Severn House, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, has distinguished itself as an independent genre publisher. The U.K.-based press, which initially specialized in hardback releases of out-of-print titles, is now known as much for its frontlist—everything from crime fiction to historical romance—as its backlist.
When describing the Severn House environment and philosophy, publisher Edwin Buckhalter said he sees the press as “providing a second home” for the “many solid, well-read, and well-liked authors” who have been dropped by the conglomerate houses. Noting that many of Severn’s authors have been with the press for more than two decades, Buckhalter thinks of the press as a “family-like atmosphere” that aims to makes its authors’ work accessible to readers in “just about any way they want it.”
To that end, Severn now publishes across various formats—everything from large print hardcovers to ebooks to audio downloads—and is looking to deepen its offerings. The house may launch its own audio list in the coming months; it has also been further cementing its relationship with its largest distributor, Baker & Taylor. These efforts, Buckhalter notes, come out of the core of what Severn is about: supporting its authors.
“It really is about the books,” Buckhalter explains, when talking about the defining principles of the business. And those books, he believes, are what define Severn in the trade. “We publish authors with a consistent record of telling good stories which keep you turning the pages, even with the bedside light (or a backlit e-reader!) still on at 1:00 in the morning."
