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Independent publishers have voiced their concerns about the “unstoppable juggernaut" of titles anticipated in September and the need to recoup earnings after lockdown.
Although many presses have moved release dates to avoid publishing during the autumn “crush”, others are worried about the lack of exposure and the heightened competition that their publications will face, on top of the threat of a second pandemic wave.
Nathan Connolly, publishing director at Dead Ink Books in Liverpool, was a successful applicant for an emergency grant from Arts Council England, and used the fund to push back some releases. He said: “The anticipated deluge of titles in September is a real concern for us. We used our emergency grant from ACE to postpone the publication of new titles and we're due to begin publishing our list in September, but warnings about an unprecedented number of new titles, limited review space, and the potential for further social distancing measures as a second wave hits present us with a terrifying amount of uncertainty.”
In September, Dead Ink will release Naomi Booth's Exit Management, followed by Gary Budden's London Incognita in October and Alison Irvine's Cat Step in November. Connolly said the titles had been “invested in significantly” and initally it had predicted “substantial sales” for the titles, but now it is doubtful about their performance on the market. “It now feels like the entire industry is in disarray and we're left with no indication of how they will perform. We're even left with no opportunity for events—traditionally a surefire way to promote sales for independents. This is at a time when we need to perform exceptionally well to make up for earnings lost to the shutdown."
He added: "We're also sympathetic to bookshops and reviewers who only have so much space to give. There doesn't seem to be a clear way through this other than persevering."
The first week of September is set to be the busiest in the year for publishers releasing new titles. Andrew Holgate, editor of the Times Literary Supplement tweeted: "I haven't finished counting yet, but there are at least—at least—105 books being published on 1st or 3rd September, and all competing for about 10 or 11 review slots in the Sunday Times. September is always difficult for literary editors, but this is quite mad."
Publisher Sam Jordison of Galley Beggar has decided to completely reschedule publication dates to skip out on September. "We've rearranged our releases to avoid the crush," he said. Galley Beggar's latest book, Mordew by Alex Pheby, will be officially released next week on 13th August. "Shops have put in healthy orders, and I'm thinking [and] hoping it should have a lot of momentum by September and carry us through. It's getting amazing reviews so far, and there are a lot more on the way. We've also sold 1K copies through our website before it comes out, which is pretty staggering."
Galley Beggar was due to release Insignificance by James Clammer in September, but it has now shifted to spring 2021. "We're going to properly schedule once the dust has settled a bit from September and the follow-up rush we're anticipating in the new year," Jordison said. The press is optimistic about its titles' performance but Jordison said he is "concerned that the September crush will stop its momentum, but we're hoping it will power on through and by the time the crush arrives it will be an unstoppable juggernaut."
Juliet Mabey, publisher and co-founder of Oneworld shares Jordison's concerns. "We have certainly been worried about the likely crush of titles in September and October," she said, moving some autumn titles in anticipation. Longlisted for the Booker Prize this year, Diane Cook's The New Wilderness has been brought forward to next week to get copies out quickly. One of the press's biggest titles of the year, The House of Music by Kadiatu Kanneh-Mason, whose children include renowned cellist Sheku and pianist Isata, will be released on 3rd September.
"Almost all the live events scheduled for this incredible family of talented musicians have been cancelled," she said, "but a performance at Cheltenham Literary Festival is still likely to go ahead, and we’re planning a number of virtual events and interviews as well as lots of supporting media, so hopefully it will rise to the top of the pile for reviewers and readers too."
Oneworld has other non-fiction titles due to be published in early September. "Our publicists are working hard to get not just reviews but author features out there to help them shine. It’s going to be quite the crowd," said Mabey.
Similarly, Bibi Bakare-Yusuf, co-founder and publisher at Cassava Republic has delayed this year's lead titles and will release one novel, Abubakar Adam Ibrahim's The Whispering Trees in October. "We postponed all our lead autumn titles to 2021 because we know that with all the big publishers postponing to autumn, the noise may drown out our voice, so we want to give these incredible authors a chance, especially because they are debuts in the UK market," she said.
Publishers who are less reliant on "competitive" shop floor space in commercial outlets feel more relaxed about the approaching months.
Veruschka Selbach, m.d. Pluto Books said: "We're feeling very positive about our autumn list. Events over the last months have galvanised readers to learn more about issues of race, gender, and inequality—the issues we have been publishing on for 50 years. Our direct website sales are thriving, independent bookshop orders are picking up. That highly competitive Waterstones shelf space doesn't dictate success for us."
The indie press is banking on the cultural timeliness of their releases, and in September will publish The Brutish Museums, written by the curator of the Pitt Rivers Museum, Dan Hicks which "addresses the very important questions that we're currently dealing with around race, decolonisation, and restitution" and Amazon expansion critique The Cost of Free Shipping, edited by Jake Alimahomed-Wilson and Ellen Reese.
Selbach admitted she is "slightly concerned that [Pluto books] will be drowned out of review coverage", all the same.
Karen Sullivan, founder and publisher at Orenda "strategically" moved a number of titles from spring to the autumn, and is optimistic how they will fair. In September, Orenda will release J Malone's new psychological thriller, A Song of Isolation. The title was due to be released at this year's cancelled Bloody Scotland Festival, but Sullivan is confident there will be "a legion of his avid readers awaiting the new book". Sullivan also took the decision to move almost all of her translated works to later on in the year, in addition to "bumping up [her] online activity significantly, including lots of visuals and book trailers" to publicise the works on social media.
"They have their own niche market, which is constantly growing, and although they will be in competition with English-original titles, they will stand out because they are different," she explained, adding, "I think readers are more and more open to beautifully translated international reads. We also tend to get a fair bit of press, in the name of cultural diversity."
Lara Clift, publisher at Leicester-based children's press Sweet Cherry Publishing said the company hadn't "experienced too much of a drastic impact from Covid-19" and as such it is also "feeling quite optimistic about sales" for the autumn. The press has two boxsets, an annual and a trade title coming out, including Angie Lake's The Case of the Disgusting School Dinners.
Carcanet is among publishers who chose not to postpone any titles, and is banking on sales though independent bookshops, and some chain retailers.
"We are hoping that more independents will take the risk, backing us as we back them," said the poetry press's m.d. Michael Schmidt. "We are supporting our books with strong social media and on-line promotions, and we are, if not sanguine, then not pessimistic. Handsome books well chosen, well edited and produced, will sell if they are in the shops. That’s our expectation. There will certainly be a lot of competition for space."