Black Crow Books: new horror publisher aims to open up 'booming' genre to everyone

Black Crow Books, the new horror-dedicated publisher launching next year, is reportedly off to a strong start as its co-directors say they have already received an "insane" number of submissions, despite announcing the new press only last month.

Jamie-Lee Nardone, publisher and co-director, will helm the new independent alongside Matt Holland, founder of special-edition publisher and online bookshop The Broken Binding. “I don’t think we could do it without each other,” Nardone told The Bookseller. 

Last year, the horror genre recorded its biggest year since accurate records began, with a 54% year-on-year increase in value reported by Nielsen BookScan. Submissions in the genre have also been on the rise. Black Crow Books is a response to the “booming” genre and Nardone’s desire to “open” the genre “up to everyone”. She continued: “I think there is a need [in the industry] for people who really understand the genre, to know what they’re looking at.”  

Nardone, who has "always been a massive horror fan", is looking to publish titles “that might get overlooked or explore something that isn’t trendy”. She added: "We’re not going to be ticking boxes." Unlike some larger publishers, she said, the smaller independent will have the agility, “the freedom and the expertise to work on passion projects that might get overlooked by bigger publishers”. 

Since the launch announcement earlier this month, Nardone says she has received an "absolutely insane amount of submissions". Black Crow Books is adopting a four-fold approach to publishing, including releasing new novels, issuing exclusive limited editions and an annual anthology of short stories alongside a quarterly subscription box. An anthology of “very dark fiction” is already slated for publication in September 2025 while Nardone and Holland are aiming to launch the subscription box early next year.

The exclusive editions will include titles Nardone is “really passionate" about that have been a "little bit overlooked or may have got great PR, but didn’t sell well". She adds: "I want to share those books with people, so backlist titles are definitely not off limits.”  

Black Crow Books will use the distribution warehouse management system Holland already has in place for the The Broken Binding. Nardone will lead on acquisition and editing while Holland focuses on logistics and production. "Combining my work experience with Matt’s [knowledge of] distribution and [existing] fan base, I think it’s something quite special." Nardone will also be looking to hire freelancers “for various projects” in the future. 

Black Crow Books is a personal project for Nardone, who, five years to the day, was diagnosed with myalgic encephalomyelitis, also referred to as ME or chronic fatigue syndrome. Her diagnosis is one of the “big driving force[s]” behind Black Crow Books, she said. Nardone “adores PR, marketing and working with readers in that way" and will continue in her role as director of Black Crow PR, but felt she was often living “this boom-bust kind of life, where I would work a Comic Con and then not be able to leave my bed for a month". She is clear, however, that: “I’ve never been unable to do my job because of [ME], I’ve always found a way to work around it”. Nardone is now “scaling back” on PR and marketing.  

Nardone dubbed Holland and herself as “outsiders”; both are from “very working class” backgrounds and neither “realised publishing was an option” when starting their careers. She explained: “You can see people telling us we can’t do things because this is the way it’s always been done and you’re like: ’No. You’ve got to make the change happen’.” When hiring freelancers, Nardone will be looking for people who “have a different voice”. 

Holland is also launching The Broken Binding Press, a dedicated science fiction and fantasy publisher, in 2025. Nardone will be leading on the the PR and marketing.