About Habitat Press

Habitat Press is an imprint I set up to support the Green Stories project and to publish competition winners. I also use it to publish my own books. I was offered a publishing contract but turned it down as I wanted to retain control over my content. Habitat Press has published two Green Stories winners, four other books arising from the Green Stories project and are about to publish two more. Most of these are available on all main platforms, some in libraries and direct from the website. In addition, five of our winners/finalists have gone onto publish their books elsewhere, and we promote them where we can – see https://habitatpress.com/.  

Why I need help

I’m juggling my job as professor of sustainability with being a writer and running a growing publishing imprint and so have limited time for marketing all the amazing books. We have a mailing list of over 6k subscribers, and I have a personal platform too which helps. There is so much more Habitat Press can achieve, and the bottle neck is my time.

My values/approach

I tend to be informal and prefer to develop trust-based relationships centred round a common cause. It would be useful to find someone to help who shares the values of the Green Stories project which is to use fiction to engage a more mainstream audience in climate solutions.

What is required?

Essential skills/attributes:

• Time to help and the ability to commit long term once we’ve had a chance to see how we work together. I’ve had some short-term helpers – they’ve been great, but I need someone who can commit for the long term.
• Someone who cares deeply about the environment and believes in the ability of fiction to inspire new audiences. My research indicates that solution-focused stories in genres that appeal to mainstream audiences can inspire action in audiences that would never choose to watch a climate documentary.
• Ability to learn and a marketing mindset.

Desirable skills/attributes

Knowledge of/willingness to learn how to:

• update and maintain Word Press website
• use email and social media marketing to promote books/play
• graphic design skills are helpful to create marketing content
• knowledge/willingness to learn how indie publishing works
• A network you can tap into to expand reach

Note: I had none of these when I set up Habitat Press and learned by doing.

What’s in it for you?

No one goes into publishing to become rich. Even large publishers are struggling as platforms like Amazon hoover up the profits. But it’s not without its rewards:

Making a difference. Research on reader responses to my first novel, Habitat Man shows that one month after reading, 98% of readers had changed their attitudes and 60% had adopted at least one green alternative. The readers were those who liked rom-coms and cosy mysteries, not chosen for their ‘greenness’. Fiction enables us to move out of our echo chambers.

You will make a little money. I would be happy to split profits. The exact percentage would depend upon what proportion of the work you do. It would be suitable for someone who is looking to supplement their income as you wouldn’t make enough to pay your mortgage (at least in the short term).

You may end up with an entire publishing company. If I develop a trusting relationship with someone who seems able to manage the publishing and marketing side of things and shares the same commitment and values, then I would be delighted to hand over Habitat Press so I can concentrate on my writing.

Meet lovely people. My experience is that writers are really interesting people, and those who work in climate and sustainability are always keen to help each other. They tend to be motivated by the cause, and I’ve found none of the competitive, me-first mindset you get in many sectors. You’ll get to work with and help creative people who want to make a difference.

Location

I’m based in the UK. It may be easier to work with someone local as different jurisdictions could be an issue if we go on to set up Habitat Press as a partnership or legal entity. It may also make things slightly more complicated when it comes to pay. On the other hand, having someone in another country opens up new markets.

Contact

If you think you can help then please get in touch.