Publisher Spotlight: Boldwood Books
If you’re looking to dispel the looming fear that new independent publishers are doomed to failure during this era of economic strife, then you are advised to look no further than Boldwood Books. Their success in 2020 is living proof that the global market of fictional novels is still thriving, and has a bright future.
Boldwood Books is an award-winning publisher of independent commercial global fiction, which was launched in February, 2019. Two years on, and they have published 120 titles, signed 50 authors, and have sold no less than 2.75 million books across the world.
They specialise in a range of commercial fiction which includes crime and mystery, thriller, romance, and historical. Founded by former CEO of Head of Zeus, Amanda Ridout, the publisher was named after Farmer Boldwood, a character in Thomas Hardy’s Far From The Madding Crowd. Ridout has a close personal connection to this character, as ‘Druce’, the real-life farm owned by her grandparents, was the source of inspiration for the fictional Little ‘Weatherbury Farm’ in Hardy’s novel.
Boldwood Books’ formidable itinerary of authors includes historical romance author, Jina Bacarr, bestselling romance author, Lucy Coleman, acclaimed crime writer, Ross Greenwood, and bestselling thriller writer and co-host of Sniffing the Pages podcast, Nina Manning. Boldwood Books also has a category exclusively for women’s fiction, which includes the author of One Day in Winter, Shari Low, and award winning rom-com writer of Please Don’t Stop the Music, Jane Lovering.
The list of talent continues to grow, with further author acquisitions announced at regular intervals, the most recent of which was in March 2021. Forthcoming titles readers can expect in 2021 include Maxine Morrey’s women’s fiction novel, Things are Looking Up, which will be available at the end of May, and Heather Atknison’s mystery thriller, Bad Blood. Lizzie Lane’s latest novel in her Tobacco Girls saga, Dark Days for the Tobacco Girls, is also set for release in June.
Following their exceptional number of book sales across the year, Boldwood Books were awarded the 2020 Nick Robinson Newcomer of the Year Award at the IPG’s highly prestigious Independent Publisher Awards. The judges categorically stated their admiration for Boldwood’s method of releasing novels across multi formats, their collaborative approach to authors, and their overall desire to hit the ground running in the publishing industry.
The fact that the company thrived, in 2020 of all years, has been reassuring for writers, readers, and publishers, and is now a notable story of triumph in the world of independent publishing.
Boldwood Books have also created a social media platform called Book & Tonic, a space that keeps followers regularly updated on offers, competitions, events, and announcements regarding the numerous authors and titles published under their name. It is a vibrant and engaging way to deliver an ongoing stream of press to the consumer, ensuring that the brand stays consistently relevant and fresh throughout the year. Equally enjoyable is the Watch section of their website, which showcases videos of Boldwood Books’ authors reading extracts of their own novels, under a range of entertaining themes spread across the annual calendar.
It’s clear that Boldwood Books have an extremely smart handle on the business side of publishing, as well as providing an expanse of material that appeals to a broad range of readers. With this much momentum behind them, another rewarding year is all-but guaranteed.
You can visit their website to discover more titles. For even more enjoyable insights from Boldwood Books, check out their blog page. To get further news, info, and regular updates via email, sign up to the Boldwood Books newsletter!
