Starter for 6: Kohl Publishing

Kohl Publishing is the latest newcomer to the book publishing scene in Scotland. Based in Glasgow, the company was founded in 2011 by Lesley-Ann Dickson and Leila Cruickshank, two young female entrepreneurs with backgrounds in trade and academic publishing.

"We publish fiction in paperback and eBook format and use our website as a hub where discussion and debate about our books can take place. With a distinct focus on women's writing and reading, we publish original, intelligent fiction and have taken a rather anti-chick-lit stance on commissioning.  This month Kohl published its debut title, Fremont by Elizabeth Reeder.

"We were struck by the fact that the publishing industry – unlike the film, music and games industries – had a real lack of innovation when it came to delivering content and engaging with readers. We knew that the behaviours and expectations of readers had changed dramatically. They want more than just to be fed stories; they want to have their opinions heard, to co-create, and to discuss books not only with each other but with content producers and authors. So we decided to launch a publishing house that responded positively to these expectations. We encourage readers to collaborate with us – for instance, the final cover for Fremont was chosen by online voters. We also provide additional content (vlogs, animations, blogs) to provoke discussion about books. 

"We applied for Starter for 6 because we wanted to be surrounded by other entrepreneurs. We'd read about previous Starter for 6 candidates and knew that it would be a really inspiring environment. There was also the opportunity for some free entrepreneurial coaching – that comes as part of the training. And of course we also applied because there was an opportunity to pitch for investment.

"The training programme helped us to understand our product and brand inside out and to identify our readership. There was also lots of pitching practice and peer assessment so it really helped us prepare for the investment pitch. We were fortunate enough to secure investment and have since gone on to successfully pitch for further monies elsewhere. We are now very confident when pitching for investment, which I very much credit to the Starter for 6 training programme. 

"We are so lucky to have a programme like Starter for 6 in Scotland. It's a fantastic opportunity to get some investment for your business, but also a chance to tap into an important business network and receive high quality training for no fee. Since Starter for 6 Kohl Publishing has signed an author, held a launch at Edinburgh International Book Festival, published a paperback and eBook and secured a PSYBT Innovation Fund... I can wholeheartedly say that we would not be where we are today without Starter for 6."