The 2023 Independent Publishing Awards shortlists

The IPG is very proud to present the shortlists for this year’s Independent Publishing Awards. They are:

PBShop Trade Publisher of the Year
Boldwood Books, Canongate Books, Duckworth Books, Joffe Books, Oneworld

Clays Children’s Publisher of the Year
David Fickling Books, Faber, Magic Cat Publishing, Nosy Crow, Oneworld

ProQuest Academic and Professional Publisher of the Year
Bloomsbury Publishing, Bristol University Press, Class Publishing, Edinburgh University Press,
Edward Elgar Publishing

PLS Education Publisher of the Year
Brilliant Publications, Jolly Learning

READ Media Specialist Consumer Publisher of the Year
Bloomsbury Publishing, David & Charles, Nick Hern Books

Nick Robinson Newcomer Award
Confer & Karnac, Guppy Books, Howgate Publishing, Moonflower Books, Phoenix Publishing House, Renard Press

Deanta International Award
Atlantic Books, Bloomsbury Publishing, Canongate Books, David & Charles, Magic Cat Publishing

The Bookseller Marketing Award
Bloomsbury Publishing, Canongate Books, David Fickling Books, Duckworth Books,
The Do Book Co, Unbound

The Alison Morrison Diversity and Inclusivity Award
Bloomsbury Publishing, Bonnier Books, Book Brilliance Publishing, Critical Publishing, Emerald Publishing, Neem Tree Press

HP Sustainability Award
Bloomsbury Publishing, Magic Cat Publishing, Renard Press, Vertebrate Publishing

Zebralution Audio Award
Belle Media, Bloomsbury Publishing, Bonnier Books, Saraband

Virtusales Metadata Award
Bloomsbury Publishing, David & Charles, Hardie Grant, Phoenix Publishing House

The Ola Gotkowska Young Independent Publisher Award
Rebecca Armstrong, Batsford Books; Will Dady, Renard Press; Mo Forman, Class Publishing;
Flo Garnett, Unbound

Services to Independent Publishers Award
BooksoniX, BookSource, Bookswarm, Chris Saynor, David Segrue, Glassboxx

Huge congratulations to all those who have made the shortlists. They feature 65 nominations, 40 different companies and six talented people, making these our biggest ever Awards by some distance. Particularly warm congratulations to the 12 members and four individuals who appear on the shortlists for the first time.

Our 29 Awards judges were overwhelmed by the quality and variety of submissions this year. The standard of entries was truly outstanding. Please don’t feel disheartened if you missed out this year.

You can read our judges’ comments about every one of the companies and individuals on the 14 shortlists below.

A 15th and final Award for the best of the best—the CPI Independent Publisher of the Year—will be presented from a shortlist comprised of the winners of the five Publisher of the Year categories.

Now we look forward to celebrating together at the 2023 Independent Publishing Awards Lunch at the OXO Tower in London from 12pm on Wednesday 22 March. Tickets are available now and you can book your places here. Whether you have been shortlisted or not, all members are very welcome and we would love to see you there.

We thank all the valued sponsors of the 2023 Independent Publishing Awards, without whom they could not be possible: CPI, Bookshop.org, Clays, Deanta, Gardners, HP, Nosy Crow, PBShop, Publishers’ Licensing Services, ProQuest, part of Clarivate, READ Media, The Bookseller, Virtusales Publishing Solutions and Zebralution. We pay tribute to the three individuals for whom Awards are named: Ola Gotkowska, Alison Morrison and Nick Robinson.

The IPG is grateful to the 29 hard-working and diligent judges of the 2023 Independent Publishing Awards: Graham Bell, EDItEUR; Martin Casimir, consultant; Nick Clee, BookBrunch; Andie Constantinides, Amazon; Neill Denny, BookBrunch; Eela Devani, Copyright Licensing Agency; Elise Dillsworth, Elise Dillsworth Agency; James Dunphy, Durnell Marketing; Vicky Ellis, Clays; Richard Fisher, IPG; Oliver Gadsby, IPG patron; Jonny Gallant, Bookspeed; Ashley Gordon, HP; Simon Graham, Zero Carbon Academy; Gareth Hardy, PBShop; Jonathan Harris, IPG; Laurence Howell, consultant; Alison Kaye, CPI; Sam Missingham, The Empowered Author; Tony Mulliken, consultant; Natasha Onwuemezi, freelance writer; Steve Potter, Far Corner; Miles Poynton, MWP Publishing; Gareth Rapley, The London Book Fair; Katie Read, READ Media; Darren Ryan, Deanta; Rebecca Souster, Zebralution; Caroline Summers, PBShop; Phil Turner, Virtusales; and Tom West, Publishers' Licensing Services.

Judges’ comments about the 14 shortlists for the 2023 IPG Independent Publishing Awards follow.

PBShop Trade Publisher of the Year
Boldwood Books, last year’s Trade and overall Independent Publisher of the Year, is shortlisted again after a stellar third full year of trading. Its model of publishing simultaneously in print, digital and audio formats paid off with more growth in all three. The judges admired its excellent care of staff and authors.
Judges said: “The Boldwood team is doing some fantastic things across so many formats, and what they’ve achieved in just a few years is remarkable.”

Canongate Books is shortlisted here for the first time, in its 50th anniversary year. It trimmed its frontlist but its books achieved several Sunday Times bestseller lists places and more than 40 prize nominations. Export and rights sales were also excellent, and it was creative across social media.
Judges said: “Canongate’s strategy of publishing fewer books better is really reaping benefits. It’s a business that puts a lot of effort into its staff wellbeing.”

Duckworth Books receives a first ever shortlist place at the Awards. The judges liked the passion of its team, its focused publishing—especially at its new Farrago imprint—and its partnerships. After a quiet few years, sales were the highest recorded in its 120+ years in publishing.
Judges said: “Duckworth is full of energy and innovation. It epitomises the spirit of independent publishing and is a really good example of how to reinvigorate a business.”

Joffe Books had a best-ever year with growth in sales, staff and output. The judges admired its collaboration with authors and its direct to consumer approach, powered by extensive digital marketing, including via TikTok. It acquired more crime titles from Ostara and partnered with other publishers on digital rights. Judges said: “The standards of acquisitions and production at Joffe Books are very high, and the online marketing is exceptionally good.”

Oneworld took this Award back in 2016, the year it won its second Booker Prize in a row. It has got even better since then, with daring commissioning of diverse voices and especially good sales through independent bookshops.
Judges said: “Winning the Booker is transformational, and to stay at that high level is very impressive. It publishes books it believes in and out of that comes some fantastic sales. Oneworld is a small publisher with a very big heart.”

Clays Children’s Publisher of the Year
David Fickling Books appears on this shortlist for the first time. It generated record sales in 2022, from international as well as UK channels, and made the most of every new release. The judges admired its rights trading, excellent commissioning and closeness to customers.
Judges said: “Comic books and graphic novels are a growing market and David Fickling are really making the most of it. It’s a very focused publishing programme that is paying dividends.”

Faber has its first appearance on this shortlist. Its small team punched well above their weight in sales terms, and it had critical successes including the Kate Greenaway award. It also impressed with its commitment to improving the diversity and sustainability of its publishing.
Judges said: “The children’s list knows its strengths and plays to them. They don’t just rely on the Faber brand but engage really well with their authors, trade customers and readers.”

Magic Cat Publishing won the Nick Robinson Newcomer Award in 2021 and is already established in the top tier of children’s publishing. Rights sales flourished again in 2022, and the judges were impressed with its branding and its good engagement on Instagram.
Judges said: “Magic Cat is a terrific success story—it’s come a long way in a very short time. If you were starting up a new children’s publisher in 2023, this would be the template to follow.”

Nosy Crow has won this category no fewer than six times in 11 years. It had another superb year of international sales, overcoming a dip in business in China by finding more new markets. It established new authors in the UK while making the most of its backlist.
Judges said: “Nosy Crow are so strong in every area … you can sense the heart and emotion there. What stands out all the time is the way that they don’t just buy big brands but create them.”

Oneworld is shortlisted for its children’s and Young Adult imprint, Rock the Boat, for the second year in a row. The judges liked its ambitious publishing that embraces under-represented authors and important topics. Engagement with customers, including via a new website and TikTok, were excellent.
Judges said: “Rock the Boat is doing some very bold publishing and making it work. Diversity has been at the heart of everything they do from the start.”

ProQuest Academic and Professional Publisher of the Year
Bloomsbury Publishing won this Award ten years ago and it continued to grow in 2022, organically as well as through the acquisitions of Red Globe Press and ABC-CLIO. Achievements at its Bloomsbury Digital Resources division included a new video library.
Judges said: “Bloomsbury doesn’t stand still with its academic and professional publishing. Its commitment to improving diversity in its fields is very welcome.”

Bristol University Press is shortlisted for the third time in four years. As well as achieving good print growth it launched four journals and a major new content platform called Bristol University Press Digital, which has been well received by users. It also made good progress on sustainability and diversity.
Judges said: “You can see the energy in Bristol’s publishing and its passion for social justice. It’s consistently innovative and isn’t afraid to try new things.”

Class Publishing had another best ever year in 2022, with high quality and needs-driven publishing for emergency responders and family law professionals. It diversified into fields including mental health care and looked after its authors and staff well.
Judges said: “Class is getting the rewards for a great strategic and customer-centric approach to its publishing. What they’ve done for ambulance staff in recent years is so impressive.”

Edinburgh University Press refreshed its publishing in the humanities and social sciences with a new strategic plan in 2022. It invested in data systems, launched an ebook collection sales partnership with De Gruyter and won two prizes at the Saltire Book Awards. There was good journal and ebook sales growth and robust print sales.
Judges said: “It’s good to see such a longstanding publisher not just sitting on its laurels but looking to the future.”

Edward Elgar Publishing, the overall Independent Publisher of the Year back in 2017, achieved another record year of growth in 2022. It refreshed its Elgaronline platform and cemented its reputation for excellent care of staff, authors and customers alike.
Judges said: “Edward Elgar’s publishing strategy really came to fruition in 2022. Relaunching a massive project like Elgaronline can’t have been easy but it’s been very well done.”

PLS Education Publisher of the Year
Brilliant Publications, the 2021 Education Publisher of the Year, has adapted well to the pressures on school budgets. It increased its range of formats and series, renewed its focus on value for money and relaunched its website to improve direct to consumer marketing and sales.
Judges said: “Brilliant is committed to its mission and has a great customer service ethos… it works hard with teachers to understand what they need.”

Jolly Learning is shortlisted for the success of its new digital platform, Jolly Classroom. Judges liked the functionality of the service and the way it has engaged users. They also admired the company’s global reach, which has taken Jolly Classroom to more than 50 countries.
Judges said: “It’s good to see a long-established education publisher continue to look for new ways to serve schools worldwide. The numbers are very impressive.”

READ Media Specialist Consumer Publisher of the Year
Bloomsbury Publishing is shortlisted for its Osprey Publishing division, which specialises in military history. As well as serving its niche well with books, it has built a strong games business, with excellent direct to consumer marketing. Metadata and audio were other areas of focus in 2022.
Judges said: “Osprey continues to do a lot of interesting stuff for an audience it knows extremely well. The books are high quality with top production standards.”

David & Charles, the 2021 Specialist Consumer Publisher of the Year, has successfully expanded beyond its core arts and crafts categories, with new focus on wellbeing, books-plus ranges and craft kits. Judges liked its high production standards, superb digital marketing and global reach.
Judges said: “To achieve all they’ve done just a few years after a management buyout is very impressive. It’s a classic specialist independent that owns its niche.”

Nick Hern Books bounced back from the challenges of Covid and theatre closures during lockdowns in 2022. It achieved its best ever sales by refining its direct to consumer marketing and establishing new channels, including through partnerships with exam boards.
Judges said: “Nick Hern works in a sector of publishing that has had a more torrid time of it than most. But it’s rolled up its sleeves and got the results that its hard work deserves.”

Nick Robinson Newcomer Award
The Independent Publishing Awards judges were particularly impressed by the standard of entries in this category, which shows the remarkable diversity and entrepreneurialism in independent publishing.

Confer & Karnac is shortlisted for the Newcomer Award for the second year in a row. Three years after launch it has an excellent reputation in its field of professional development for mental health practitioners. Judges liked its strategic and steady growth plans, the rigour of its commissioning and its retail business.
Judges said: “This is smart and focused publishing from an experienced team. They have a great springboard for success in the future.”

Guppy Books published its first children’s fiction titles in 2019 and has punched well above its weight since. Judges admired its passion and ambition, its attention to detail on every new book and its places on the Carnegie, Costa and Waterstones prize shortlists. It has also set up good relationships with indie retailers.
Judges said: “Guppy has an energetic team and solid foundations. The critical recognition is a great sign for the future.”

Howgate Publishing has specialised in military training, education and narrative books since launching in 2019. It has researched its market extensively, found experts in their fields to author books, and reached its target audience via events and social media as well as trade channels.
Judges said: “Howgate has done some very distinctive and focused publishing. It’s spotted a gap in the market and filled it extremely well.”

Moonflower Books has been publishing books for less than two years, but has already had several successes in competitive fields of genre fiction. Judges liked its very effective publicity work that has secured a lot of broadcast and print coverage, and its collaboration with authors.
Judges said: “These are tough markets for small publishers to break into, but Moonflower is already making money and you get the feeling it will grow very quickly.”

Phoenix Publishing House was highly commended for the 2022 Virtusales Metadata Award, and its achievements in that field have created a sound infrastructure for growth. It has a good reputation for quality in its area of mental health publishing.
Judges said: “There’s a lot of professionalism there and it’s nailed fundamentals like distribution, workflows and metadata. The print and digital strategies are good and it’s got a nice online presence.”

Renard Press is shortlisted here for the second year in a row. It increased its sales and acquired another small publisher in 2022, and impressed with its support for under-represented authors and sustainability.
Judges said: “Renard is a great example of an independent publisher that started out with few resources but a very strong sense of what they want to achieve. It’s got a philanthropic as well as entrepreneurial streak… it’s a force for good.”

Deanta International Award
Atlantic Books is shortlisted here for the first time, after a year that saw publishers forced to overcome many logistics problems. Sales were well up in key markets like Europe, India and the Middle East, thanks to partnerships with retailers, reps and distributors.
Judges said: “Atlantic has become a properly global business. It doesn’t just rely on a few books, but gets behind everything. The use of TikTok to extend its reach is really impressive.”

Bloomsbury Publishing now sells into 100+ markets, but impressed with its tailored approach to each. Exports and rights sales both increased and it helped partners capitalise on #BookTok exposure for several titles. After two years of Covid disruption its teams enjoyed getting on the road again.
Judges said: “Bloomsbury is a big business but it’s got an entrepreneurial approach. To achieve such good growth when you’re already at this scale is impressive.”

Canongate Books had a record year of international sales, with particularly strong growth in central Europe and Asia. Rights income was well ahead of budget too. Its export team impressed the judges with their local approaches to printing and marketing campaigns.
Judges said: “Canongate’s results are very good across so many areas of licensing and many territories… it works as hard on its backlist as it does on its new titles.”

David & Charles had particularly notable success in 2022 in north America, through Amazon and specialist arts and crafts retailers. Trading in Australia and coedition sales were very good as well—the result of a nimble approach to partnerships and printing.
Judges said: “The David & Charles team have got a clear strategy for what they want to achieve internationally, and they have executed it very well.”

Magic Cat Publishing won this Award in 2022 and has had another outstanding year of growth. It delivered on its strategy and vision with sales into more than 30 languages under foreign rights director Carine Delagrave, despite the limitations on travel through much of the year.
Judges said: “Magic Cat has been an international business right from the start. To get so many rights deals from a relatively small list is quite phenomenal.”

The Bookseller Marketing Award
Bloomsbury Publishing is shortlisted for its campaign for The Leviathan by Rosie Andrew. The marketing took its lead from the content and unique selling points of the story, and focused on the book as a desirable product. It propelled the title into the Sunday Times bestseller lists on publication and set up Rosie Andrew as a brand author to follow.
Judges said: “Launching a debut author into this crowded market is difficult, and they did it well.”

Canongate Books is shortlisted for its campaign for two poetry collections: The Fire People, published in 1998, and More Fiya, released in 2022. The judges admired the Canongate’s team energy and their efforts to address any shortcomings in this area.
Judges said: “Poetry is always a difficult market, but Canongate put a lot of hard work into this. What they’ve achieved and learned will help them well beyond the life of the campaign.”

David Fickling Books is shortlisted for its campaign for Bunny Vs Monkey: Rise of the Maniacal Badger by Jamie Smart. Despite a low budget, its team engaged Waterstones, supermarkets and independent bookshops alike, including through Bunny Vs Monkey ‘Doodle Walls’.
Judges said: “In an incredibly competitive market they’ve done a great job of raising sales. The campaign was well thought through and strategised.”

Duckworth Books is shortlisted for its Farrago imprint’s campaign for the Follet Valley mystery series by Ian Moore. The campaign tapped into the interest in ‘cosy crime’ fiction and engaged booksellers through special editions, merchandise and lots of author activity.
Judges said: “There was a lot of personality and passion in this campaign. Despite a very small team and various hurdles it beat expectations.”

The Do Book Co is shortlisted for its campaign for its Masterclass-style video content in partnership with the Sage Group. So far it has created three seasons of 12 films with supporting trailers and articles, with more to come. The initiative has also been highly commended at the 2022 FutureBook Awards.
Judges said: “This marketing felt very innovative—it took new and different approaches to promoting and monetising video content.”

Unbound is shortlisted for its campaign for Birds by Jim Moir. This campaign overcame a shortage of budget and author support to achieve a very impressive level of media exposure and a place on the Sunday Times bestseller lists.
Judges said: “What Unbound achieved considering all the limitations was remarkable. It’s the spirit of independent publishing—creative and energetic with a load of passion.”

The Alison Morrison Diversity and Inclusivity Award
Judges selected a record six companies for this shortlist—the most in its history and a reflection of the achievements of IPG members in diversity and inclusivity in 2022.

Bloomsbury Publishing made tangible progress on the diversity of both its output and staffing in 2022. A Diversity, Equity and Inclusion plan has led to new staff networks and an increase in the number of people from Black and minority ethnic groups at the business. Diversity has also improved across its content, including videos and games as well as books.
Judges said: “There’s great momentum here… they live and breathe what they say about diversity.”

Bonnier Books’ achievements included the launch of a new inclusive business and thought leadership imprint called Heligo and a partnership with marginalised voices publisher Footnote Press. Judges also admired the diversity at Bonnier’s senior level.
Judges said: “There’s a commitment to diversity across the organisation and it’s embedded in the culture. Bonnier are establishing new lines of business that are properly inclusive.”

Book Brilliance Publishing is shortlisted at the Independent Publishing Awards for the first time. Set up during the pandemic, Black and Asian authors have accounted for half its output, and there has been work on other aspects of diversity including sexual orientation, physical disability, neuro-diversity and mental health.
Judges said: “They’ve punched well above their weight so far… They make a difference in the communities they publish for.”

Critical Publishing has put social responsibility and mental health at the core of its mission since launching 11 years ago. It has stepped up its work since the start of the pandemic and published important books on topics including learning disabilities, autism, marginalised communities and social exclusion in 2022.
Judges said: “Diversity is obviously one of the core values at Critical. They’re working on diversity in lots of different forms.”

Emerald Publishing is shortlisted here for the third year in a row. It made more excellent progress on diversity in 2022 and appointed its first inclusion lead. It improved its recruitment processes, set up new staff networks and published widely around diversity, equality and inclusion.
Judges said: “Emerald is committing time and resources to making sure the workplace is inclusive. They’ve cemented inclusivity across the whole business.”

Neem Tree Press has aimed to widen people’s perspectives ever since it started up. Its small list publishes a diverse range of voices that are under-represented in the UK, including through translations. Its Seven Seas Collection meanwhile promotes diversity to children and young adult readers.
Judges said: “Neem Tree Press is achieving a lot for a company of its size. It’s bringing people stories that they wouldn’t otherwise hear.”

HP Sustainability Award
Judges were pleased to see the very high standard of entries in this category, and congratulated independent publishers of all sizes on their progress on sustainability issues.

Bloomsbury Publishing has embedded sustainable principles into all aspects of its operations over the last few years and substantially reduced scope 1 and 2 emissions in 2022. It was also active on staff training and development.
Judges said: “The impact of new initiatives in an organisation of this size is extremely impressive. It’s not lip service but proper and validated commitment.”

Magic Cat Publishing has made environmental impacts a core consideration ever since it launched in 2019. Among other things it has created plastic-free ranges, adopted vegetable inks and FSC paper as standard and diversified its printing locations to reduce transport times.
Judges said: “Magic Cat have put sustainability in their DNA from the outset. What they’ve done with some of their products is already an exemplar for other publishers to follow.”

Renard Press says it is among the world’s first climate-positive publishers, minimising its carbon footprint and offsetting the remainder. It funds one tree planting for every direct order, uses only renewable energy and has eliminated plastic from order processing.
Judges said: “The ambition and commitment to sustainability from such a small operation is fantastic and commendable. A lot of thought has gone into the work.”

Vertebrate Publishing used the publication of Damian Hall’s We Can’t Run Away From This, about sustainability in running, to measure every aspect of a book’s carbon footprint and take the learnings forward into all its publishing.
Judges said: “It’s impressive to see the level of detail in this sustainability work—they’re really scrutinising everything. It’s a great example of an independent publisher using its agility and freedom to improve.”

Zebralution Audio Award
Belle Media appears on these shortlists for the first time. It is nominated for its work on Stormy Weather, an audio documentary series about historic British ships that was inspired by one of its books, Hurricane Hutch’s Top 10 Ships of the Clyde.
Judges said: “Belle Media took a book that had no obvious path to audio and did something very creative and impressive. It shows how any publisher can use their content as a springboard into audio.”

Bloomsbury Publishing is shortlisted for its work on Stolen Focus, written and narrated by Johann Hari. It made good use of the author on promotion, especially via podcasts and social media platforms relevant to the target audience.
Judges said: “This campaign made the most of all of Bloomsbury’s marketing channels. It was a really well produced audiobook that found an audience that the print book wouldn’t have reached.”

Bonnier Books is shortlisted for Managing Expectations by Minnie Driver. It showed how audio can add new dimensions to a celebrity memoir, including through bonus features like an interview and songs. The audiobook got critical acclaim as well as commercial success.
Judges said: “Audio was obviously at the heart of this publishing plan from the start, and adding in extra content elevated it from all the other formats.”

Saraband is shortlisted for its production and promotion of the audiobook of Cold Fish Soup, written and narrated by Adam Farrer. It promoted the audio effectively across social media and used it to kickstart a new audio distribution strategy.
Judges said: “Saraband did brilliantly with a book that wouldn’t necessarily be an obvious audio choice. It’s very encouraging to see small literary publishers embracing audio so well.”

Virtusales Metadata Award
Bloomsbury Publishing is shortlisted for its work on improving metadata and investment in staff training and development. Under a Missing Metadata Project it has filled in data gaps in its large lists and acquisitions and dramatically improved its metadata compliance.
Judges said: “Bloomsbury realised they needed better metadata across the business and have put in the effort to get it. They’ve faced significant challenges but made great strides.”

David & Charles has made continuous improvement in metadata a core strategy, and it has paid off in improved discoverability and online sales. Metadata is now central at every step of a book’s life, and it has used Virtusales’ Biblio system to identify gaps and improvements.
Judges said: “David & Charles realise that metadata is a vital process and not just a bit of marketing. They’re always looking for ways to make it better.”

Hardie Grant has seen its metadata standards substantially improve under the watchful eye of metadata manager Valentina Coppa. Among other things it has led to more efficient workflows and more effective sales and marketing campaigns.
Judges said: “Hardie Grant’s work shows how good metadata practice can reduce duplication and save a lot of time and resources. Valentina’s doing a great job.”

Phoenix Publishing House was highly commended in this category in 2022 and has continued to sharpen its metadata. It has focused in particular on using metadata to improve business process, and on aspects relating to accessibility.
Judges said: “It’s so impressive to see this level of attention to metadata. They understand the value of getting data in order and are seeing the pay-off. It’s a model for other small independent publishers to follow.”

The Ola Gotkowska Young Independent Publisher Award
Rebecca Armstrong of Batsford Books handles foreign rights, coeditions and UK contract publishing, having joined Pavilion as a rights assistant. She has directly generated substantial increases in sales over the last year, seeking out new territories and publishing partners.
Judges said: “Rebecca is achieving an awful lot for someone aged just 25. She’s laying the ground for a bright international future for Batsford.”

Will Dady of Renard Press is shortlisted for this Award for the second year in a row. He has single-handedly built a new literary publisher on tiny resources and increased sales and acquired another small publisher in 2022. Judges liked his commitment to diversity and support of charities and LGBTQAI+ communities.
Judges said: “Will is clearly very entrepreneurial and he publishes books with feeling and meaning.”

Mo Forman of Class Publishing joined the business as an editorial assistant and is now production editor, guiding titles for pre-hospital services through print, digital and open access formats from start to finish. Colleagues and publishing partners admire her diligence, responsiveness and flexibility.
Judges said: “Mo’s not just making her company better—she’s making a difference in some really important areas of publishing.”

Flo Garnett of Unbound has made major contributions to the business in just a year and a half. As well as handing editorial admin she already project manages her own titles, spearheads Unbound’s audio projects and supports the Unbound Firsts list for writers of colour.
Judges said: “Flo is obviously a go-getter who is doing a lot for her business. She’s very proactive and efficient and delivering for Unbound and her authors.”

Services to Independent Publishers Award
BooksoniX has supported numerous IPG members with their visibility in the market by helping them to optimise and distribute their metadata. Publishers also appreciate BooksoniX’s friendly and accessible technical support.
One nominee said: “BooksoniX offers stellar ONIX services at an affordable price. We can rely on our metadata to be disseminated throughout the world without issue and on time, and customer service is quick.”

BookSource is shortlisted for the speed and efficiency of its distribution for independent publishers, who value its open communications, sales reporting and commitment to reducing the carbon footprint of the supply chain.
One nominee said: “The service BookSource has given us over the last year has been superb. Our order processing and fulfilment, financial management and stock are all in safe hands with them.”

Bookswarm has powered many independent publishers’ websites in recent years. Users like the team’s intuition for publishers’ needs, flexible approach to building websites and responsiveness.
One nominee said: “From the very start of our working relationship the team have been efficient, understanding and incredibly patient with all our little tweaks and queries. Bookswarm are THE team to go to for any book-related company that needs a new website.”

Chris Saynor is shortlisted for his work on Thema, the subject category project that has become the global book trade’s most important classification scheme.
One nominee said: “Under Chris's guidance Thema has been widely adopted across many key markets and become Amazon's preferred scheme globally… he has worked tirelessly and creatively to balance the competing demands of domestic and international stakeholders.”

David Segrue marks 30 years of service for independent publishers as an independent sales representative in 2023. He has been an invaluable support over tough Covid years and goes above and beyond what publishers expect.
One nominee said: “His accounts rely on his expertise, knowledge and gold-star service. David’s optimistic and forward-looking attitude motivates his customers, inspires all of us and delivers real results for our books.”

Glassboxx, the winner of this Award in 2022, supports many IPG members’ transformation of direct to consumer sales via its delivery platform and branded apps. Publishers also value the Glassboxx team’s marketing and data support.
One nominee said: “It’s great to be able offer digital products direct from our website with little effort and to bypass the big digital giants—something independent publishers would struggle to do without Glassboxx.”