Why we believe authors deserve better.
The publishing world is broken. Fat-cat publishers dominate. Agents try to keep control. And new authors are left out. We thought this should change.
Hi, I'm Peter,
My wife Caroline and myself have been working with authors for the past 15 years.
People often ask where the idea for BespokeAuthor came from. I wish I could credit a spark of genius, or "a-ha" moment. But I can't. Truth is I began working with authors by accident. My design background led me to create a cover for a friend and then as word spread, the business grew.
Over time we added complete publishing packages to help new writers more, and now we're very lucky to work with authors from all over the world.
But one thing authors kept telling us was how badly they were treated by others in the publishing world.
Many told us tales of how they had written countless letters to agents - only to be ignored. Others told us they tried approaching big publishers - sending in proposal after proposal - and never even received a reply. And others shared with us heart-breaking stories of how they got caught up with vanity publishers. They'd innocently signed away the rights and royalties to their book (and all their future books), and were now on the verge of giving up writing for good. Shocking.
We knew this had to change.
So we decided to build a service, with old-fashioned values, we felt was fairer to you the author. One where you're respected. Where you can speak to a real human, and get help when you need it. Like how good service used to be.
While we're not perfect, we try every day to treat authors how we like to be treated - with fairness and friendliness.
When you work with my wife Caroline and myself you get a bespoke service.
You keep all of the rights to your work. You keep full copyright to your book. You keep control of your book.
There are no hidden fees, and you get our help every step of the way.
Although traditional publishing, (no) thanks to its numerous gatekeepers, is still dominated by those with the right connections, the books most people actually want to read are being written by a wider range of authors, just like you.
If we could give new authors the chance to publish their book without being treated badly in the process, we’d be rewarded with richer stories that would shape the world for the better.
I'm sure we can agree being a first-time author is not easy.
Struggling with self-doubt, the "Am I good enough?" feeling, staying on track, saying something worth sharing, keeping going, then editing (countless days editing!). Then we expect authors to switch hats and become adept at knowing all the latest tricks to actually publish their book. The keywords. The platforms. The file types. The tech. The to-do list goes on and on. It's enough to send you running for the hills.
No wonder so many authors fail to make it through it all.
Isn't it time it was easier for you, the author, to publish your book, your way, while getting the real human support you need, at every step?
My wife Caroline and myself hope we can help you.
Thanks for reading. If you'd like to chat about your book, you can contact me directly at peter@bespokeauthor.com I look forward to talking to you.
Peter O'Connor
Owner - BespokeAuthor
OUR VALUES
The principles that guide us.
At BespokeAuthor Caroline and I believe that how we treat authors is just as important as the work we do. Our values as people influence every decision we make, from how we answer emails to how we develop our products.
Human to Human Advice
We believe everyone deserves to be treated like a human. So you won't find any 'no-reply' emails here. Just real human help and advice. As it should be.
Fairness & Friendliness
Many of our authors become great friends. We often share stories from our lives. So we always try to be friendly. It could be the Irish blood in us!
Treat Authors With Respect
Authors tell us they've been disrespected by agents and publishers so much, they don't know who to trust. We always treat authors with the respect they deserve.
No Jargon or Tech-Speak
Authors love to write, but most don't want to deal with jargon and tech talk. So we speak to you in simple language. No NASA degree needed!
The Author Keeps Control
As an author you should be able to keep control of your book. So from keeping 100% of your rights to your cover design choice, you stay in control at every step.
Your Book Your Way
Not every author wants to be a bestseller. Or sell like a car salesman. No matter your reason for writing, we will help you publish your book, your way.