Welcome to Scratching Shed Publishing Ltd

Welcome to Scratching Shed Publishing’s all-singing all-dancing new website; thanks for dropping by.

As a bibliophile technophobe myself, I hope you find it easy to navigate. Not only can you marvel at our growing range of titles, you can now satiate your intrigue by buying directly from the site – with free postage and packaging to boot.

In future, this blog is intended to serve two main purposes. First, it will keep you up to date with all the goings on in the Shed – and we are already working on some rip-roaring titles for 2011. Second, our association with independent bookshop Philip Howard Books of Leeds & Rotherham gives us a view into the publishing trade from both sides of the window and we will share our thoughts on those issues too.

To say that these are interesting times and unchartered waters for publishers and book retailers is like noting that FIFA has a superfluous ethics committee. Since the demise of the net book agreement in 1994, the playing field has been dug up, concreted over and a huge edifice to rampant commercialism erected. But books are not like beans, thankfully, and demands and niche’s exist that go beyond the desire to just pile high a limited, emasculated range and sell cheap.

Here at Scratching Shed and Philip Howard Books, we are passionate advocates of great writers on heartfelt subjects, whether we are producing their books or stocking them. Hopefully, one of the reasons why you are reading this is that you are too.

Phil