Over the past few articles, we have spoke to a few writers and artists over the problems they have faced since the outbreak (Co-vid 19) began which has included the cancellation of shows and how writers plan and market their books, but what of the struggles of publishers themselves?
Take the case of Fly in the Wall press, a wonderful independent press from Manchester ran by Belle Kenyon. “Fly on the Wall Press started in 2018 with a mental health anthology, Please Hear What I’m Not Saying” She begins” with profits going to UK charity, Mind. From then, we have established ourselves as a publisher with a conscience, publishing poetry books, cross-genre anthologies, magazines, and short story collections, all with a socially conscious message. We pride ourselves on working with charities across the UK for our anthologies and publishing international talents.”
As with all presses prior to the viruses Fly in the Wall release their books through avenues of book promotion including live book launches and book fairs, as well as gaining PR and review coverage in journals and newspapers. However, since the virus has began, Belle advises “Since the virus took hold, my authors with books published March through to July have had all headliner invitations, book launches and radio interviews in studio cancelled. I have struggled to get their books into shops or libraries as both are closed and unable to consider future stock requests until they can properly assess their budgets. Gardeners (one of my distributors) and the main distributors Waterstones has all but closed. The result has been that Waterstones is unable to shop any new titles, without this infrastructure. Amazon is prioritising essential items so chose not to order in my Main title, “House of Weeds” by Amy Kean and Jack Wellington, which has been embarrassing to me as a publisher because Amy Kean’s last title was a number one bestseller on Amazon – unfortunately my authors are now very unlikely to achieve the publicity in the ranks which they deserve. I’m also selling less books, though sales of not dried up – everyone needs books for the lockdown”
Trying to find new ways to market your books under such pressure, Belle has now set up a new way to try and help publicise titles for Fly in the Wall press by setting up a special Facebook group for her publications ‘Fly on the wall press performance group’. “The Facebook performance group has had a welcome reaction” She begans “perhaps because it is more engaged than poetry for the page or perhaps as a try before you buy! I think brevity is key – we all have limited attention spans for online media.”
It’s a excellent idea and I’ve seen the first few shows of these on their group and all have been excellent which has given Fly on the Wall Press a different direction until hopefully lock down finishes “Post lockdown” Belle concludes “I’m hoping to relaunch March to July books, possibly together if I can coordinate London, Ireland and Birmingham-based writers! And launch our next anthology “Mancunion ways”, actually in Manchester! I’m hoping bookshops and libraries will prioritise small press titles post lockdown as we have all been hit hardest in the industry.
Fly on the Wall can be found at: https://www.flyonthewallpoetry.co.uk/
(Originally published on the Sunday Tribune on 21 June 2020)
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