![]() What are your tips for others hoping to work with indie press houses like yours?īelieve in your work enough to reach out and put yourselves out there. This level of self-belief allowed me to follow my dreams and has led to the publication of my first book and, of course, founding my own publishing house.” “There are many things I have achieved over the years, but the most recent is having the courage to walk away from a high power 9-5 corporate job. What have been your biggest achievements and why? Because let’s be honest, once we have mastered our minds there are no obstacles that we cannot overcome.” “I would have to say, self doubt and imposter syndrome. What has been your biggest obstacle as a creative? To tackle this issue, I decided that I wanted to create a publishing house to help myself and other women, especially women of colour, to get their voices heard and into the world without them being diluted.” In fact, the more I researched the topic, the more the inequality of publishing world became evident. It was at this point that I thought to myself – how can they possibly understand my story as a Muslim, British, South Asian, single mother?!Īfter looking into other indie presses, I quickly realised that there were not many which did not have a white, male publisher at the top. These were the aspects that would appeal to women of colour readers the most. Once again, I found that there was a desire to make my words less bold and more generic to fit their standards and norms. To make matters worse, there was a lack of understanding and appreciation for my stories and poetry. We as poets and writers spend hours pouring our hearts out, writing and sharing our unique vantage point only to then be buried and filed away behind a bland, almost generic cover. Looking further into it, I realised that all of their authors had almost identical-looking book covers. For example, the book cover would be designed around their existing brand. It was fantastic that they wanted to publish my work, however, I realised that I would experience a lack of control in working with the company. I came away from the meeting feeling pretty disheartened. It was at an independent press run by two cis white males. After working in an office 9-5 for 16 years and climbing up the ladder, I still felt that something was missing- my creative side was constantly beckoning me to answer its calling.Īfter I finished my manuscript for my first collection of poetry I got offered a publishing contract. For as long as I can remember, I have always had a book in hand or in my bag and always wrote in my spare time. “I have always had a love for reading and writing. What made you decide to start a publishing house?
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