In April we spoke to non-fiction publisher Reaktion Books about how they started, what's coming up and the challenges and rewards of working for an indie publisher.
How did Reaktion Books begin?
Reaktion Books began its life in Edinburgh in 1985, moving to London in 1987. An innovative publisher of non-fiction, it now publishes 90 titles a year, but its beginnings were humble. Originally focusing on art, architecture and design, Reaktion Books now publishes a huge range of titles from politics to history to food and drink. The founder, Michael, had a vision to create a publisher that made accessible, fascinating books for everyone. And he’s succeeded. It began because he wasn’t seeing the books he wanted to read from the bigger publishers, and now we’re creating those books by the handful.
Can you tell us a little about your upcoming releases?
We have so many exciting releases coming up in 2022! For Spring and Summer we have … Outrageous! The Story of Section 28 and Britain’s Battle for LGBT Education by Paul Baker, telling the story of Section 28 and the people who stood up to it; Hope and Fear: Modern Myths, Conspiracy Theories and Pseudo-History by Ronald H. Fritze, exploring the fringe ideas and conspiracy theories people have turned to in order to make sense of the world around them; Where Light in Darkness Lies: The Story of the Lighthouse by Veronica della Dora, describing lighthouses and the unique place they have in human imagination; Positive Vibrations: Politics, Politricks and the Story of Reggae by Stuart Borthwick, which tells of how reggae was shaped by, and in turn helped to shape, the politics of Jamaica and beyond; Duel Without End: Mankind’s Battle with Microbes by Stig S. Frøland, a fascinating journey through the long history of infection, from the dawn of life to humanity’s future exploration of deep space.
But that’s not all! Autumn/Winter 2022 has a whole host of other exciting titles, including Disgrace: Global Reflections on Sexual Violence by Joanna Bourke, and Dinner in Rome: A History of the World in One Meal by Andreas Viestad.
What are some of the challenges and rewards of working for an independent publisher?
There are so many challenges and rewards of working for an indie publisher! Perhaps the biggest challenge for me (as a marketing manager) is the tight budgets. Everything works to very narrow margins so there is often little to no budget to market our titles with. No big tube adverts for us! It’s mostly about word of mouth and getting copies into the right hands at the right time. Social media is a fantastic tool for this. As for the rewards – every little bit counts. We can see a book take off and become a great success with just the right push, and that is so rewarding. Seeing our books in the hands of readers is the biggest buzz. My favourite book for that is Wanderers: A History of Women Walking by Kerri Andrews. Feminism, nature, history, and walking, all in one. It’s proved so popular with independent bookshops and we love to see it. Another big plus for me is getting to work on titles that might not have made it with a bigger publisher. Reaktion Books can be more versatile in our publishing and take bigger risks. A book on bestiality? We’ve got it. We are small but mighty!
Find out more about Reaktion Books and their amazing titles by heading to their website.
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