I’d heard that Luath Press was hard to find. Luckily, I knew exactly where to turn off the Royal Mile to find the entrance to my home for the next fortnight. After being buzzed in, I anxiously climbed the stairs to be greeted by a perplexed-looking Chris, part of the small Luath team. Turns out I was bit eager to start and had arrived an hour early!
Slightly abashed, I was introduced to Luath’s Director Gavin MacDougall and briefed on the history of the company, from its inception in Ayrshire (where I’m from) to where they are now. Next I was given a run down of the publishing process at Luath, from manuscripts to distribution. Gavin emphasised the enduring need for publishing houses, despite the rise in self-publishing:
‘It’s easy to sell the first 100 copies of your book – publishing houses are here to do the rest.’
It was comforting to hear, as self-publishing seemed to be the hot topic at London Book Fair this year. After being presented with a checklist of possible tasks to complete during my time here, I was ready to get started.
Chris gave me a copy of their current title list for 2015, as he showed me around the shared drive. Accustomed to having interns, they have a comprehensive Luath Wiki set up, which helped enormously with the tasks I was given. Throughout my placement, I got the opportunity to draft AI sheets, compile blurbs, design event posters, and compose press releases – all of which helped to have templates and examples to follow. Rosie and Jennie, two more members of the Luath team, were always happy to help with any other queries I had. I was particularly excited to have a go at putting together a supplementary ‘Reader Offers’ handout on InDesign, which is to be featured in the Scotsman later this year.
I was also fortunate enough to get hands-on editorial experience, as I am most interested in this field. After being equipped with the Luath House Style, I got to edit a new Walter Stephen text on the life of Patrick Geddes. Likewise, I was given the opportunity to read through a selection of manuscripts and assess them. I found a gem, which I hope will see the light of day! The text I got to know best was The Tycoon and The Bard by John Cairney (referring to Andrew Carnegie and Robert Burns), which I got the chance to proofread and suggest changes. I was invited to sit in on a meeting with the author’s daughter Jane, who was a pleasure to meet. I was asked to read through the text with her and clarify any changes, which I was then able to update on the manuscript. With my knowledge of the text, I was able to confidently produce a blurb and work on a press release for it.
My time at Luath Press was an enjoyable and rewarding experience, accompanied by the sound of bagpipes every day from the Royal Mile! As a small publisher, there was always something to be doing and I was pleased to get involved with so many tasks. I was well prepared to attempt everything I encountered, and felt reassured that the skills I have learned on the course are practical and applicable in the real, fast-paced world of publishing.
‘It’s easy to sell the first 100 copies of your book – publishing houses are here to do the rest.’
They would say that, wouldn’t they? However, statistics show that ebook sales have been falling for traditional publishers and while only going up for independent publishers.
Have a look at this author earnings report from Hugh Howey – http://authorearnings.com/report/may-2015-author-earnings-report/