INPRESS / PBS SECURES FUNDING UPLIFT FROM ARTS COUNCIL ENGLAND
Inpress, the sales and marketing agency for independent presses who also recently acquired the Poetry Book Society is delighted to announce confirmation of future funding from Arts Council England.
Based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Inpress has been an ACE National Portfolio Organisation since 2012 and was one of only four literature focused organisations in the North East to receive funding in the last funding round. Their funding offer has been increased by £25,000 per annum to £158,489 per annum.
The increase in funding will enable them to realise their ambition of a dedicated online poetry bookshop under the Poetry Book Society brand, representing the full spectrum of poetry publishing from the smallest creators to the established imprints of commercial publishing.
Inpress represents forty five independent publishers from across the UK and Ireland, including two publishers who are also National Portfolio Organisations; Peepal Tree Press and Penned in the Margins. In the last financial year, Inpress publisher sales increased by 40% and their year on year sales to date show a 60% increase on the same period in the previous year.
Sophie O’Neill, managing director of Inpress said, “I am delighted to receive continued support from Arts Council England and an uplift in funding. We work directly with 45 independent publishers, and indirectly with many more. Confirmed funding means we can continue with our long term strategy, building on the successes of the last year, growing the Inpress and PBS business and that of our members and most importantly promoting the wonderful work of independent publishing and the books our publishers produce to as wide an audience as possible.”
Chairperson, Ian Grant said, “We are delighted that the Arts Council has once again recognised the value of the work that Inpress does in supporting the independent publishing community. During the current funding period, Inpress has increased publishers' sales – and therefore the revenue to literary artists and the resilience of the companies that publish them – by 40%. Last year Inpress rescued the Poetry Book Society and although the PBS is not supported by Arts Council funding, the contribution ACE makes to the core strength of Inpress will help us to grow and improve the services of the PBS. Independent literary publishes can take great heart from this renewed funding of Inpress, for which we are very grateful.”
Inpress sells around 350 new titles a year on behalf of its publishers, with a backlist of 5,000+ titles.
The Poetry Book Society was founded in 1953 by T S Eliot and friends to “propagate the art of poetry”. Working as a book club, its members are a group of committed poetry readers who are offered a selection of the best new poetry collections of the quarter, chosen by poet selectors.