D H H Literary Agency launches The Dome Press

D H H Literary Agency has launched its own publishing company, The Dome Press. 

The press, whose name is taken from the The Dome periodical that was published in London's Cecil Court by the Unicorn Press in the late 1800s, will have "a broad approach", covering all genres. Its ethos is to "champion great storytelling and give authors a voice" and to discover and nurture both new and established writers while embracing "fresh outlooks". 

David Headley, m.d. of Cecil Court-based independent bookseller Goldsboro Books, as well as the D H H Literary Agency, will lead the business. Day-to-day publishing and editorial matters will be handled by Rebecca Lloyd, who has previously commissioned fiction and non-fiction at Accent Press and at HarperCollins.

Headley is said to have long considered publishing because he wanted to bring both D H H clients’ backlists and "under-published" novels to a new audience with a fresh approach. Lloyd said the press would be give "a new lease of life" to authors and books that have been "squeezed out by the demands of corporate publishing".

"The Dome Press is an inspired idea, allowing authors and books that have been squeezed out by the demands of corporate publishing to have a new lease of life, as well as taking an adventurous approach to new voices," said Lloyd. "It is not genre specific – we want to publish good stories that will have book-lovers wanting to read more. I’m thrilled to be involved."

The list will launch with Life’s A Drag by Janie Millman, a debut set in Suffolk and San Francisco that was described by Veronica Henry as like "The Archers in drag". A debut YA adventure, Sleeper by J D Fennell, will follow in April, pitched as a daredevil, fast-paced tale of double-agents, supernatural plots and evil villains during the Second World War, perfect for readers of Anthony Horowitz, Charlie Higson and Dan Brown. Both titles will be paperbacks produced by Clays, priced £8.99.

Other titles will be added to the schedule in the coming weeks with the eventual aim of publishing around 12 books a year.

All titles will be available through Bertrams and Gardners, with e-books published through the Faber Factory and The Dome Press will be looking to form commercial relationships with retailers.

The publishing venture follows a cancelled plan to launch a new online bookseller Bookman & Black last year owing to “unexpected setbacks”.