Proud to be writing for Yale University Press
Please be indulgent and allow me to share a wonderful piece of publishing news!
Since 2022, I have been working on a book about the history of the Pyrenees, a project that I have pursued more with high hopes than great expectations. At the start of this year, my manuscript was finished to my satisfaction and I approached a number of publishers. This proved to be a lengthy process, but, to my considerable delight, it culminated in an offer of a contract with Yale University Press. I signed the contract a little over a week ago. As a writer of non-fiction, I could not have wished for a more prestigious publisher. It also gives me another very good reason to love the Pyrenees.
Those of you who are writers or know anything about the publishing business today will appreciate that this truly is a big deal. With 2.6 million books self-published worldwide in 2023, the market is awash with books. Both publishers and agents are inundated with manuscripts, and everyone I speak to in the business says it is becoming harder and harder to land a publishing contract with a serious publisher. Hence my excitement and desire to share this news with you.
What is my book called and when will it appear on the shelves? Naturally, it has a working title, but the final choice is still under discussion. No doubt the word Pyrenees will be in there somewhere. It will come out in hardback in the middle of next year, and paperback in 2027, published in London, UK and New Haven, Connecticut.
Before then, there is plenty to be done. At present, I am busily modifying my manuscript as suggested by my editor, after which the full text will go through the peer review process.
One piece of feedback I received at the contract stage was that Yale's marketing people were impressed with my own marketing activity, including this blog. Thank you so much for continuing to read it.
Warm wishes from a happy writer
Colin
PS This last picture shows me at the Dolmen de Brangoli in the Cerdagne. Few people associate the Pyrenees with megalithic monuments, but there are lots of them scattered along the whole range. Naturally there will be a few chapters about them in my book.
