It's a tale as old as, well, the early days of Kindle if not “time.” For some indie authors it's a dream come true. For some, it's a patronizing/cynical gesture. For yet others, it's an invaluable extra string to a business bow that they can flex perfectly autonomously. And for publishers, it's a cash cow, on paper (pun intended) at least.
ALLi News Editor Dan Holloway
We are talking about the practice of publishers signing up tried and tested indie authors to their roster. And imprints devised specifically to publish the works of successful indie authors, something that goes back at least as far as Amazon's Thomas and Mercer imprint and White Glove program (I think that's what it was called, well over a decade ago now), picking up successful titles from their in-house feeder of KDP.
Pocket Books Relaunched
Last week Simon and Schuster joined in. They announced that they have repurposed their Pocket Books imprint to serve exactly this purpose. What's interesting about this is that Pocket Books had for many years been a mass market paperback imprint. That, of course, is the format that became, earlier this year, what I think the industry is generally calling functionally extinct after years of declining sales.
For those who are excited by the development and would be interested in exploring the possibility of joining the new roster, the press release offers fine-sounding words: “Pocket will offer a home for forward-thinking writers, including bestselling indie and hybrid authors looking to amplify their reach using our unparalleled strengths in marketing, publicity, and print distribution.”
Genre Focus and Timeline
In terms of genre, the emphasis is firmly on romance. Again to quote the press release, “Along with core romance, the imprint will publish additional genres including romantic thrillers, dark romance, and horror.”
They will be looking to bring out two to three titles a month, starting in January 2027.
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