Dodgers

A small literary crime novel from the small crime imprint of an independent publisher hardly spells success, but No Exit Press disproved that with Bill Beverly’s award-winning Dodgers.

coming-of-age story and a crime novel set in the US, Dodgers impressed the judges for punching well above its weight. Based in the States, Beverly was largely unavailable to promote the book in person, although he did make a visit to the UK. He worked remotely, writing pieces for crime fiction websites as well as Shortlist magazine.

No Exit Press worked with the marketing and editorial departments at Crown, which published the book in the US, to share early buzz for Dodgers to increase awareness of the novel.

Independent bookshops, Waterstones and W H Smith Travel were all strong supporters of the book, which won both the Debut Dagger and the Gold Dagger at the Crime Writers’ Association Awards.

Joseph Knox, author and crime buyer at Waterstones, said: “I thought Dodgers was one of the most impressive novels of 2016. For me it carries so much I love about crime fiction, while stepping into another dimension, illuminating a world and a character that is too little seen in the genre. I felt like it was completely fresh.”