What’s it really like being published by a small publisher?
Novelist Emma Christie
I’m excited to have another interview for you today, with thriller author Emma Christie. I have known Emma for a while now, as we share the same agent, and I thought it would be interesting to talk to her about her experience of being published by a small publisher, as this is something authors often have questions about.
Emma’s had a very successful career so far, and her books have been shortlisted for multiple prizes.
Hi Emma! Please can you tell us a little bit about your publishing career so far, and your books?
I write psychological thrillers set in Portobello, Edinburgh’s thriving seaside neighbourhood.
My debut novel, The Silent Daughter, was shortlisted for the McIlvanney Prize for Scottish Crime Book of the Year 2021, shortlisted for the Scottish Crime Debut of the Year 2021 and longlisted for the Crime Writers Association John Creasey (New Blood) Dagger Award 2021.
It was followed in 2022 by Find Her First which sold well and got me my first ever foreign translation deal! They were both published by Welbeck, an independent publisher.
My third novel, In Her Shadow, was published on 15th February 2024 and has just been named Thriller of the Month by The Times and Book of the Month by Scots Magazine.
It was published by Mountain Leopard Press, a brand new imprint of Headline – but in reality it’s Welbeck under a different name after Headline bought Welbeck and its list of authors last year.
Do you mind sharing the story of how you got your book deal?
I was offered my first ever book deal exactly ten years to the day after I’d told my boss I was quitting my job to write a novel. In that time I’d written 3.5 novels. The first got me my agent but no book deal. The second got me a meeting with a London publisher but…no book deal. The third one I started writing was rubbish so I never finished it and almost gave up!
Then I completely rewrote the first one, setting the story in Scotland instead of Guatemala…and after dozens of rejections and 7 months on submission, I finally got an offer from an independent publisher. And I said yes!
How has your experience been working with a small publisher?
For me it was really positive. It was a small team at Welbeck and I knew most of them by name- and face! They were all enthusiastic and I felt like they really wanted to do the best for their authors.
“If anyone tells you a small independent publisher won’t invest in its writers… I think my experience proves otherwise”
I got a relatively small advance but in spite of that I got great publicity and marketing. I was placed in three supermarkets, and had reviews and features in many glossy magazines. I was also put forward for various prizes - I made two shortlists and one longlist.
So if anyone tells you a small independent publisher won’t invest in its writers… I think my experience proves otherwise.
Did you have any doubts or reservations before signing with your publisher?
I was a nervous because they were literally brand new, with no track record. I was one of the first authors they signed.
But the people who set up Welbeck had many years of experience with other publishers so me and my agent decided it was worth the chance.
My expectations were exceeded in terms of placement in supermarkets etc.
What, if any, downsides do you think there are from being published by a smaller publisher?
I didn’t get hardbacks which may have limited my chance of getting reviewed in some bigger publishers.
Then there’s the status thing – when people say, who are you published with? If I said Welbeck, usually nobody had heard of them. But I didn’t mind that so much because I’d rather have a small name that does big things for my books than vice verca.
And what are the benefits?
Knowing the whole team, and knowing they’re all invested in the success of the book.
Welbeck has now been bought over by one of the big publishers, Hachette/Headline and we’ve been rebranded as Mountain Leopard Press. I’m really excited to see if and how this changes my experience going forward!
Do you have any advice for anyone who’s about to sign with a small publisher?
Research them and the people who set it up. See what experience or track record they have elsewhere. Listen to your agent!
Where can readers find out more about you?
Find me online at my website and newsletter sign-up – and across social media @theemmachristie.
Emma’s latest book, In Her Shadow, has been described as ‘an emotional gut-puncher’.
Bus driver Dave Kellock is a pillar of the community in Portobello, Edinburgh. But he’s got a terrible secret. His past is dragged into the present one when an unexpected passenger steps onto his bus: the woman he killed almost twenty years earlier.
Dave’s still reeling from the shock of it when police turn up his door, accusing him of an entirely different crime. As he battles to track down a dead woman and maintain his hard-won reputation Dave makes a terrifying realisation. Wherever he goes, someone is watching.
You can find out more about Emma’s books on her website (which I built! 😉) →
