Amazon bestseller LJ Ross sets up own imprint

Amazon bestseller LJ Ross is setting up her own imprint, Dark Skies Publishing, offering print editions of her books to stores.

Ross, creator of the 15-title DCI Ryan series, is said to have sold more than 4 million e-books and print copies through Amazon. However, she said her print books had only been available to “a handful” of indies and libraries before now.

She plans to change that by making a total of 18 titles available in B-format paperback by February or March 2020, starting with Impostor on 31st October, the first in her new Alex Gregory series. Subsequent books Hysteria and Bedlam will follow 10th December and 10th February respectively with the Ryan series all released by early 2020.

Available to order through Gardners or Booksource, Ross has commissioned “fairly large” print runs and wants to offer terms and availability to booksellers like those secured by major publishers.

She hopes to make the titles available as soon as possible, rather than staggering or delaying the release dates, sacrificing giving advance information to the trade in favour of speed.

The author, also in discussions for a non-profit “book friends” scheme to combat loneliness, explained: “Making my books available to the trade for the first time is an exciting challenge and I’ve made some great new relationships during the process so far. I don’t know of too many other authors who have taken the decision to manage this element themselves, but I feel that my existing readership shows that demand for my books is strong, particularly in the UK, and I’m willing to take the punt and forge ahead.”