Trinovantus is go...
It has taken a lot of hard work (just look at that logo up above), but things are finally moving forward. The first few weeks - and months, if I'm going to be honest - were always going to be a complete nightmare, but the Trinovantus name couldn't sit unused any longer... Cool things need to be shared. With that in mind, there are some notions which are going to be discussed on this site over the next few posts which might seem unusual, or downright insane, for a startup publisher.
The first major difference in philosophy is the promotion of books as a whole. Some may see their output in terms of a zero-sum game - everything or nothing - which is an entirely valid opinion. It isn't an opinion I share, but I can respect those who want to have their own thing and not be tied to any other works. For indie publishers and self-publishers who do want to have a little extra promotion, then this site is another promotional tool for you to consider.
Although... It isn't merely the site itself. There's a more inclusive aspect than merely throwing up a few links where to purchase a great indie book and hoping that people follow the links and discover new authors. This is something different. This is something which truly breaks the tradition of self-promotion and takes on a greater importance for those whose work isn't, perhaps, the easiest sales pitch. The books published by Trinovantus will contain "Published by our friends" lists. Short ones, but still...
Think of it this way - if you pick up a Trinovantus title which has a rollicking good SF action-adventure feel, then it makes sense to highlight books which have a similar tone, irrespective of the origin. I'm not interested in merely getting people to buy more books with the Trinovantus logo emblazoned on the cover (though if you want to, that's great); I'm interested in expanding the reading habits of those who find themselves enjoying good storytelling. I want to increase the market for everyone who has written a book I enjoy.
There will be holdouts, and that, also, is okay. If you don't want your title linked in any way, shape or form with us, then there will be no mention of your title. I respect the decisions of people who want to do their own thing. There's also no catch - for those expecting something akin to "you get a link in the back matter if you reciprocate," then you will be mistaken. There's no imperative on authors to link Trinovantus titles back. If you want to link to our titles, then you will be thanked and noted, but I'm not going to resort to bribery, coercion or pleading.
The unconventional philosophy of Trinovantus' publishing goes further and deeper than merely promoting those who could be seen as "competitors" by lesser minds, but the information I have already laid out should be fodder enough for conversation as it is. You wouldn't want me to drop too many bombshells in one post, would you?