The Authors' Collective

Well, four very intriguing and amazing sounding novels, all united, I think, with the main themes that are universal to all, love and loss and loneliness and the understanding of ourselves through family history.

And I think we should all go out and read these.

And the reason we're gathered around here is The fact that you are all, between you, very experienced writers and authors and publishers now in your own right, these books are being published under the banner, for want of a better description, of a new venture called the Authors Collective.

So I'm going to start with you, James.

Why the need for the Authors Collective right now at this point in time?

We've come together really because we've all got books which, for one reason or another, and we've all been published in the past, traditionally published.

But for one reason or another, the books that we've written no longer perhaps fit a template or a model that the publishers might be looking for.

Very often, I think it's driven by the marketing department.

So, you know, can they market you as an author? Can they market the subject you're writing about? There's a certain straitjacket they try and fit you into.

And especially with the ability now for writers to publish their own work, we thought there was an opportunity for experienced writers who have work they would like to get out there.

But as I say, for one reason or another, the traditional route no longer works.

So, you know, being a collective, we're not here for the profit of the company.

We're here for the profit of the individual.

So, you know, we are here to find readers, a readership for our work, but also in a collaborative sense to build a community of writers that can help each other.

Because, as we all know, the publishing industry is moving very fast.

There's all sorts of new technologies that can be used.

It's not easy to navigate your way through this and with the ability to share best practice, help each other, find routes to market.

So yes, to answer your earlier question, the Authors Collective is an imprint.

Effectively, individually, we're each publishing our own work under the imprint, the umbrella of the Authors Collective.

And it's for the benefit of all.

So we speak regularly.

We host launches on behalf of our writers, our authors, our members.

Legally speaking, it's a cooperative.

So we're all sort of equally represented.

And it seems to have hit a nerve.