Railway Book publishers... Best/Biggest/Most Prestigious?

[Simon E]

As title really, as you may recall I'm a freelance writer and I've got an idea for a book (possibly series of books) and was wondering which publishers are favourites of members of this forum.

In my head I'm thinking it will be 25,000 to 30,000 words with lots of images in at least A4 size.

Obviously Best/Biggest/Most Prestigious aren't necessarily the same so if anyone can suggest any particular publishers that I can pitch to that would be great thanks

 

[pdeaves]

For me, the best are/were Oakwood Press and Wild Swan. However, you would need to write the sort of book that fit these specialist publishers' ranges.

 

[Simon E]

For me, the best are/were Oakwood Press and Wild Swan. However, you would need to write the sort of book that fit these specialist publishers' ranges.

Thanks I'll check them out and see if it fits my idea

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Amberley Publishing in Stroud seem to publish a lot of railway, transport-related and/or local history titles.

Submissions - Amberley Publishing

The fastest-growing Transport, Military, Local & General History publisher in the UK. Amberley Publishing provides a fresh approach to regional and general history.

www.amberley-books.com

Otherwise, have you looked at the possibility of self publishing ?

 

[Simon E]

Amberley Publishing in Stroud seem to publish a lot of railway, transport-related and/or local history titles.

Submissions - Amberley Publishing

The fastest-growing Transport, Military, Local & General History publisher in the UK. Amberley Publishing provides a fresh approach to regional and general history.

www.amberley-books.com

Otherwise, have you looked at the possibility of self publishing ?

Great I'll check them out as well, not really looking at self publishing as really want a publisher with a market ready for it and secondly i cant afford it!

I have put a couple of e books on Kindle but this needs to be a print book!

 

[Mcr Warrior]

What's the proposed subject matter?

 

[Simon E]

I'm thinking of a book of preservation railways going into real depth with each railway, 1500 - 2000 words per chapter, a bit like the feature writing I do. i've tried writing novels and seem to end up with short stories, but I do write better fact based material and love writing transport and nostalgia pieces so thought this might work.

 

[Gloster]

If it is a general preservation book, then there are a fair number of publishers who might be interested, including some more general ones. However, there are a quite a number of books covering preserved lines, so you need to be very sure that your book has found a niche that has been missed by others, but will still attract a publisher and sell. Of those mentioned above, Oakwood and Wild Swan tend to produce detailed histories.

I found that my attempts to write fiction didn’t work. I can, although I say it myself, write good descriptive and narrative text, but I am hopeless with dialogue.

 

[Simon E]

If it is a general preservation book, then there are a fair number of publishers who might be interested, including some more general ones. However, there are a quite a number of books covering preserved lines, so you need to be very sure that your book has found a niche that has been missed by others, but will still attract a publisher and sell. Of those mentioned above, Oakwood and Wild Swan tend to produce detailed histories.

I found that my attempts to write fiction didn’t work. I can, although I say it myself, write good descriptive and narrative text, but I am hopeless with dialogue.

Thanks for your input. I punt it around a bit.
I write reasonbly good (so im told) short stories but can never expand it novel lengths so I've given up trying at the moment.

 

[Ken H]

Great I'll check them out as well, not really looking at self publishing as really want a publisher with a market ready for it and secondly i cant afford it!

I have put a couple of e books on Kindle but this needs to be a print book!

Amazon have a service where they print to order. You give then an electronic copy of your book and it goes on amazon. Someone orders one and they print one off and send it. May be worth a look.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Amazon have a service where they print to order.

Seen one or two of them. Cheap cover price but print quality is invariably somewhat mediocre.

 

[birchesgreen]

Someone like Crowood might seem suitable?

 

[John Webb]

Other publishers specialising in transport, including railways, are Pen and Sword (based in Barnsley) and Crecy, who took over Ian Allan publications when Ian Allan decided to pull out of publishing.

Do you appreciate there are over 100 preserved lines in the UK, plus numerous railway museums? So 2,000 words/railway will add up to a fair-sized tome!

 

[Simon E]

I have an interested publisher! going to keep the name quiet for now as it is far from a deal yet but they like the idea and have agreed to read the first 3 chapters and then hopefully the finished manuscript.

@John Webb thanks for your suggestions I'll bear them in mind if needed. I do realise there's loads, my plan is to cover the Midlands first - around where I live... then who knows further volumes?