30 Years of Troubador

In August 2026, Troubador turned 30. That’s 30 years of working with authors, bringing high-quality books to market, and constantly working to ensure that we are offering the best that the self-publishing industry has to offer. 

When Troubador started in 1996, the publishing landscape was a vastly different place. Traditional publishing was seen as the only credible route to getting readers, and self-publishing was seen as extremely expensive, for much lower quality. Unlike today, there weren’t a range of services such as editorial and cover design accessible to self-publishers, which made it all the more challenging. 

Our founder, Jeremy Thompson, recognised that there was an increasing demand for higher-quality self-published books. So, Troubador Publishing was established on the 2nd August 1996, with the aim of offering self-publishers a quality route to market. With priorities of high-quality, author care and collaboration, Jeremy set out to change how people could self-publish. 

So what has Troubador achieved in our 30 years? Have Jeremy’s main aims prevailed? 

Demystifying Self-Publishing 

One of the key ways that Troubador has contributed to the self-publishing sphere is by demystifying self-publishing. 

There is so much to know about self-publishing, and it can be overwhelming. By demystifying self-publishing, we’re able to demonstrate exactly what can be achieved with self-publishing and show authors that they can do it, too. 

To demystify self-publishing, we… 

• Host talks at events, including London Book Fair, the London Festival of Writing, and Romance Writing Festival 
• Launched the Self-Publishing Conference
• Hold quarterly Self-Publishing Experience Days for aspiring self-publishers
• Write weekly blog articles, covering a range of topics in self-publishing (varying from general self-publishing guidance, to more specific areas such as marketing, cover design, etc).
• Write articles for publications such as the Writers’ and Artists’ Yearbook
• Regularly share self-publishing content and advice on our social media platforms

Troubador have been attending the London Book Fair for 20 years, and have held talks to help aspiring self-publishers. 

For many, one of the biggest deterrents of self-publishing is simply how much there is to know. It can be difficult to know where to get started, or how to ensure you are making the right decisions for your book.

Someone who felt this way was our author, MBE Steve Hill: “self-publishing could have been a very daunting prospect,” he says. 

“But with Troubador’s help and support and guidance every step of the way, it was a really enjoyable process. Seeing my book become a reality has been the most magical experience possible, but without your support, that wouldn’t have happened.” 

M.G Vaciago had a similar experience. She has won multiple awards and used her 5 self-published books as a core part of her anti-bullying campaigns. Initially, however, she had no idea how to start. “I didn’t know anything about publishing,” she says.

“Troubador taught me everything I needed to know. They guided me through every single step.” 

Author Care

Another important facet of Jeremy’s vision was author care. Choosing to self-publish is an incredibly exciting decision, but it can be anxiety-inducing, too. Authors have spent months or years working on a manuscript, and now they’re making decisions which could be indicative of the book’s success. For authors that work with us, there is one thing that we are clear about: author care is a top priority. We want authors to have a positive publishing experience, where they can make decisions with confidence, and feel supported throughout the process. 

For Lorraine Lewis, author of Dare to Dream, Troubador’s focus on author care and support has been a key part of her publishing experience. 

“They have been a fantastic publisher, always championing me, whenever I’ve had an achievement whether that’s an award, or a media interview, or doing something in relation to what I wrote the book about, which is charity work to support cancer patients, they’ve always been there, cheering me along the way. I have loved working with them.” 

This support was also important to M.G Vaciago. “I felt supported and encouraged, and I felt like part of the Troubador family. So much so that they published my first, second, third, fourth and fifth books. So that is a testament to how much faith I have in Troubador, and how much faith Troubador has of me.” 

Quality 

As we said, when he founded Troubador, Jeremy’s mission was simple: to offer high-quality self-publishing solutions for authors. Self-publishing can be very daunting, and learning all the skills required (typesetting, editorial, cover design, marketing, illustrations, and more) can be challenging. Moreover, most self-publishing companies don’t have access to a range of services that can enhance the quality of a printed publication, such as cover enhancements and different paper types. 

Fast forward 30 years, and Troubador now has: 

• A range of high-quality services, performed by specialists.
• Collaboration with UK printers, who offer the highest-quality print services
• A purpose-built warehouse, with the capacity to store 700,000 books, which stocks print runs for authors (as well as distributes their books to bookshops!)

Our ability to stock print runs (rather than authors having to use print on demand) has allowed authors to access a significantly higher publication quality. This allows authors to opt for: 

• Different paper types
• Sprayed edges
• Foiling
• Embossing and debossing
• Laminates and Spot UV
• Printed inside covers

These details help create stunning, high quality books that stand out on any bookshelf. This stands us apart from other self-publishing services, where authors are limited to print on demand and ebook distribution. 

The ability to offer cover enhancements, such as metallic foil, can create self-published books which are indistinguishable from their traditionally published counterparts. 

For author Tom Meredith, who has published twice with Troubador, the quality of the services is something that he’s loved about publishing with us.  

“The production values when you publish with Troubador are just fantastic,” he says. 

“You get an incredible cover design (shoutout to Chloe who designed both of mine!), brilliant production values, fantastic typesetting, and a really high quality ebook which is very easily marketable.”

“They also offer a variety of enhancements that can really make your book pop on the shelves.” 

Similarly, Zena Unitt absolutely loves the quality of her book: “I loved working with Troubador,” she says. 

“I love holding the finished copy of my book in my hands. It is so beautiful and professionally put together, and I had help and encouragement every step of the way.” 

For Rosemary Griggs, who used self-publishing to turn her passion into a profession, it’s not just about the quality of her printed book: it's also the other services Troubador has to offer.  

“One of the best decisions I made as an author was to work with Troubador on my website. It’s a showcase not only of my books and my writing but for everything about me!” 

Fulfilling Authors’ Goals 

Ultimately, offering high-quality self-publishing solutions has offered something remarkable: the ability to fulfil authors’ goals. As the publishing landscape has shifted, so have the opportunities available to self-publishing authors. 

“I’ve really enjoyed working with Troubador on all three of my Daughters of Devon novels,” says Rosemary Griggs. “They handle all the technical work, leaving me free to write. They’ve also helped me get my books into mainstream and independent bookshops.” 

I was on a trip to Exeter when I encountered Rosemary Grigg's A Woman of Noble Wit in Exeter's gorgeous Waterstones.

For others, publishing a book is a dream they’ve held since childhood. Andy Mullaney, author of two books, says: “Publishing with Troubador really ticked a box, it was like a bucket list, the 7-year-old kid in me could say I’ve published a book.” 

“Troubador have made many people’s dreams come true. I call the place [Troubador] the dream factory, it really is.”

Building The Troubador Team 

Our team started off with just Jeremy in 1996. Since then we’ve grown to a team of 30, allowing us to offer authors specialists for every service that we have. 

For our authors, this is invaluable. “One of the best things (out of many) about publishing with Troubador is the people that you work with,” says Tom Meredith.

“Troubador provides authors with a team of really high-quality, experienced individuals with a great attention to detail who will bring your vision to life. I can’t speak highly enough of everyone who works there.” 

Andy Mullaney, who also worked closely with the team over his two publications, was incredibly pleased with the team: “you guys are brilliant at what you do,” he says.  

30 Years of Supporting Writers 

As our main aim is to support writers, it has been vital for us as a business to surround ourselves around like-minded businesses. Which is exactly why we’ve established such strong relationships with Jericho Writers and the Bournemouth Writing Festival. 

Jericho is a fantastic organisation which supports writers throughout their writing journey. They offer a wide range of services, including:

• Writing courses
• Editorial
• Manuscript assessments
• Mentoring and more.

Troubador and Jericho have built a strong relationship based on aligned goals. Over the years, Troubador and Jericho have also supported each other at events, with Jericho leading sessions at Troubador’s Self-Publishing Conference, and Troubador serving as a principal partner and sponsor of Jericho’s Festival of Writing. 

“Authors deserve honest guidance, expert support and people who genuinely care about their success. That’s exactly what we’ve loved about working with Troubador over the years,” says Sophie Flynn, their Managing Director. 

“Their commitment to helping authors create the best books possible and navigate self-publishing with confidence has always stood out.” 

Similarly, their Marketing and Membership Manager, Tanya Lewis, shared: “Troubador has guided so many of our writers with self-publishing advice. Never the kind that puts up big walls or makes publishing seem intimidating. What we value most is how present they are, out there at events, answering questions, and showing writers that self-publishing is a route accessible to everyone and one worth exploring. They want authors to succeed.” 

Tanya and Troubador's Andrea, doing a talk on The Different Paths to Self-Publishing at the London Festival of Writers. 

Bournemouth Writing Festival is another fantastic company which supports writers. They host a wealth of exciting writerly events, from the Bournemouth Writing Festival, the Romance Writing Festival, The Writing Sanctuary right up to Bournemouth Writing Competitions. At their events, they bring together Sunday Times bestselling authors, masterclasses and literary agents to guide aspiring authors through the process. 

A collaboration spanning several years, Troubador has sponsored Bournemouth Writing Festival and given talks at the Romance Festival. Dominic Wong, Festival Director and author of two self-published novels, says: 

“The Bournemouth Writing Festival has worked with the Troubador and The Book Guild teams for several years now and the feedback from aspiring authors has always been incredibly positive. Alex and Chloe are always so encouraging and are a delight to work with. We are so pleased so many of our attendees are working with them and making huge progress with their writing journey.” 

Charity Work and Giving Back To The Community  

Whilst we’ve worked incredibly hard over the 30 years to bring the best self-publishing services to our authors, we know that our responsibility goes beyond author care and towards the environment and the local community. It’s no secret that publishing takes its toll on the environment: and we have made it a priority to make sure we do what we can to make the world a better place, all whilst making beautiful books. 

One part of the self-publishing journey that our authors absolutely love is our collaboration with More Trees. This partnership means that with every book we publish, we also plant a tree. Each tree offsets 0.3 tonnes of CO2, which helps reduce our impact on the environment as a business and combat climate change. 

Once authors have published their book, they will receive a congratulatory card, which not only celebrates their incredible achievement of publishing a book (!), but also informs them that a tree has been planted as a result of their publication. It’s always a moment that authors adore, and it’s great knowing that their publication is giving back to the environment. 

We also work with other organisations to give back to the local community, and reduce waste. Sunderland Literacy Aid is a charity whose purpose is to provide literary support to empower individuals by turning donations into opportunities. Their work is inspiring: they see the value of literature, and want to use it to inspire those in need. 

Troubador partnered with Sunderland Literacy Aid to help with their mission. At the end of their distribution contract, authors can choose to donate a number of their books to the charity. This takes books that otherwise might be recycled, and gives them a new purpose. 

Cata, from Sunderland Literacy Aid, says: 

“Troubador has generously donated pallets of books to Sunderland Literacy Aid, which we have been able to distribute free of charge to people across our local community. We’re extremely grateful for their support and for helping us make more books accessible to those who need them.” 

Our Warehouse Operations Supervisor, Gary, with one of the pallets of books that we donated to Sunderland Literacy Aid. 

Alongside this, we regularly do volunteer work for local charities. In 2026, members of the Troubador team volunteered at Baby Basics and South Leicester Foodbank, to help give back to the local community.

Troubador Publishing: 30 Years On 

Troubador started when Jeremy noticed a gap in the market for high-quality self-published books. Prioritising values of author care, high-quality and collaboration, he set out to offer services that would change the routes available to self-publishers. 

30 years on, we’ve established ourselves as a leading self-publishing provider in the UK. We’ve worked to establish ourselves with key players in the publishing industry, including (but not limited to) London Book Fair, The Writers’ and Artists’ Yearbook, The Independent Publishers Guild, and the Alliance of Independent Authors. 

We also collaborate with some of the most prominent writing companies in the UK, such as Jericho Writers and Bournemouth Writing Festival, to further educate and connect with more aspiring self-publishers, and showcase the range of routes they can take to publication. 

In-house, we’ve built a team of dedicated experts, who work with our authors day-in, day-out to create premium publications that stand out on any bookshelf. Because of our vast range of services, including distribution, our books are welcomed and stocked in independent and mainstream retailers across the country, including Waterstones. 

Most importantly, because of all of the work over the 30 years, we’ve been able to make authors’ dreams come true. Whether it’s a vision of seeing their books stocked in bookshops, a personal project, a publication to support a business, or more, Troubador has offered thousands of authors the opportunity to have a high-quality publication, under their terms. 

It’s been an absolutely brilliant 30 years, and we can’t wait to see what the future holds.