Unlike many careers in publishing, the path to becoming a literary agent is rarely linear, and seldom advertised. It’s a role more often grown into than applied for, shaped by instinct, connections, and a passion for reading and for books. Entry routes vary widely: some agents started as agency assistants, others moved across from editorial, bookselling, or publicity. But all develop a finely honed sense of what sells, and a deep familiarity with the publishing marketplace.

Look into the world of school stories, from Billy Bunter's misadventures to the classic tropes that still govern the genre. Whether it's overcoming a monster or going on a quest, these narratives hold more than just nostalgia—they hold the keys to understanding class, morality, and personal growth in fiction.

For Readers of Short Stories - and Writers Chasing the Magic of Compression (Beyond Neoprene) In the Beginning Was Six Words I’ve stood...

From Queen Victoria’s imagined love children to Princess Margaret’s speculative diagnoses, modern biographies are increasingly blurring the line between storytelling and speculation. But why are journalists letting them?

When Amazon withdrew a string of unofficial biographies of SNP politicians riddled with false claims, it exposed more than one publishing scandal. In an era of AI-generated misinformation, author anonymity, and disappearing credits, how do readers know who to trust? This article explores the new Wild West of publishing — and what parents, teachers and librarians can do about it.

Ladybird Books taught generations of British children how to read, but the story behind the logo is richer, and more surprising, than you might think. From wartime printing hack to educational empire to bestselling adult spoof, here’s the full Pulp History.

Notorious Autobiographical Fantasies. When truth becomes a plot device… Who is who? Autobiographical Fantasies Memoir is supposed to...

It’s almost poetic: a trauma memoir that ends up traumatising the publisher. Because when a story like The Salt Path begins to wobble, it’s not just the author who falls. The editors, the marketers, the readers—all are caught in the collapse of a narrative sold as unflinching truth. This is the soft lie of emotional truth—and publishing has been complicit in making it a genre.

Whether you dream of writing a picture book, an adventure novel for eight year olds, non-fiction or a chapter book series.

Publishing loves a good diversity panel. But behind the scenes, creators are quietly being erased. If we don’t protect credits, are we building legacy— or theatre?

When I began work on The Secret Journal of Victor Frankenstein on the Workings of the Human Body, I wasn’t just adapting Mary Shelley’s classic, I was exhuming it. Shelley, who died in 1851, had no idea her cautionary tale about ambition and monstrosity would spark not just horror films, Halloween masks and bolts-in-the-neck clichés, but an entire mythology. I imagined Victor Frankenstein not as a mad scientist, but as a curious, obsessive student doctor scribbling anatomical

H.E. Marshall’s Our Island Story was once the go-to tale of Britain’s past, kings, queens, and glorious Empire. But in 2025, what kind of story do we really need to tell our children? This blog revisits the 2005 revival campaign and explores what a more inclusive, honest, and compelling national narrative could look like.

The Net Book Agreement kept UK book prices fixed for almost 100 years, allowing local bookshops to thrive and publishers to take risks. But in 1997, it was declared illegal. Was it outdated protectionism - or a cultural safety net we didn’t realise we needed?

Every parent remembers their child’s first word. Some say “Mum”, some say “Dad” – our son said “digger”. In this post I show how those early obsessions with diggers, fire engines and other machines can become the raw material for a bedtime story picture book. From emotional arcs and page plans to onomatopoeia and illustration, here’s how to turn one small word into a full 32-page goodnight story.

From a speakeasy basement in 1920s New York to a marble-and-brass editorial fortress in Berkeley Square, Reader’s Digest defined 20th-century publishing. I began my career at their London offices in 1979, and watched as the world’s most widely read magazine rose, thrived, and slowly faded. This is a story about illustrated books, prize draws, fine art, forgotten founders, and a publishing ethos that might just deserve a second look in today’s AI era.

AI is no longer a whisper in the wings of publishing - it’s centre stage, and the script is changing fast. From manuscript polishing to audiobook narration and translation, AI is reshaping the entire industry. But while publishers and authors wrestle with questions of ethics, copyright, and consent, one name seems to be quietly storming the stage with barely a whisper of protest: Amazon.

What happens when a publisher decides the creator of a book no longer matters? When authorship becomes an inconvenience and branding takes centre stage? This article explores why the corporate strategy of erasing origin stories is not just ethically questionable—it’s commercially short-sighted. Books aren't toothpaste. And readers, as it turns out, have very long memories.

What happens when the biggest names in children’s books didn’t write them? This blog unpacks the ethics of celebrity authorship, ghostwriters, and rebranded classics.

The business of books in Britain has transformed dramatically from the 1970s to today. The UK publishing industry of the 1970s would hardly recognise itself in 2025. Back then, cigarette smoke filled offices in London’s West End handled typewritten manuscripts delivered by post to a business dominated by gentlemanly agreements and a fixed book price system.

Whether you’re dreaming of your book being read at bedtime or shared in classrooms across the UK, remember: it’s all about the story.