A Big Milestone

Heidi Hinda Chadwick's Sold Out Book Launch

On Friday 20th February, something rather extraordinary happened at Blackwell’s Bookshop in Manchester.

Our first adult novella, The Story of the Deer Woman by Heidi Hinda Chadwick, sold out its Manchester launch. More than seventy people filled the room. Tickets had gone in advance. The signing queue ran long and the after party ran on longer.

As a small independent publisher, there is something uniquely emotional about hearing that your author stood in a packed room and read from their debut. That readers turned up. That they stayed. That they asked thoughtful questions. That they queued with books in their hands.

The amount of work that goes into getting to this point is huge. Both Heidi and I spent hours on getting The Story of a Deer Woman to this point. So many edits sent back and forth. Hours typesetting and working out spine widths and metadata. Long email chains and proof copies and marketing plans. It is risk. It is belief.

So when the images began to circulate of a full room at Blackwell’s, when we saw readers gathered closely and heard how the audience leaned in during the reading, how conversations carried on long after the formal event ended, how Heidi signed copy after copy of her book, we felt something far bigger than relief.

We felt proud.

Proud of Heidi for standing in that space and owning it.
Proud that readers showed up for a bold, off beat, slightly feral novella.
Proud that an independent press can help bring that kind of moment into being.

This is why we do it.

Not simply to produce books, but to support our authors and make sure such sacred, inspiring stories are told.

Onwards.

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If you would like to be part of our Lemon Jelly Family, we have lots of ways to get involved. Our main submission window opens April 1st and is open for novellas, poetry, picture books and creative non-fiction- for all ages.

You can also submit to our micro-booklet series and receive feedback for your writing, all information can be found on our website.