Local Publisher: Roving Press

 Roving Press is a small Dorset-based publisher producing local interest and travel books for those who like to get out and explore.

Owned and run by husband and wife Julie and Tim Musk, it is very much a family concern, born of a desire to publish books that are down-to-earth, helpful and with a travel and/or local interest slant. If you love exploring Dorset you’ll love Roving Press books.

 The company was set up in 2008. Julie and Tim grew up in Dorset but then moved away and travelled widely, Tim being in the RAF. When Tim was due to leave they decided to set down roots in Dorset. Julie had always worked in the publishing industry and more recently had been (and continues) freelancing as a copy editor for several major publishing houses. They decided to expand on the publishing aspect and set up their own company to focus on an area that both felt passionately about.

But no sooner had they set up Roving Press than their plans were put on hold when Tim was given his final RAF posting to the US. It was during this time that Julie wrote A Slice of Apple Pie – an excellent and useful guide book for any Brits venturing across the pond for the first time.

This was to be Roving Press’s first book and, although not typical of the books that followed, it enabled Julie and Tim to put all the systems in place, contracts, marketing, etc. that would be necessary to succeed in the technical world of book publishing.

On their return from the US, Roaring Dorset – Encounters with Big Cats by Merrily Harpur was their first Dorset-focused book. This was followed by the first in the Lesser Known series of guidebooks. So far this series consists of Lesser Known Weymouth, Lesser Known Swanage and Lesser Known Lyme Regis and is an ongoing series with more to come.

There are plenty of authors writing about Dorset who approach Roving Press with ideas. These cover many diverse subjects but always relate to Dorset. Roving Press believes it is important to keep its focus tight; all its books have a Dorset theme and are promoted widely within the county. Although they have published some fiction, notably The Portland Chronicles series by Carol Hunt, they are moving away from this and will be focusing on their non-fiction in future.

Roving Press has kept itself deliberately small to offer a bespoke service, building a close personal relationship with its authors and promoting their books locally.

As well as the publishing arm of the business, Roving Press offers an editing service (using Julie’s expertise) as well as a full or partial publishing service for those wishing to bring a specific project to print.

Roving Press is very much a business born out of love, and both Julie’s and Tim’s passion for the industry is clear. They have branched out into social media and can be found in the usual places – facebook, twitter, and pinterest – so do follow them there and see what is happening in their specialist field of local interest, books and authors.

For more information visit www.rovingpress.co.uk.

Interview: Author David MacPhearson

Today the Cyder Scribes would like to welcome author David MacPhearson  who has kindly agreed to answer a few questions.

To start, please could you tell us a bit about yourself and your writing.

My name is David Macpherson.  I live in  Portesham near Weymouth. I was a History teacher and since moving to Dorset I have become intensely interested in local history. I have written four books and all are historical fiction, but with as strong a regard for historical fact as I can manage. As an ex-teacher I hope my books will be instructive as well as an enjoyable read.

Four of my books have very strong connections with Dorset,  The first Defenders of Mai-dun was published by Roving Press and is a novel about the Roman Army's attack and capture of the Iron Age Fort of Maiden Castle.  Although (like all my books) it is written with a young-adult readership in mind, it is certainly enjoyed by adults who want to find out more about local history. Ideally this can be bought from Roving Press.

My second book, The Black Box, is about Monmouth's invasion of 1685 and his subsequent defeat at Sedgemoor, capture and execution. The story revolves round a Dorset farming family who get mixed up in the turmoil of the invasion and their involvement with Judge Jeffreys and the Bloody Assizes in Dorchester.  This book has not been published  on paper but can be down loaded from Kindle.

My most recently completed book called A Zigzag path is about Smuggling in the 19th century.  Unusually the hero is a young Revenue Officer rather than a smuggler, but I found it impossible to write without some sympathy for the 'Gentlemen of the Night'. There are references (not least in the title) to J Meade Falkner's Moonfleet, and considerable information about the state of smuggling in the early 19th century.  This also is only available to those with Kindles.

At present I am working on a novel about the Portland Spy Ring of 1955-1961.  I am trying a different and more difficult writing technique in this and at present the enterprise is proceeding with difficulty.  I expect to complete it by the end of 2014 and will also publish it electronically.

I have one other novel called Nomad which is about a Tibetan family's escape from the Chinese and flight across the Himalayas.  This was written from my personal experiences in Nepal and has no Dorset connections. It can be downloaded by those with Kindles.

Are you a member of a local writers group?
I am not a member of any local writing group, but feel I ought to be.

Who are you favourite local authors?

I have to say Thomas Hardy is my favourite local author, not least because he used to walk across my garden to visit a girl friend in the School House at Coryates.

Do you have a favourite book set in the local area?
Of all Hardy's books I like Wessex Tales the best.

Thank you David for joining us today.