The Book Guild is an independent publisher with an eclectic list in both fiction and non-fiction. We accept manuscripts direct from authors or via agents in all genres. Details on how to submit to us are given below – we prefer electronic submission, but accept submissions by post. Information on The Book Guild and how we work is given opposite.
Your manuscript text should be saved in MS Word with all chapters in one document; or we accept submissions in PDF format. As well as your book’s manuscript, please send a synopsis and a biography about you. Please email your submission, synopsis and biography to us at [email protected] (with the subject line marked as ‘submission’, followed by the title of your book) or send a USB device by post. Please bear in mind that our email servers cannot handle very large attachments, so if you have photographs or illustrations to accompany your work please send them via a file transfer site like wetransfer.com or on a USB device by post.
Printed manuscripts should preferably be typewritten. Please do not send the only copy of your manuscript or photos as we cannot be held responsible for loss or damage of any material. If you would like us to return your manuscript, please enclose an SAE with the correct postage. Please send your manuscript to:
The Book Guild Ltd
Unit E2 Airfield Business Park
Harrison Road
Market Harborough
Leics LE16 7UL
We shall acknowledge receipt of your manuscript within 72 hours and will reply within two to three weeks of submission with feedback.
The company is well respected by retailers and other publishers alike, and our books are sold UK-wide through bookshops as well as online retailers. The Book Guild Ltd is part Troubador Publishing Ltd, an independent publishing house with a solid reputation for quality, so all Book Guild authors benefit from the market penetration and publishing expertise of an established trade publisher.
The Book Guild has acquired a solid reputation for publishing books across all genres since its establishment over 35 years ago. As a trade publisher, we take on new titles that we feel have commercial potential only. The company operates both traditional publishing and partnership publishing models, but always with an emphasis on quality of production and achieving sales. Authors are invited to submit manuscripts in all genres for consideration. Submissions from agents are accepted but an agent is not essential, we accept author submissions direct. All submissions will first be considered for a traditional publishing model; if we do not feel that a manuscript is suitable for our traditional publishing programme, we will then consider it for some form of partnership publishing. Details on how to submit are given opposite.
Under our traditional publishing model, we bear all the expense of publishing a book, and we may pay an ‘advance’ on royalties to the author. Due to the high level of risk in conventional publishing, books generally have to be considered to have great market potential. Each year, The Book Guild brings out conventionally published titles that we think will sell well in the mass market, and we have an excellent record of sales. Traditional publishing enables us to maintain a position in the marketplace that benefits all the books that we publish.
If we can’t offer a traditional publishing arrangement for a new manuscript, we may offer a partnership publishing arrangement, but only if we believe the manuscript has commercial potential and is of a suitable standard. Our partnership arrangement usually includes a financial contribution from both The Book Guild and the author towards the cost of publishing, with the author financing anything from 25% through to 75%, depending on the level of risk we can take on a manuscript. If we are prepared to take on a book as a partnership project, we shall make a proposal that includes the financial contributions from The Book Guild and the author. The Book Guild will always fund some of the costs of publishing under our Partnership Publishing arrangement, we do not offer a wholly author-financed option (i.e. self-publishing). Note that our Partnership proposal costings are based on the costs of self-publishing through our sister imprint, Matador; authors thus have the assurance that any author contribution reflects accurately the costs involved. This is a unique publishing arrangement that gives authors (especially unknown authors) a combination of a book published, distributed and marketed by a professional publishing house coupled with part author financing. Our partnership publishing model combines the best from commercial publishing and self-publishing, where we bring an experienced publishing and publicity team, a commercial infrastructure and market penetration, and you invest a proportion of the overall costs in your manuscript. Note, though, that we still only make an offer to publish under our Partnership model for about 10% of submissions made to us. Because we also have a vested financial interest in any partnership project, we need to ensure as far as possible that titles are commercial, giving us and the author the best chance of recouping the investment made.
The following outlines the range of activities that we may undertake (depending on the project) to publish, distribute and market a book, whether it be under a traditional or partnership arrangement.
The application of an ISBN to your book, and management of the associated bibliographic data. Curation of metadata to make the book as visible as possible to buyers.
Manuscript editing on screen carried out in MS Word using ‘track changes’, checking grammar, spelling and punctuation, consistency and repetition and, if necessary, the editor will suggest changes to structure, characterisation and narrative (fiction only).
All functions necessary to produce a high quality bookshop-ready title. This includes text design and layout, typesetting, commissioning illustrations (if appropriate) and cover design. This is everything required to turn your manuscript into commercial-standard files that are ready to print your book.
If we feel that an ebook edition of your manuscript is also a commercial reality, we convert your book files into both ePub and Mobi ebook formats. The ebook is then distributed to retailers worldwide through our extensive distribution network, which includes not only Amazon, but Apple, Kobo, Srib’d, Barnes & Noble, OverDrive, Gardners and Google Play, among others.
We set very high standards for our printing, and usually our books include some sort of special cover effect to make them stand out to retailers and readers alike (eg. spot UV, foil, embossing). We warehouse books to ensure retail distribution, with copies initially sent to you for your immediate use.
We carry out marketing activities well in advance of publication to UK retailers using industry-standard communication channels to ensure retailers are able to pre-order your book. In the weeks leading up to publication, our team of regional sales representatives will actively hand-sell your book to retailers, both locally and nationally.
All our titles are distributed to retailers through our supply chain, supplying wholesalers and library suppliers. Independent bookshops, online retailers and bookshop chains place orders through our distribution chain or via the Nielsen PubEasy ordering system. We also have distribution of titles through retailers in other parts of the world.
Each of our titles has a tailored publicity campaign centred around those aspects of the book that will attract the most media coverage. Our team coordinates a focused media campaign that may involve serialisation, feature articles, reviews, author profiles, blogs, social media and signings. Prior to the publication date, you will be invited to meet with the team to go through the proposed campaign in detail.
Authors receive anything from 10% up to 75% of the net receipts from book and ebook sales, depending on whether they have made any initial financial contribution to the publishing project. We pay author royalties every six months in January and July, assuming that there is more than £50 owing to the author from sales.
If you are interested in submitting your work for consideration by us, then please follow the submission guidelines opposite. We are always happy to discuss possible projects with authors.
Jeremy has worked in publishing for over 30 years, in editorial, production and administrative roles. He founded Troubador Publishing Ltd in 1996, and has grown it into one of the UK’s most respected publishing houses. He is a regular speaker on publishing at author events, and joins The Book Guild as co-owner and Managing Director. He was made a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts in 2019 in recognition of his contribution to independent publishing.
Jane left university in 1999 and worked in radio. She started working in publishing in 2001, before joining Troubador Publishing Ltd, where she has worked in a variety of roles until becoming Operations Director in 2013. She joins The Book Guild as co-owner and Operations Director. In her spare time she enjoys yoga, travel, growing her own veg and cooking with the end product!
With her many years of experience at Troubador, Rosie heads both our in-house Editorial team where she is responsible for maintaining the high editorial standards that our authors expect, as well as being the Publishing Manager for our Sister company, The Book Guild, working directly with authors publishing through it. Being creative is one of Rosie's passions, along with working with our wonderful authors.
Megan leads the busy Digital Services Department at The Book Guild. She coordinates the publishing and promotion of ebooks and audiobooks, is a first point of contact for ebook and audiobook authors, and she advises authors at events such as the London Book Fair.
With a decade of publishing, project management and editorial experience, Hannah has helped to bring all kinds of books to life, including children’s picture books, adult fiction and non-fiction, coffee-table tomes, self-help guides and more. Hannah undertakes editorial work on manuscripts and typeset proofs, predominantly copy-edits and proof reads. Outside work, Hannah enjoys family time, walking and (predictably) reading… or as much as four children allow!
Before joining The Book Guild in 2017, Jonathan worked for many years, and in many different roles, within the publishing industry. He has previously run several different major bookshops in London, and in the publishing world he has worked for Oxford University Press, Chrysalis Books, Anova Books and Phaidon, with an emphasis on sales and marketing.
Since joined The Book Guild's parent company Troubador Publishing Ltd in 2017, working in marketing on a range of titles across all genres. Over the years, she has specialised in media marketing, pitching feature and news articles to the media to achieve as much coverage as possible for our books. She took on her present role as Senior Publicist for The Book Guild in 2023. As well as working in publishing, Sophie is a published author, writing under a pseudonym for a mainly American audience.
After gaining years of experience in customer service for finance and licensing, Meera joined the marketing team in 2021. She loves working with authors to bring their vision to life, creating promotional materials to get their creations out into the world. As a writer in her spare time herself, she enjoys crafting press releases and blurbs that capture the essence of a book across titles for the company.
Chelsea heads the busy Production Department, which takes authors from final manuscript to printed book. With her vast experience, she ensures production staff are supported, timescales and high production standards are being met, and that a high level of customer service is being delivered. Chelsea is an experienced cover designer and loves creating across a wide range of genres.
Daniel joined Troubador in June 2023, and coordinates many of our authors through the production process, specifically for The Book Guild imprint. Using skills based on managing customer experience, Daniel helps guide authors from the final manuscript to the printed book. In his spare time, you'll often find Daniel playing his bass guitar as part of his band.