What was the first publishing advice you were ever given
I think the first piece of publishing advice I received came from an agent who came to lecture at my creative writing course (I forget her name!). She made a big impression on me, and said that the hardest thing about publishing is knowing what to turn down, and that there is no room to indulge. It was great advice because it kept forcing me to think with a commercial hat on rather than just what my personal preference was. As head of our sci-fi and fantasy imprint, I am by no means the biggest fan of the genre, but having a little distance from the books helps keep me impartial to their quality.
What was the most recent publishing advice you were given or gave
Our CEO Matthew Lynn suggested that we should be keeping our eyes open to other industries outside of publishing. You never know where the next big idea will come from, but with technology changing things so quickly now, it’s likely that other industries like advertising, marketing, tech and design will offer solutions to the next jump in publishing, and will rethink how we distribute and digest stories. The recent movement by Spotify to allow some audio books onto their platform is an example of how such cross-breeding could work.
What’s the piece of advice you’d most like to pass on
Put a name to a face quickly and always have a smile. Publishing is still quite a small world and conducting yourself in the right way will really keep your options open. You never know when you may need somebody’s help in the future!
James graduated from the University of York with a BA (Hons) in English Literature, before studying for an MA in Creative Writing at the University of Oxford. He joined Endeavour Media in 2018, and currently heads up our sci-fi imprint, as well as managing contracts.
Endeavour Media is an independent digital and print publisher based in London who work with over 800 authors, from talented debuts to top estates, to put both new and unfairly forgotten titles into the spotlight.
They specialise in championing out-of-print books by bringing them to the digital market under several different imprints, including their main list which is dedicated to thrillers, romance, historical fiction, biographies and history; a science-fiction, horror and fantasy imprint; a Western imprint; a German-language division; and a dedicated print arm.
Their mission is to publish enjoyable and important works of both fiction and nonfiction, as well as introduce new generations of readers to older classics. Find out more information at www.endeavourmedia.co.uk