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INDIE PUBLISHING WRITING TIPS INDIE ONLINE BOOKSTORE
Welcome to Bear Hill Books!
Bear Hill Books is a small (for now) family run indie business. We are committed to publishing the best independent fiction and providing a platform for indie writers to learn, find purpose, meaning, and grow.
We publish books and write them because we are passionate about it.
We believe in fiction as not only entertainment, but as art, as important discourse, as a way to share knowledge about the world, as a means to help us understand our emotions, ourselves, and others, and as a form of escapism. Stories have historical and evolutionary significance beyond any other form of information dissemination & BHB is committed to giving the ‘story’ the reverence it is due.
We are passionate about empowering writers to create exceptional, meaningful, and thought-provoking stories and novels.
We believe that every writer has a unique voice and story to share with the world. Our mission is to provide the tools, knowledge, and support needed to help aspiring authors unleash their creative potential and thrive as independent or self-published authors.
Why choose the path of independent publishing?
We believe it offers unparalleled opportunities for writers to fully express their vision and connect directly with their readers. It's a journey where creativity knows no bounds, where authors have complete control over their work, and where the possibilities for success are limitless.
We understand that becoming a skilled writer and navigating the publishing landscape can be a daunting task. That's why we're here to guide you every step of the way. Our team is comprised of experienced writers, editors, and self-publishers and is dedicated to providing you with valuable resources, expert advice, and a supportive community to help you embark on this exciting journey.
Through our informative blog, we share insights, tips, and techniques that go beyond the basics, helping you develop your craft and elevate your writing to new heights.
We believe in the power of knowledge, and our blog is designed to be a treasure trove of inspiration, guidance, and practical advice tailored specifically for indie writers like you.
But we don't stop at just sharing knowledge. We also believe in showcasing the incredible talent and potential of independent authors. That's why, along with our published book, we will soon be curating a collection of outstanding indie fiction, both contemporary and timeless classics, for you to explore and learn from.
Immerse yourself in the words of these exceptional storytellers and discover how indie fiction can rival and even surpass traditionally published works.
We have many plans for the future to create programs that will help support more indie creators who strive for excellence, so check back regularly so you don't miss out!
We approach each manuscript from an initially traditional publishing perspective, but we also understand the industry is changing and strive to stay on top of the new modes of selling books to consumers.
*Important Update*
At BHP, we believe that the traditional acquisitions process is outdated and doesn't take into account the growing desire in authors to retain ownership of their own work. However, self-publishing is risky in that the author does not always know what it is that they need and can end up releasing unprofessional products. Vanity publishers are another predatory beast altogether.
That is why we have chosen to partially do away with the traditional model—but only just a little bit—we provide all the editing and design and marketing of traditional publishing houses but DO NOT require (or ask) for exclusive rights to the book. All agreements are now licensing agreements made with the author to package and sell their book under our branding. The author is free to sell another non-BHP branded version of their book on Amazon or to other licensees.
Because of this, we will no longer be providing developmental editing, and will only be picking up books that we feel are exceptional and fit our brand.
*End of Update*
Every book that goes through production receives the highest level of editing attention and review, design, and manufacturing. Because of this, our house differs from most Indie Publishers in that we keep long lead times before publication to ensure the best quality, and therefore competitive, books make it to market. Current fiction novels have an average lifespan of only one year, and we do our best to extend that life indefinitely. Revitalizing our backlist often and using Print-On-Demand to keep books in print without the need for large, costly, and risky print-runs are some of the ways we do this, but quality is always paramount to our goals.
(At this time, I would like to add that we are using strictly digital (POD) printers to produce books. This will remain for the foreseeable future, as we recover from setbacks in the economy.)
Learn more about submission on our submissions guidelines page.