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Publisher Not Found: A Decade of Disruption, 404 Ink 2016-2026
Not yet published
Expected 4 Apr 26What really goes on behind the scenes in a small book publishing company? After a decade of running the award-winning publisher 404 Ink, McDaid and Jones-Rivera call time on their venture and invite readers into their little corner of the book world.
From their promises of "publishing loudly" and public financial transparency to the inevitable pit falls and political upheavals, Publisher Not Found reveals the inspirations, tensions and costs necessary to keep a cultural organisation afloat against an unstable economic backdrop where purse strings are ever-tightening. On the eve of their closure, they make the case for meaningful literary culture support for other institutions across the country before it is too late, and essential platforms and voices are lost.
404 Ink's story comes to an end not with a whimper but with a celebration of their authors and books, exploring what it means to be disruptive and disrupted, for those who seek to find their own place in the industry, shaking up the status quo along the way.
From their promises of "publishing loudly" and public financial transparency to the inevitable pit falls and political upheavals, Publisher Not Found reveals the inspirations, tensions and costs necessary to keep a cultural organisation afloat against an unstable economic backdrop where purse strings are ever-tightening. On the eve of their closure, they make the case for meaningful literary culture support for other institutions across the country before it is too late, and essential platforms and voices are lost.
404 Ink's story comes to an end not with a whimper but with a celebration of their authors and books, exploring what it means to be disruptive and disrupted, for those who seek to find their own place in the industry, shaking up the status quo along the way.
138 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication April 4, 2026
15 people want to read
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March 15, 2026
written with their signature clarity and honesty, this final Inkling charts the highs and lows of 404 Ink’s lifecycle. McDaid & Jones-Rivera take a microscope to their goals and mission when 404 was but an (tw)inkling in their eyes through til their final financial review, and they deftly map the landscape of the UK’s publishing industry for micro- to medium-sized indie publishers. they also touch on the trickiness of public funding, the strains of being self-employed, and influential external factors such as Brexit and Covid. in short, this should be mandatory reading for publishing students and those interested in entering the industry
being only a little facetious, i’m in a parasocial relationship with 404 Ink so naturally i’m heartbroken about their closure. they are titans in the Scottish indie publishing scene and have made an indelible impact on me over the few short years of my career. this Inkling is a fitting ode to their stellar journey
being only a little facetious, i’m in a parasocial relationship with 404 Ink so naturally i’m heartbroken about their closure. they are titans in the Scottish indie publishing scene and have made an indelible impact on me over the few short years of my career. this Inkling is a fitting ode to their stellar journey
Displaying 1 of 1 review