Spa Tek

End of an Era

Five years ago the The Arts Council of England asked me if I wanted their support for my web site, www.author.co.uk. That's very unusual, I know of no-one else who has been asked. How could I refuse? So I prepared a draft budget. To my surprise they agreed, paying me the sum I'd suggested and promising me funding for at least three years. I was overjoyed, and began to work tirelessly to create a web site that people wanted, and to meet the innumerable demands and questions posed by writers. Rarely did I work less that 16 hours a day, falling out of bed in one room to switch on the computer in the next.

Author Publishing Ltd was created as a result, and funds were stretched out so we were very late in applying for the second year funding. They demurred over the amount, agreeing to pay half the figure requested. That was understandable, as there were expansive new ideas in the new application, intended to help writers, especially those wanting to reach readers.

It was suggested that the Arts Council had sought my support because they had made some disastrous decisions about their Internet presence for literature. Whatever the politics, I was immensely grateful, not least for the trips to London for quiet lunches over which I could discuss my plans for the web site with someone who cared.

Before I applied for the third year's funding the Art Council of England changed its structure. Grants were now considered locally, and application then had to be made to the Literature Officer for the East of England, Jonathan Haynes. By this time the author.co.uk site had grown, and the web hosting service were constantly demanding more money to cope with the increased traffic it generated.

Mr Haynes decided that we were no longer deserving of support. That was a devastating blow, from which it has been impossible to recover, but I made mistakes, living on promises.

My problem was an inability to say no. In 2002 I published 'Pathways to Publication' written with the incomparable Bernie Ross, it opened the door to publishing for many writers. There were exciting opportunities presented by digital printing, especially for those writers who were not aiming at a mass market. I began to help writers publish books, covering all the costs myself.

Last year I was persuaded to expand my horizons, and produce a book printed with offset litho. The unit costs are much lower than with digital, but the number of books printed at any one time are considerably more. My first venture seemed safe enough, sales were promised, both here and abroad. Armed with a bank loan I set off, full of enthusiasm and hope for the future.

It's better to have tried and failed, perhaps. Over 70 titles have been published since 2002 that probably would not have been produced without my help. That I can produce books, of high standard, that usually please the author, is now proven. What I cannot do is to sell these books to the established book trade. That's the real failure, and has proved so frustrating because there is no longer any money left in the pot. For the past eighteen months I've received no salary (didn't get very much before), and my private resources are now dried up.

Author Publishing Ltd must cease trading. Hopefully some crumbs can be extracted, and at least the original files of all the books remain safe. They can be resurrected if required.

Ownership of the web site www.author.co.uk was never transferred to APL, so that should be safe. Not sure what its future function will be. I'd dreamt that it should be the epicentre of British writing and publishing. That dream, for me, is in jeopardy.

Anyone want to buy a publishing company?

posted by Suffolk Notes @ 12:29 pm