Softwood Books

What Softwood Books does

Softwood Books Ltd is a UK-based self-publishing services provider founded in 2017 by Director Maddy Glenn and headquartered in Stowmarket, Suffolk. The company operates as a professional services firm delivering end-to-end publishing support to independent authors worldwide, spanning developmental editing, copy-editing and proofreading, bespoke book design with premium finishing options (spot UV, foiling, sprayed edges), social media and retailer-focused marketing, and both print-on-demand and traditional stock-based printing. Authors retain full copyright and ISBN ownership, and Softwood does not take royalty shares on books produced, meaning revenue is derived entirely from service fees, print sales, and compliance charges.

The business runs on a consultative sales model: prospective authors book a call or request a quote via the website, receive tailored pricing based on length, format, and quantity, and are then assigned a project manager, editor, and designer for direct collaboration. Distribution leverages partnerships with Ingram/Lightning Source for global print-on-demand reach and Gardners for UK wholesale, enabling availability across Amazon, Waterstones, Foyles, Barnes & Noble, Blackwell's, and thousands of other retailers. A dedicated Author Portal provides 24/7 access to monthly sales reports and royalty information. In December 2024, the company added EU GPSR compliance services as both a bundled offering and a standalone product for non-customers, addressing new EU product safety regulations effective December 2024.

The team comprises 9 employees as of 2025, including three editors added that year to scale editing capacity. The company is registered as a private limited company in England and Wales (Company No. 17175870) with no disclosed external funding, parent company, or acquisition history. Revenue is not publicly disclosed. Industry recognition includes recommendation in the Writers' & Artists' Yearbook 2026, Publishers' Association membership, and Arts Award certification. The company exhibits at major industry events including the London Book Fair and Gardners Trade Show. There is no proprietary technology platform; all services are delivered manually by the small in-house team.

Name

Softwood Books

Legal name

Softwood Books Ltd

Website

https://softwoodbooks.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Softwood Books is a UK-based self-publishing services provider offering editing, design, printing, distribution, and marketing support to independent authors worldwide, retaining full copyright and earning revenue through service fees without royalty share.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Self-Publishing Services

NAICS

Book Publishers (51313), Books Printing (323117)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731), Book Printing (2732)

akta.pro primary industry

Editorial & Production Services (Copyediting, Proofreading, Formatting, Typesetting) (MPAJAJAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Author Marketing, PR & Launch Services (Ads, Book Tours, Influencers) (MPAJAJAL), Rights, ISBN & Publishing Administration Services (Identifiers, Metadata, Royalties) (MPAJAJAK)

Keywords

• Self-publishing services
• Book editing
• Book design
• Print on demand
• Book distribution

Headquarters

HQ city

Stowmarket

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Professional Publishing Services: Revenue is generated through comprehensive publishing services including professional editing, bespoke book design, targeted marketing support, high-quality printing, and global distribution. Authors pay for individual services or packages tailored to their needs. The company does not claim royalty shares on books produced, meaning revenue comes solely from service fees.
2. Print Sales: Authors can purchase author copies at print cost plus shipping at any time. Softwood facilitates retail distribution through wholesalers and online retailers, with royalties paid to authors monthly.
3. GPSR Compliance Services: For authors not using Softwood's production services but wanting EU GPSR compliance, Softwood offers a one-off upload fee plus annual hosting charge for maintaining compliance.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Softwood Books provides bespoke, end-to-end self-publishing services for independent authors, including professional editing (developmental, copy-editing, proofreading), custom book design and cover creation with premium finishing options, print-on-demand and traditional printing, global retail distribution via Ingram and Gardners, marketing support, ISBN registration, and EU GPSR compliance. Authors retain full copyright and royalty ownership, with pricing built around tailored quotes per service package.

Product overview

Softwood Books is a self-publishing services provider offering a unified, end-to-end publishing platform. The portfolio spans professional editing (developmental, copy-editing, proofreading), bespoke book design with premium finishing options, social media and retailer-focused marketing, print-on-demand and traditional stock-based printing, and global distribution via Ingram and Gardners. Authors access a dedicated Author Portal for royalty reports. The service emphasizes bespoke, personal support throughout the publishing journey, from manuscript consultation through to global retail distribution, with additional compliance support for EU GPSR requirements.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Professional Editing Comprehensive editorial services for independent authors covering developmental editing, copy-editing, and proofreading, delivered through direct editor-author collaboration using Microsoft Word Track Changes.
• Bespoke Book Design and Production Custom book design covering interior layout and cover design, with premium finishing options including spot UV, foiling, sprayed edges, and hand-painted edge designs for special editions.
• Author Marketing Services Human-led social media strategy and content management, retailer-focused marketing support (author information sheets, press releases, publisher-led communications, book launch support, book tours and signing events) to help authors build audience and sell books.
• Print and Distribution Services Print-on-demand publishing through Ingram/Lightning Source for worldwide online retail availability (Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Waterstones, Foyles, Blackwell's) and traditional stock-based wholesale distribution via Gardners (UK) with 24-hour retailer delivery and return capability. Authors can also order author copies at print cost plus shipping.
• ISBN Registration ISBN registration managed through Nielsen on behalf of authors, with authors retaining full ownership of their ISBNs and publishing rights.
• EU GPSR Compliance Support EU General Product Safety Regulation compliance support for authors selling books into the EU, including EU Authorised Representative (ARC) registration. Available as a one-off upload fee plus annual hosting charge, even for authors who did not use Softwood's production services.
• Special Edition Printing Premium finishing options for traditional print runs including spot UV, foiling, sprayed edges, and bespoke hand-painted edge designs for special collector editions.

Quantifiable outcome

• 24-hour delivery capability through Gardners for UK bookshops
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Gardners BookscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGardners Books is one of the UK's major book wholesalers serving both independent and high-street bookshops (such as Waterstones) and online retailers. Established over 40 years ago, Gardners ships around half a million books daily to retailers worldwide. Softwood authors can place stock (10 to 10,000 copies) with Gardners for 24-hour retailer delivery, enabling bookstores to easily order, stock, and return books.
• Ingram/Lightning SourcecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIngram (through Lightning Source) is a major global book distributor and printer enabling worldwide print-on-demand distribution. Through this partnership, books are made available internationally across leading retailers including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Waterstones, Foyles, and Blackwell's. Ingram also provides GPSR compliance support for EU distribution.
• EU Authorised Representative (ARC)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSoftwood Books uses an EU authorised representative (ARC) to ensure GPSR compliance for books distributed to the EU market. This representative acts on behalf of publishers in matters of compliance and communication with regulatory authorities.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• IngramSpark: IngramSpark is Ingram's self-publishing POD and distribution platform, used by Softwood itself as a backend partner. It is a broad incumbent because authors can use IngramSpark directly to publish and distribute globally, competing for the same author wallet.
• Amazon KDP: Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing is the dominant free self-publishing platform, offering POD and ebook distribution globally. It is a broad incumbent because, while it does not provide bespoke services, it is the default alternative for the same independent authors that Softwood targets.

Direct peers

• Reedsy: Reedsy is a marketplace connecting self-publishing authors with vetted editors, designers, and marketers. It is a direct peer because it serves the same independent-author segment with the same service categories (editing, design, marketing) as Softwood, though via a marketplace model.
• AuthorHouse: AuthorHouse is a global self-publishing services company offering editing, design, marketing, and distribution packages to independent authors. It is a direct peer because of overlapping service offerings and target market of self-publishing authors seeking paid end-to-end support.
• Lulu Press: Lulu is a self-publishing platform offering print-on-demand, distribution, and editorial services to independent authors globally. It directly competes with Softwood in the same author-services category, particularly around POD and global distribution through its own network.
• BookBaby: BookBaby is one of the largest independent self-publishing service providers, offering editing, design, printing, distribution, and marketing for self-publishing authors. It is a direct peer to Softwood Books because both sell end-to-end publishing packages to the same independent-author customer.
• Matador / Troubador Publishing: Troubador's Matador imprint is one of the UK's longest-standing self-publishing service providers, offering editorial, design, print, and distribution services to UK-based independent authors. It is a direct competitor to Softwood in the same UK self-publishing services niche.

Others

• Nielsen Book Services: Nielsen Book is the UK's ISBN registration agency and provides book metadata services that Softwood uses as part of its publishing workflow. It is an enabling/ecosystem participant rather than a direct competitor to Softwood's services.
• Bowker (MyIdentifiers): Bowker is the official ISBN agency for authors in several English-language markets and provides identifier registration services that Softwood bundles into its publishing packages. It is an enabling/adjacent provider rather than a direct competitor.

Emerging players

• Thoth & Cleo: Thoth & Cleo is a UK-based boutique self-publishing services firm offering bespoke editorial, design, and production services to independent authors. It is an emerging peer because it targets a similar premium-services niche within the UK self-publishing market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/softwoodbooks
• Facebookfacebook.com/softwoodbooks
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/softwood-books
• Instagraminstagram.com/softwoodbooks

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Softwood Books