Last modified on Wed 16 Dec 2020 03.02 EST
Six months ago, independent publishers Jacaranda and Knights Of were warning publicly that their income had fallen to almost zero. They werenât the only small publishers struggling. With bookshops and distributors closing, a survey from the Bookseller at the time found that almost 60% of small publishers feared closure by the autumn. No bookshops meant no knowledgeable, passionate booksellers pressing new books they loved on to customers; no events and no travel meant that crucial avenues for introducing new writers had disappeared.
The stars had been looking very happily aligned for Oneworld in March. The independent publisher had three of its biggest books scheduled for the month â a novel from Womenâs prize winner Tayari Jones, Silver Sparrow; a new thriller from the bestselling crime author Will Dean, Black River; and Damien Loveâs novel for older children, Monstrous Devices. It had printed point-of-sale materials, invested in marketing, advertising, printing.