Richard Jones of Tangent Books explains why mindset is so important for an aspiring writer
Richard Jones
Richard Jones is a publisher at Tangent Books, which he set up with Steve Faragher in 2004. In our 13th feature on publishing houses, Richard describes how the renowned Naked Guides travel series developed into a local focus on music, art and other cultural elements. One of their most renowned publications is Banksy’s Bristol: Home Sweet Home.
What inspired you to set up Tangent Books?
I was (and still am) a partner in a magazine business in Bath, but all of our work was contract so we didn’t have ownership of any of our products. So we thought that magazines and books must be similar businesses and decided to launch the Naked Guide to Bristol and Naked Guide to Bath. I have since discovered that there are few similarities between the book and mag industries.
Also, I have always loved books and I have discovered that people who write books have the most amazing, drive, energy and passion for their subjects. That is inspirational.
What makes Tangent Books different to other publishing houses?
I like to think that Tangent has a radical agenda. I am primarily a local publisher and I think that Bristol is big enough to support a local publisher with radical leanings.
What kind of books do you publish?
Mainly local books about popular culture - music, street art, politics. I also do a series of football quote books, some self-help titles and the Naked Guides.
What happens to a submission once it reaches your office?
I read them all, but I reject most of them because they are not right for me. There’s no point me publishing a book if I can’t make it successful.
What do you look for in a submission?
I prefer to commission, so a submission has to coincide with an idea I was thinking of.
How can a new author get past the slush pile?
I don’t do fiction, so there’s no point approaching me with fiction titles. In my case, an author has to get lucky, or look at my existing titles and identify the sort of book that interests me.
Once you have accepted a manuscript for publication, how do you prepare it for publication?
My background is as a sub-editor so when I commission a title, I tend to commission tightly and edit very thoroughly to get the book I want. If it’s a submission I tend to let the author decide on style and so in - in consultation, of course.
What is your favourite part of this process?
The launch party.
What is the most challenging part of it?
Getting national PR and press. It’s not easy. The local media is good, but the national media rarely take any notice of ‘the provinces’.
Whose writing has excited you recently?
I really enjoyed Northern Lights by Philip Pullman.
What would you say the main challenges are for an aspiring author?
Somebody once told me that if you are a bank worker who writes you should always consider yourself as an author who works in a bank. So adopting the right mindset and being determined are obvious necessities, but also finding the right publisher helps.
Most of the submissions I receive are from people who haven’t really looked at my books and the direction Tangent is taking.
What advice would you offer an aspiring writer?
Work at it. Develop your skills, go on courses, find out how the industry works, immerse yourself in it. Find the right publisher.
For more please visit www.tangentbooks.co.uk
Other publishing houses and imprints interviewed for this series include Parthian Books, Tonto Books, Dedalus Books, Alcemi Books, Gomer Press, Trapdoor Books, Seren Books, The Friday Project, Chicken House, Wild Wolf Publishing, Anderson Press and Biscuit Publishing
Related posts:
- Alessandro Gallenzi of Alma Books advises aspiring writers on how to prepare a compelling novel proposal - Alessandro Gallenzi is the founder and publisher of Alma Books,...
- Roby James of Norilana Books explains why having the idea is only a fraction of the writer’s job - Roby James is an editor at Norilana Books, a California-based...
- Ceri Wyn Jones, editor at Gomer Press, explains how new writers can have submissions prioritised - In the fifth of our series of interviews with publishing...
- May Yao of Intellect Books describes her love of helping authors “to disseminate their ideas” - May Yao is an Associate Publisher and director at Intellect...
- Simon Hicks of Seren Books talks about the value of marketability in book publishing - In our seventh interview in our series on publishing houses...
If you enjoyed this post, please consider to leave a comment or subscribe to the feed and get future articles delivered to your feed reader.
Great advice - thanks! I think one of the most difficult things is keeping the right mindset. It is so easy to get distracted by everything around you, even if writing is the most important part of your day.