‘Rebel is an independent publishing house aimed at children and young adult fiction. We are going to publish both themed anthologies and novels. Our main interest is producing good quality, timeless fiction for these target audiences.
‘One of my favourite things as a child was to read Enid Blyton books, because of them I have enjoyed and loved reading my entire life and decided to become a writer myself. The importance of good quality fiction can never be overestimated. Children should have inspirational characters to look up to and I want Rebel to bring some of those to life.’
Why did you decide to start a publishing company?
‘I was involved with another small independent publishing company early this year and realised after a few months that I didn’t share their vision. What I did realise was that I really enjoyed being involved in the publishing industry and that there would always be room for new publishing houses with big dreams.
‘As I love writing and write young adult fiction myself, what was important to me was that I could be involved with all aspects of publishing with someone that I could trust entirely. When my sister, Samantha saw how unhappy I was after leaving the previous company she suggested that we start our own and that we make it our united vision rather than someone else’s.’
Why is Rebel Books different from other publishers?
‘Rebel Books LLP is different because it is a small friendly firm who accept unsolicited work and provide reports on every submission whether accepted or rejected. We want writers to have encouragement and feedback rather than standard rejection letters.
‘As a writer I know that there is nothing more disheartening than having your work returned with a blank compliment slip attached. Rebel stands for something different and we can promise anyone who submits that their work will be considered very carefully.’
What do contributing authors receive for being published in an anthology?
‘Authors who are accepted into the anthology get royalties and a complimentary copy of the published book. They also get the support of Rebel in setting up any events to market their work and will work closely with a member of the Editorial Team prior to publication to make any necessary edits.’
Were there any pitfalls in starting your own company?
There are always going to be pitfalls but setting up the company was really exciting. The main stress is setting up the different roles and making sure that every aspect has been considered. There is a lot of work involved in a publishing house and I think people do underestimate it.
‘Probably the hardest decision is in choosing the organizations to work with you, such as a good printer, graphic designer etc. We wanted Rebel to be as good as it could be so the people we work with have to be outstanding and enthusiastic.’
What is on the horizon for Rebel Books?
‘Many, many brilliant things! We have three anthologies open for submissions at the moment. There is a book called Miserable Middles, which is an illustrated selection of Tim Burtonesque style stories out around Easter 2010. We are also working with an amazing author on a poetry book and looking through some brilliant submissions to find our next star!’
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