They're an independent publisher and a member of the Independent Publishers Guild. I have heard a lot about the IPG but mostly about the Faber and Faber involvement from other guest speakers on the course, so I'm really interested to learn more. The last eight books that have won the Man Booker Prize have been from independent publishers.
Kevin is a novelist and Bluemoose specialises in literary fiction, publishing five to eight books a year. Their most recent title The Secret to Not Drowing has reviewed extremely well on Amazon (5*) and Goodreads (4.4*), which attests to the great emphasis on story writing which became clear during Kevin's session. The Secret to Not Drowing also won the Arts Council Fiction book last month (September 2015). I have a real interest in contemporary literary fiction so I scribbled away illegibly on my phone for the duration of the class, which I now regret. See:
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| an example of coherent, legible MA notes |
Content
Another feature of the Bluemoose list is the appearence of working class and Nothern characters and settings in their list, which is nice. We're all not up here wearing flat caps and eating pies. It's bloody important to be represented in the novels we read, for the sake of sales alone. The population in the North do read, and buy, an awful lot of books.
Backlist
One of the most prominent lessons I took from Kevin's lecture was the importance of a backlist. Publishers typically make 80% of their revenue from list, so strong titles that have lasting appeal and readership is a priority. While it is important to listen closely to your audience and commission accordingly, a weak backlist would be one that is made up of fashionable and trend-bending novels, written to satisfy the market at that particular time without much focus on whether it will continue to sell in the future.
One of the most prominent lessons I took from Kevin's lecture was the importance of a backlist. Publishers typically make 80% of their revenue from list, so strong titles that have lasting appeal and readership is a priority. While it is important to listen closely to your audience and commission accordingly, a weak backlist would be one that is made up of fashionable and trend-bending novels, written to satisfy the market at that particular time without much focus on whether it will continue to sell in the future.
Digital
Metadata was raised as an important point again, and it is easy to understand why. The discoverability of your new novel as a relatively small publisher is extremely important during online searches. The 7 metawords can affect the sales of your book, and catagorising it accordingly in order to get the most reader exposure is key. Nielsen is also an important tool in the marketing and catagorising process, and after the book is conceived, all of the information must be inputted and an ISBN generated in order for the market to discover your book. The information you have to fill in is generally:
- The Authors Name
- Rights Info
- Page Number
- Price
- Publication Date
- A 350 Character Bio
- Cover Image
Bluemoose's timescale from commission to sale is also very
interesting
I was surprised by the amount of time that
is spent editing the novel, but the team fine comb each setting, character
and word to make sure that the story is consistent and error-free. This is the
USP of the company from what I could gather from Kevin's session, and no
sacrifices are made in the timescale for editing. There are usually quite good
author relations at Bluemoose, and the author is involved in every step of the
book development, from changes in the text to cover design. This communication
takes some man hours.
The review timescale surprised me because
at this point I wasn't aware that books are given out to reviewers, bloggers
and journalists two to three months early, or how important the review process
was with regard to marketing and book sales.
Marketing
Creative marketing was a highlight of Kevin's talk, and quirky social media hits like the one book bookshop (pictured) which generated coverage in the Guardian. Events at festivals, universities and libraries are also key part of the way Bluemoose publicises novels, and the proximity to Ilkley Literature Festival is a bonus. The importance of funding for libraries that Kevin stressed is also a sentiment that I share, and I hope for a future full of books free for everyone.
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| Bluemoose's one book bookshop - a viral hit |
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