection on a cool postcard.

Thought I'd mention that.

JB