Love books? Then support indie publishers. It’s true that now and then a really good book is published by a mainstream publishing house, but most focus on profit – so it’s celebrity cookbooks and biographies. Yet the small indie publishers often publish the best books, because they do it more for love (most will confirm that they don’t make any money!)
Another issue is the planet. Some small publishers print on 100% post-consumer recycled paper, which is the only way to avoid trees getting chopped down in their millions, just for something to read. There’s actually something really nice about reading books that aren’t on glossy virgin paper, knowing you are not contributing harm, while supporting writers who live on very little, for their craft. The small publishers also tend to print in small runs, so they don’t waste lots of paper and toxic inks to over-print books, that end up on sale in The Works! Here are a few you may like to support (buy direct if you can, to give them more money!)
- Saraband publishes award-winning books on environmentalism and nature. This is a platform for often overlooked authors. As is Little Toller Books (named after a river valley in Dorset) that publishes books on nature and rural life. They recently picked up the talent of autistic teenager Dara McAnulty, who won the Wainwright Prize with his debut book Diary of a Young Naturalist.
- The History Press offers nice books focusing in local areas – from a potted history of Somerset to local shops in Bristol to the architecture of the Cotswolds. Find a short history of the Fens and a book exploring the rivers of Cornwall.
- Pocket Mountains offers nice walking guides with beautiful covers, that focus on coastal, mountain and Scottish walks.
- Countryside Books offers lovely walking guides for people, dogs, pubs and tea rooms. Just look up your region. Countryside Dog Walks also publish nice regional guides (read tips for safe dog walks).
