The 6 Best Self-Publishing Companies in the UK 2024

For aspiring authors in the UK, navigating the world of self-publishing can be both exciting and daunting. With so many options available, choosing the right self-publishing company can make all the difference as to whether or not you achieve your publishing goals. Choosing a company or platform to help you get your work into the world is a huge decision for authors, not helped by the fact that the self-publishing world is a minefield of contradictory information, opinions and choices. This article aims to help authors make sense of the self-publishing landscape by focusing in on what we, as a long-established industry player, believe are the best self-publishing companies in the UK at the moment.

First things first - define your goals

Before embarking on researching those organisations that can assist them in publishing their work, authors should take the time to define what it is they are trying to achieve through self-publication. 

There are a huge variety of reasons for wanting to publish a book, from wanting to be a sales success to producing high-quality hard copies for family and friends, to fulfilling a lifelong dream of being published. Each of these objectives is entirely valid, and each is likely to involve varying levels of publishing assistance along the way, which is why authors need to know what assistance they require from the start of their search. 

Once you have defined your publishing objectives, and understood what help they are likely to need (be that production, technical help, marketing assistance, editorial input, etc.), you are ready to look more closely at those organisations that can help turn publishing dreams into reality.

So here, in our opinion, are the six best self-publishing companies in the UK as of Spring 2024.

Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP)

Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) remains a popular choice for authors looking to self-publish their work, especially for those on a budget (publishing your book on KDP is completely free) and willing to take a hands-on approach. It offers a cost-effective option that is internationally available, giving authors the chance to be discovered around the world by readers, and supplying both digital and print versions of a book. Amazon has also been regularly rated positively by both authors and author-representing organisations as being a safe place for authors to publish their work.

However, using KDP requires technical skills that many authors may not possess, and because Amazon does not have humans with whom authors can interact to ask questions (everything is done through algorithm and automation), authors often find themselves stuck with questions that they can’t get answers to. You should also be aware that distribution is limited to Amazon platforms only, meaning that the discoverability of your book is limited to Amazon devices and not other digital platforms, bookshops or retailers.

Additionally, KDP is a very widely utilised platform worldwide. While that is great for authors wanting to be discovered internationally, the high competition (approximately 1.5 million titles are published through Amazon KDP every year) can make it very easy for books to get lost in that vast sea of content. While some authors have seen great sales success using Amazon as their sole distributor (and of course, it is those examples that you hear about!), the chance of a self-published author ‘making it big’ on Amazon is realistically very small. The vast majority will sell only tens of copies to family, friends and wider readership.

Finally, authors need to be aware of Amazon’s royalty structure – it can be complex to understand but, in a nutshell, there are two options, either a 35% or a 70% royalty rate at the time of this article being written. With the 35% royalty, the Amazon sales commission (i.e. their charge for selling the book) is 65% for books priced below $2.99 and above $9.99. With the 70% royalty rate, the Amazon sales commission is 30% for books priced between $2.99 and $9.99. However, there is a large number of variables that go into those two royalty rates that every author needs to do extensive research and completely understand in detail ahead of committing to using Amazon as their publishing platform.

Silverwood Books

Silverwood stands out for its personalised approach to self-publishing. It offers consultations alongside its large list of services, allowing authors to execute parts of the publishing process themselves while seeking expert help in the area that they are less confident with. Services such as manuscript critique, editorial support and marketing 'assistance' are available. They are well recommended, and Silverwood can help authors with the majority of the production and marketing of their books.

However, Silverwood's services come at a relatively high cost compared to some other options (you can see their pricing openly displayed - which is always a good sign of trust and transparency - on their website here). What’s more, they only accept a limited number of new authors each year. They review each submission carefully and only select a certain number to work with based on various criteria. Additionally, Silverwood's focus is primarily on print-on-demand (POD) publishing, although they do have the capability to source print runs for authors looking to explore that route.

Troubador Publishing

Troubador is a self-publishing company that helps authors bring over 500 books of the highest quality a year to market and has been assisting authors self-publish since 1996.

Troubador offers a comprehensive full service for authors, serving as a one-stop shop for all publishing needs. The company is arguably the only self-publishing services provider that can claim to be able to execute every part of the publishing process, including everything needed to take a manuscript through to a finished book: editorial services, book design, cover design and typesetting, and project management throughout the production process. We can also source bespoke illustrations for books, convert titles into an ebook or an audiobook and give them the best possible visibility across a variety of platforms, including, but not limited to, Amazon. 

Troubador is different to most self-publishing service providers in that we do not focus on print on demand (though we do of course offer that as well), preferring to produce and distribute books like the rest of the mainstream commercial publishing industry. Our dedicated distribution facility in Leicestershire stores up to half a million books on behalf of authors, and from this facility, we distribute directly to any UK bookshop, including larger groups like Waterstones, retailers like Amazon, wholesalers like Gardners and direct consumer orders from our online bookshop. 

To encourage those sales and give our author's books the best possible chance of being discovered, our trade marketing and publicity services can be taken to stimulate retailer interest, and our active sales representation gives those books the best chance of getting in front of the right trade book buyers. The enhanced bibliographic data that we disseminate to retailers for our titles also gives those books greater visibility, solidifying Troubador as the publisher that can give self-published authors the best possible chance of being stocked in bookshops.

Finally, an author's experience is crucial to the company. Whether that is the fact that authors maintain 100% of the rights to their work, have access to their sales information through our author centre and receive quarterly royalty statements and payments, or have constant access to the Troubador team via phone, email or in person meeting throughout their contract with us.

While Troubador is not the most expensive self-publishing company in the market, we are positioned at the more premium end of the UK market. While every author we work with receives a bespoke, no-obligation quotation specific to their project, we display pricing examples on our website to help authors understand the ballpark figures involved in publishing with us. 

IngramSpark

A well-known name in the self-publishing market, IngramSpark provides authors with global print-on-demand distribution options, making it a popular choice for those looking to reach a wide worldwide audience. With print-on-demand capabilities and a single platform for both print and ebooks, it offers convenience and accessibility. In addition, IngramSpark offers cost-effective routes to publication - at the time of writing, they were offering all three of their pricing bands to authors for free. In addition to transparent pricing, IngramSpark also is transparent and genuine with authors, exploring their self-publishing options with lots of helpful information free to access on their website. Finally, IngramSpark does a great job of giving authors a live view of their sales information through their dedicated author portal.

However, authors should be aware that bookshops are often reluctant to stock POD books, needing to order volume to justify the shelf space. IngramSpark is also part of the global Ingram Content Group corporation, and while this makes them experts in content publication, it may result in a limited personal touch for authors looking to get regular consultancy and help from humans. Additionally, IngramSpark does not specialise in the UK market, being a global corporation.

Indie-Go

Authors looking to use platforms like Amazon KDP and IngramSpark are committing to executing the majority of the publishing process with very little help from experts along the way. That will suit many authors for a variety of reasons, but those authors may be looking for help with small parts of the publishing process that they feel less confident in executing themselves. This is where a service provider like Indie-Go comes in. 

Indie-Go offers a range of specialist services for independent authors, including editing, book design, ebook creation, marketing and publicity, among others. Their competitive pricing and expert UK-based in-house team make them an attractive option for authors seeking professional assistance with only a part of the publishing process.

However, Indie-Go does not provide the same level of consultancy as a full-service provider like Troubador, and they do not offer a comprehensive range of publishing services (for example, not offering any distribution, sales or metadata dissemination to the book trade). This means that those authors looking for a full set of services should explore other providers too.

Fuzzy Flamingo

A relatively small UK enterprise, Fuzzy Flamingo was founded by Jen Parker following her self-publishing career. It is known for its expertise in editing and design in particular, and it helps many authors a year with these elements of the self-publishing process. They are a reliable option for authors looking to polish their manuscripts before publication, and can also provide help for authors with sourcing ISBNs and uploading their work to digital platforms like Amazon KDP.

However, due to the small size of the enterprise, Fuzzy Flamingo's services primarily focus on editing and design, and they do not offer a full range of publishing services, meaning that while authors will undoubtedly receive a great service, they will likely need to source other elements of the self-publishing process from elsewhere.

What about other organisations?

While the above self-publishing companies are among the best for self-publishing in the UK, other organizations offer valuable resources and support for authors and should be researched and considered by authors looking to get their work out into the world. These are our pick of the bunch.

Jericho Writers

Jericho Writers offers everything you need to write, edit and get your book published. Their Simply Self-Publish course is highly recommended for anyone wanting to learn how to best self-publish their book to meet their publishing objectives.

The Literary Consultancy

The Literary Consultancy (TLC) is the UK's longest-established editorial consultancy, pioneering manuscript assessment, and editing for all writers. Their expertise lies in helping authors get the submission of their manuscripts ready, and help many authors a year do just that.

The Alliance of Independent Authors

The Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi) is a global membership association for self-publishing authors. They offer free and impartial advice to authors who are looking to self-publish their work, and we recommend authors visit their website to read everything they can before they make any publishing decisions.

As an invaluable resource for authors exploring self-publishing, ALLi rates good and bad services on the Services Ratings page on their Self-Publishing Advice Center. Every author should research every organisation they are thinking of trusting to help take their book to publication to ensure they get ALLi’s honest opinion of whether that service is good or not so good.

The Self-Publishing Conference

The Self-Publishing Conference is the UK’s longest-established dedicated self-publishing event. In this, its 10th year, the conference offers authors a chance to find out about a wide range of publishing options, to hear from and question those who work within the thriving self-publishing world and to network with fellow authors, many of whom will already be experienced self-publishers. 

The informal event aims to educate, inform and inspire authors who are self-publishing their work, or who are considering it as a route to publication. The day attracts a wide variety of authors, from fiction to children’s, non-fiction to business, and the day is structured so that delegates can choose the sessions that are of the most relevance to them. As well as the sessions throughout the day, authors will have plenty of opportunities to network, ask questions of experts and connect with fellow authors for a day full of knowledge gathering.

Reedsy

Reedsy is on a mission to change the way books are published by giving authors and publishers access to talented professionals, powerful tools, and free educational content all in one easy-to-use online platform. The Reedsy platform hosts thousands of freelancers and organisations that can help authors with part of the publishing process and should be considered by any author looking to get help with part of their project.

So, what now?

The self-publishing landscape in the UK offers a wealth of options for authors at every stage of their journey. Whether you're looking for a full-service provider or individual assistance, these top self-publishing companies in the UK can help you bring your book to life and reach your audience effectively.

Of course, this list is not an exhaustive one. There are many other self-publishing service providers in the UK and many of them could easily have made this list. However, the ones we have featured we believe truly have the author’s best interests at heart and should be the first places authors explore.