BOOKFEST AWARD FOR SOFTWOOD AUTHOR
01/11/24
Congratulations to Helen Kelly on being awarded 3rd place in the The Bookfest Medical category for her novel, Hold Me. Helen is making a name for herself as a very popular romance author and her most recent tackles issues of chronic illness, something that affects so many people.
ALEX IS AN INNOVATION AWARD FINALIST
08/10/24
When we were approached recently by Babergh & Mid-Suffolk County Council to ask if we had anyone we would like nominate as a 'Rising Star' in business (U25yrs) we were delighted to propose our fantastic assistant, Alex - and she's just been announced a FINALIST! Well done, Alex.
SUPPORTING LOCAL WRITERS
17/09/24
We're thrilled to share that Nathan recently spoke at the Framlingham Writers Group, hosted by the fantastic Russell Webb! Supporting our local writers is a passion of ours, and we love diving into the exciting pros and cons of independent publishing to empower authors on their journey!
CHARITY BOOK SELLS OUT!
16/07/24
During the Australian wildfires of 2020, a husband and wife teamed up to write 'Pocket and Patch', the adventures of two mischievous koala bears. It was lovely to welcome Harry & Margaret Elson to the office this month to sign some of the remaining copies, sales of which have raised hundreds of pounds for koala rescue.
IT'S D-DAY FOR CONTROL TOWER BOOK LAUNCH
10/06/24
The story of a former RAF control tower in the Norfolk countryside has been immaculately researched by Nigel Morter, the owner and restorer of the tower. Amid a very English cream tea with live jazz, in the shadow of the historic tower itself, and on the anniversary of D-Day, the book was launched!
VOTE FOR SOFTWOOD IN THE SUFFOLK SMALL BUSINESS AWARDS!
04/03/24
Voting is now open for the Suffolk Small Business Awards and you can find us in TWO categories - Innovative Business and Business Owner of the Year (Maddy Glenn). Tap the link below and click 'Softwood' on the drop-down menu - we'd love your vote!
SOFTWOOD AUTHOR MEETS SIR NORMAN LAMB
20/10/23
Recently published author of 'Gran's Guide to Good Guts', Hazel Gaydon, has just recently been invited to give a series of talks about gut health at Bethlem Royal Hospital with Sir Norman Lamb. Her book carries an entertaining but important message for children and is available on Waterstones now. Congratulations, Hazel!
SOFTWOOD AT THE ROYAL GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY
19/09/23
We were delighted to attend London's prestigious Royal Geographical Society to support Polar researcher and author, Brad Borkan, who was invited to speak about three inspiring individuals from the past, and their relevance in today's world. For more on Brad's writing, tap the button below and follow him on social media @PolarDecisions.
NEW BOOK CELEBRATES #IWD2023
08/03/23
A new book by Dawn Jarvis has just been launched in time for this year's International Women's Day. It is a collection of real stories from real women who share the turning points that shaped their lives. Thank you, Dawn, for entrusting us with this fantastic book!
MADDY ANNOUNCED AS FINALIST FOR YOUNG ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR
08/02/23
We are so excited for Maddy who has just been nominated as a finalist for the FSB (Federation of Small Businesses) Awards. She'll be attending the awards ceremony on March 17th where we wish her the very best of luck. It is a much deserved accolade and we're all very proud of her.
HOW WILL A.I. AFFECT YOUR WRITING?
25/01/23
Heard of ChatGPT? If you haven't, you will soon. It's the brand new A.I. tool that is taking the world by storm. But is it something that poses a threat to writers or is it actually a useful tool? We had a LIVE discussion today with our friends at West View IT. Watch it again by tapping the link below.
TRUE STORIES FROM LATE DIAGNOSED AUTISTIC WOMEN
08/11/22
A fantastic new resource from autism coach, Nicky Collins, has been published that draws on true stories from ten women from around the world. This is an inspirational read for anyone looking for advice on how to live their life in their own way and we've enjoyed guiding it through the whole publishing process. Congratulations, Nicky!
INTRODUCING OUR INTERN!
21/7/21
We're delighted to welcome Lizzie to our team. Lizzie is an English graduate and is currently working towards her MA. She is particularly interested in historical, Victorian and children’s literature.
SARAH AUSTIN
28/10/24
We're all deeply saddened to hear the news that Sarah Austin, a young, talented illustrator who we had the privileged of working on several books, has passed away. We will be representing everyone in our publishing community at her forthcoming funeral and our thoughts are with her family at this tragic time.
VISITOR FROM DOWN UNDER
02/07/24
It was great pleasure to welcome author of Leading Corporate Clans, and co-author of Inspiring Women, Dawn Jarvis, to our offices last week to sign some books and talk about future projects! If you'd like to visit our office to discuss your next project, contact us today!
MAGAZINE FOR PEOPLE LIVING WITH DEMENTIA COMING TO UK
15/06/24
We're delighted to be working with Mirador Magazine to bring their dementia-friendly magazine to the UK. It's already making a huge difference to families across the USA, Canada, and Spain, and we're excited to be facilitating a new audience.
SOFTWOOD SPONSORS FOREWORD FESTIVAL
09/10/23
Wow, what a great weekend in Bury St Edmunds at the inaugural Foreword Festival. Attracting authors from a wide variety of genres, the festival was a chance to network, sell some books, and learn about recent developments in the world of publishing. Will there be another festival next year? Watch this space!
A CELEBRATION OF WOMEN IN MUSIC
12/09/23
It is a fact that there is still a struggle for equality for women in the music industry. Consequently, we've been very pleased to support celebrated author, Sammy Stein, in the publishing of a significant addition to the quest for appreciation and equality. This remarkable book shares the triumphs, challenges, and inspiring journeys of 21 amazing women in music.
SUFFOLK AUTHOR SHELF RETURNS!
15/07/23
If you find yourself in Bury St Edmunds, pop into The Bay Tree Cafe on St John's Street. There, you can choose from over 50 books by 30 Suffolk authors, all free to read whilst sipping your coffee. But don't take them away with you - they want to share them with all their visitors!
IT'S OFFICIAL; COMBAT2COFFEE MAKE THE BEST BREW!
05/02/23
Wharfside House recently hosted Stowmarket's Chamber of Commerce morning networking, with fabulous coffee supplied by Combat2Coffee. Nigel and his team do a great job in supporting veterans through his venture - you can find out more information by clicking the tab below.
SOFTWOOD'S CHRISTMAS TREE
24/11/22
If you're passing Stowmarket Library before January 3rd, pop in to see the Softwood Self-Publishing Christmas Tree! We're really excited to be a part of the town's Christmas Tree Festival and you might just recognise some of the 50 handmade decorations on our tree...
ABORIGINAL ART AND ANCIENT WISDOM INSPIRES NEW BOOK
26/10/22
When leadership coach, Dawn Jarvis, met indigenous artist, Munu Wuthuga Dardakiin, she knew she'd found the perfect way of illustrating her new leadership model. Based on the concept of leadership through ancient wisdom, we're delighted to have seen Dawn's book through the publishing journey.
MADDY TO APPEAR AT PRIMADONNA FESTIVAL 2022
27/06/22
We're delighted that Maddy Glenn will be offering a self-publishing surgery at the forthcoming PrimaDonna Festival in Stowmarket in July. A steller line-up of guests are promised at this year's festival including Kit de Waal, Joanne Harris, and La Roux. Get your tickets by following this link!
SOFTWOOD RESPONDS TO BBC RADIO MONEY BOX
25/06/22
BBC Radio recently broadcast an interesting discussion on the pros and cons of self-publishing. It was great to hear this coverage and Maddy has written an article responding to the issues raised. Tap the link to hear the programme again and to read her response.
CELEBRATING BOOKSHOP DAY
13/10/24
How did you celebrate Bookshop Day on Saturday? Nathan visited our local indie bookshop in Dial Lane, Ipswich, where he bought some books (obviously), delivered some of our orange Softwood erasers, and discussed the state of publishing with a couple of visiting authors. Meanwhile, Holly celebrated 1 year of Bryon & The Bard's opening in Lavenham - another great bookshop!
HOLLYWOOD FILM COMPOSER LAUNCHES BOOK WITH SOFTWOOD
20/06/24
Softwood is honoured to have been chosen by major Hollywood film, TV, and game composer, Bill Brown, to produce his book, Working as a Film Composer. With industry insights from fellow composers such as Hans Zimmer, this book aims to educate and inspire the next generation of composers.
BOOK LAUNCH AT THE ROYAL GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY
20/03/24
We were delighted to support the latest book launch by Brad Borkan and David Hirzel at London's prestigious Royal Geographical Society. Brad also delivered a fascinating lecture to a packed audience on the superpower of small teams to accompany the launch!
DO YOU REMEMBER THE CADBURY'S GORILLA?
28/09/23
The drum-playing Gorilla advertising chocolate? That was the brain-child of David Meikle, author of 'Tuning Up', in which he explains how to create harmonious relationships by balancing levels of control and responsibility to achieve better performance, staff satisfaction and motivation. This has been a fantastic book to work on and we're so pleased the launch was such a success!
SOFTWOOD SCOOPS AWARD FOR SECOND YEAR IN A ROW!
30/08/23
We've done it again! For the second year in a row, Softwood have been awarded 'Self-Publishing Specialists of the Year in London and the South-East'! This week, the team were awarded the trophy at a glamorous event at a London hotel. Thank you to all our wonderful clients for their support as we continue to grow and develop.
SUPPORTING LOCAL AUTHORS
05/07/23
It's always a thrill to see our authors' books out in the big wide world, so when we popped into Woodbridge Books last weekend, we couldn't resist taking a picture of this charming children's picture book by Suffolk author, Gary Milsom. A lovely book in a beautiful bookshop!
YOUNG CANCER SURVIVOR LAUNCHES HIS BOOK
04/03/23
Suffolk-born Jake Andrade was diagnosed with leukaemia in his early teens and kept a journal of his treatment and subsequent road to recovery. We've been privileged to support Jake through his publishing journey and his book that tells his remarkable story is now launched!
SOFTWOOD SUPPORTS IPSWICH HOSPITAL FUNDRAISING DINNER
30/01/23
Held at Royal Hospital School, Holbrook, Saturday's charity fundraising dinner was hosted by Babergh Council Chairman, Councillor Kathryn Grandon. We were proud to donate a lovely bundle of books to the raffle, raising money for our local hospital's Blossom Appeal.
WE TALK ALL THINGS SELF-PUBLISHING AT PRIMADONNA
01/08/22
Our first ever workshop at the beautiful PrimaDonna Festival took place on the last day of July, to a packed audience! It was great to hear everyone's writing journeys so far and to be able to suggest routes to publishing and marketing that could work for them. Control is the buzzword!
"SOFTWOOD'S ENTHUSIASM AND DRIVE IS INSPIRATIONAL"
16/08/22
We were delighted to recently attend the Prestige Awards ceremony in London where we received our trophy for Self-Publishing Specialists of the Year, London & the South-East! It was great to have our former intern, Lizzie, with us to share our success. Onwards and upwards!