Tell us about your new book publishing model and what you are looking to do?
I’ve started a consultancy where I help fellow authors to crowd-fund and self-publish their non-fiction work. The idea is that they benefit from my experience over the last seven years, in which time I’ve successfully funded and published two of my own books, and mentored a colleague with a third.
Why do you want to do this now?
Simon Woolf has had success self-publishing two books and wants to share that experience with other authors and writers
The publishing world has become so risk-averse that it’s challenging or even impossible for (potential) authors of niche non-fiction to get their work in print. That’s why I chose the self-publishing route – no-one wanted to do a book about orange wine in 2018 because they didn’t realise the market existed. I had to prove that it did, without the help of a publisher.
It would be easy to think that no-one wants to buy or read physical books any more but it’s not true at all. The challenge is just that many of most original and pioneering projects will never see the light of day via a traditional publisher, because that market has shrunk and become very generic.
Where did the idea come from?
After the success of my first two self-published books (Amber Revolution and Foot Trodden), I started getting a lot of requests for help and advice. Most were colleagues within the wine industry, but some came from further afield via my Kickstarter campaigns. I could see that my experience and skills could benefit others who wanted to realise books projects via a non-traditional route. But it also became rapidly clear that I could spend all day every day dishing out free advice – and much as I’m a nice, helpful person, I also need to earn money and pay the bills!
From the conversations I had, I realised that my combination of tech, writing, editing and project management skills is by no means a given for everyone. Many authors are inspirational in terms of their creativity and output, but they don’t necessarily have the mindset to be able to create a budget, manage a design process or plan a social media campaign.
Amber Revolution was the first book that Simon Woolf published thanks to a Kickstarter campaign
They need help and nurturing to realise their projects, which traditionally would have come via an agent and/or a publisher. But that route is increasingly unavailable, unless you already happen to be world famous, or you have your first novel ready to go.
What sort of books, authors and writers are you looking to champion?
I am sticking to the market that I know, which is non-fiction. Beyond that, it’s about authors coming to me with a compelling project, and a concept that has clearly been thought through. I need to know that they’re capable of doing most of the hard work when it comes to the core writing, and that they have started to build up a network of readers, fans and supporters. Whilst wine is the subject I personally know best, the core principles of crowd-funding, promoting, writing, editing and publishing can be applied to any subject-matter.
You are starting a new publishing and promotional calling for a new book on port - what have you got planned?
I’m helping Ruud Scholten, a Dutch port wine fan and entrepreneur, to publish his first book which is about port wine cocktails. The book is called The Portologist, and we’re crowdfunding it on Kickstarter from this week (you can sign up here for more details).
How did you get involved and want to be part of it?
The Portologist is the first book of its type focused on port cocktails, claims Simon Woolf
Ruud approached me after researching my previous Kickstarter campaigns and my book Foot Trodden (co-written with Ryan Opaz). He felt there was plenty of crossover between us, with my interests in both wine and Portugal. And he knew that he’d need help to realise his project as he had no experience of the publishing world.
Tell us about the author and what he is looking to do?
Ruud’s concept seems deceptively simple, but that’s always the way with the best ideas. Over more than a decade of travelling to Portugal and the Douro, he realised that port wine has a bit of an image problem – it’s seen as an old man’s drink. But he also saw that several of the port producers have embraced the cocktail world, and that drinks like the classic port tonic are gaining ground worldwide, having previously been a bit of an insider secret with the Portuguese.
So this book brings together the history and tradition of port wine with the modern-day hype around craft cocktails. The idea is to introduce new audiences to the beauty of port, via something that they already know and feel comfortable with (cocktails).
You say it is the first of its kind - in what way?
To the best of our knowledge, there is currently no book just focused on port wine cocktails, despite the growing interest in the category. Furthermore, The Portologist takes a different route than most cocktail books – which are really just collections of recipes. Here, we’re taking readers deep into the heritage and production methods of port wine, so they get to understand in detail how these wines are made and why they work so well in different combinations.
An example of one of the Port cocktail recipes in the book
The Portologist is focused on cocktail recipes, but with far more about the origin story and the understanding of the ingredients than you would expect in the average Cocktail 101 tome.
Who do you see as the target audience for it?
Cocktail enthusiasts are definitely the biggest audience, and that in turn includes keen home mixologists, professionals looking for inspiration and those who just enjoy craft cocktails and like to stay abreast of what’s new. But then there is a crossover into the wine world, and of course port wine lovers, many of whom might be familiar with the port-tonic but would love to discover all the other possibilities and ways of using and reimagining their favourite beverage.
You are looking to raise money for it? How and why?
A crowdfunding campaign is an important proving ground, to see if the project has legs. It’s not just about the money. So yes, we are using Kickstarter to raise funds to get the book printed. It’s a great way to create more buzz around the project, and to get readers involved with it early on. In return for their support, backers will get quite a few perks, including being the first to get their hands on the book, getting a copy signed by the author and having their name included in the acknowledgements to thank them for their support.
Ruud Scholten in full pitch mode for his new book The Portologist
What are other book projects are you working on?
This project will take me through to the middle of next year, and I estimate that I would have capacity to take on perhaps two or three projects like this every 12 months. So let’s see who comes to me with the next brilliant idea!
How about yourself and your own writing and books?
I have at least three more of my own books in planning. I don’t want to say more right now, because I had a few setbacks and some savage writers’ block. But there is more on the way.
The game-changer for me in 2024 was launching a paid subscriber website, thanks to the Substack platform. It’s a huge amount of work, as I publish weekly, but it’s given me so much motivation and the ability to get opinion pieces and stories out there much faster than I could via mainstream media.
So for anyone who wants to keep up with my work, themorningclaret.com is the place.
Anything else to say?
I love working on projects like this, because it reminds me that the world of wine can be much broader than many of us like to think. Perhaps some might say that it’s sacrilege to take a beautiful thing like port wine and mix it with other ingredients. But to me if it means it is enjoyed by a wider range of people then that is simply a win.
It’s all about staying curious.
* Sign up to find out more about The Portologist and how to take part in the Kickstarter campaign.
* You can follow Simon Woolf on his Substack page here.
