Company Details

It was great working with Troubador from beginning to end. They were very professional throughout, and the end result was superb and indistinguishable from a book published by a mainstream publisher. Knowing that I retained the rights to the book was a real positive, and it was good to be able to tailor what they offered to my particular needs. Publishing with Troubador enables books to be sold through normal channels, but also to be sold by the author. Great service, and I'm just about to go into print with my fourth book with them. I'd recommend them to anyone who wants to go down the self-publishing route, and who is confident of being able to generate sales themselves.

Positives: My edition of Warwick Braithwaite's memoirs (The Golden Shore) was accepted by Matador and given loving care and attention by their team. The whole experience was straightforward and the published volume (500+ pages) has been praised for its appearance as well as its content. It was a complex book wth appendices of differing layouts, and I expected that aspect to prove problematical. It all went pretty smoothly, despite my last minute changes and sudden lack of confidence in punctuation! Negatives. I know that it will remain in print for just two years, with an option to extend that for two more years, but I wish it could be made available for longer. I opted for an eBook version in addition to the print copy, but in retrospect I regret that decision. My carefully prepared index was removed, and the flexible layout played havoc with the placement of illustrations etc. My advice would be to question whether the type of book you are preparing would benefit from an eBook version. Finally, my heartfelt thanks to Hannah, Beth, Jonathan and colleagues for their patience and enthusiasm.

The whole process was entirely painless as I was handed seamlessly from department to department, with follow-ups and reminders always coming at just the right time. Every single person I was in contact with had just the right combination of friendliness and efficiency and there was a 'freshness' to their approach that made them all a pleasure to deal with. Normally in a lengthy process like this there are bound to be a few 'ifs' and 'buts', but I think I can honestly say that I couldn't fault any aspect and I couldn't recommend Matador more highly.

As the CEO of Wilkinson Productions Ltd, I discovered Troubador Publishing in 2017. From my very first contact to the present day, I have found the entire Troubador Team friendly, professional, experienced and knowledgeable. The team has supported my publishing journey every step of the way and my fourth book will be published on 28th June 2023. If, like me in 2017, you are a publishing novice, I cannot recommend Troubador Publishing highly enough to guide you.

The staff support from day one up to the final production of my first book was excellent. Matador/ Troubadour are an excellent company to deal with as they perform the self publishing process in a very professional way. Staff members Hannah and Beth guided me through all stages of my book production in a very efficient, curteous and professional manner.They are a great asset to the company and part of a great team including good typesetters and book designers. I would highly recommend this publishing company. Ken Arnott

My experience with Troubador publishing was an easy and enjoyable journey due to the kindness and efficiency of the team involved. Every aspect of the publishing process was taken care of and any questions I had were quickly addressed, and I was always told to contact them with any future enquiries. The design of the book jacket was especially pleasing as they made it brighter, more powerful and eyecatching. It was a real pleasure to see the first draft unfold. All in all I could not have asked for a better service and I would recommend Troubador to any author, especially a first time author like myself. Julian Doyle

The guys at Troubador were great from the first minute. Very clear pricing, very clear process. I always felt supported through the process and would very much recommend...

All the staff at Matador (imprint of Troubador) were very helpful and professional from the initial contact to copyediting to typesetting and cover design and marketing. I’m especially pleased with the beautiful cover design and it has attracted many compliments. My novel Mr Hammond and the Poetic Apprentice (by Mellany Ambrose) wouldn’t have seen the light of day without Matador

Very good service. Helpful staff. No question is too much for them and I can be demanding in the quality of service. Honestly it is hard to find good service these days and this company delivers. First class communication. Two books published with them and their website and author platform are easy to use and professional. You can do as much or as little as you with as an author when publishing your book, things are negotiable, which I like, the fact that it is not inflexible. They produce first-rate book covers and pay attention to every detail. No different, if not better than traditional publishers, which I also had experience with. If you have a great story and want to release it into the world go for it with Troubador. You will be well looked after.

We knew from the start we wanted The Magazine Girls to be a paperback, but were stuck on what the exact size should be, what paper to choose and also the format of the book in terms of how to use our photographs – almost 100 images! I say ‘we’ because our book has seven different authors each telling their story. The end result is very much down to the guidance received from the publishing team, who were hugely helpful. From the outset Kelly Coombs at Troubador gave us wise advice based on her knowledge of the contents of our book as to how our photographs should be used. After many conversations with her, we decided to integrate our photographs into the text (to illustrate stories as they appeared) rather than placing the photographs together in plate sections. The production team at Matador carefully followed our instructions throughout and at proof stage carefully amended anything that needed attention. I’d like to stress that this project could have all been incredibly tricky, because with seven authors and 100 photographs between us, this venture could have imploded! The opposite is true, we now have a beautiful looking paperback and E book, thanks to the care and attention of the professional folk at Matador.

I have had three books (translations) and one ebook published by Troubador/Matador in recent years and can say I think I have had a fair deal and enjoyed the service that was promised. The books all look very attractive and the delivery service from the warehouse is excellent. However, I had to do nearly all the promotion myself. I advise writers to be realistic and not to let themselves be persuaded to have more copies printed than are likely to be sold – the book market is flooded with new publications!

I do not post reviews very often, but last week the way a request I had made was dealt with by Troubador was a reminder yet again of the quality and efficiency of their operation. My request was no great task in itself; to send a copy of my two books to a friend. However, as always the response was fast and friendly, and my request actioned with the minimum of fuss. I have been a customer of Troubador since 2015 and it occurred to me that over that period, all of my requests big or small have been dealt with in the same efficient way. I have published two books with Troubador and when the current one is finished that will also be sent to them. The reasons I continue to use this company are that they do not pressurize you into buying services you do not need, and that nothing is too much trouble. Most important of all, the quality of the finished book is equal to (and often better than) books from the mainstream publishers. A title from Troubador will not look out of place on the shelves of any of the major bookshops.

I liked the people who work there from the start, they are highly professional, patient and supportive. They were also realistic about self-publishing and the costs involved. My first book was not easy to produce as it is full of maps and drawings and I wanted it presented in a very distinctive way. I was more than pleased with the finished product, however, and it has been much-admired. The fact that I've gone on to have a second and third book published with them says it all, they are a first-class publisher. They have growing respect in the publishing world and I had no difficulty getting my books in bookshops, including Waterstones. The whole experience has been positive and has led to many opportunities such as writing features for newspapers and magazines, giving talks and my books appearing at book festivals.

Self-publishing with Troubador ensures a high-quality, professionally produced book that looks as good as any other on bookshop shelves. As an author, I retained creative control of my project while benefitting from the skills and knowledge of a team of staff who were always courteous, dependable, professional and efficient. Nothing happens without the author's say-so; services are priced individually, so you are free to choose which you would like to use (without ever feeling under pressure) and therefore publish according to your own budget. For those who aren't confident navigating the book industry alone, it's invaluable to have Troubador taking care of the essentials of bringing your book to market and handling its distribution. Now that my books have been published, I continue to receive excellent service from staff in the office and warehouse in arranging reprints and supplying me with copies for my own use.

Troubador is an outstanding publishing company. First, the technical side of publishing is difficult - formatting etc is an expert skill. Troubador will make your book as good as that of any traditionally published mainstream house. Second, the service is impeccable. Always friendly and happy to help out with any questions. They published my first non-fiction history book which has now sold over 10,000 copies. They also do excellent audio books. I still use Indie-Go for formatting my current books under my own imprint. Really recommend Indie-Go is you want to use your own imprint, do your own marketing etc. Strongly recommended.

There's no doubt that publishing your first book is daunting but the staff at Troubador/Matador were always around to help. They were calm, highly efficient, creative and produced a fantastic book for me, in just a few months. The dust cover and design were outstanding. I was delighted when all the main book retailers began selling my memoir and many had it facing out in their stores. My one niggle was not getting enough feedback from the Star Agency.

I have just had my third crime thriller published by Troubador, and yet again I am absolutely THRILLED with the result. Everything I imagine my book to be, and ask for, is always delivered. I prefer to design my own covers and my books are always created exactly to my design. Everyone is so friendly and helpful at each stage of the process, and any little queries are sorted out quickly and professionally. Book 4 will definitely be placed with them too - 100% happy. :-)

It has been a joy to work with the team at Troubador. They have held my hand though every stage to bring out a high quality paperback version of my novel "A Woman of Noble Wit" that I am proud to see on bookshop shelves, as well as leading me though the technicalities of the ebook world. The development of and support for my website has been and continues to be outstanding, giving me not only a wonderful author platform but also support for my other work as a historian and speaker in the West Country of England.

I cannot speak too highly of Troubador and Matador. This was my first book, and so first experience of the publishing journey. Everyone was so helpful and knowledgable at every stage - from first exploration to publishing options, early drafts, production, sales & marketing and subsequent support. A great and friendly service: very many thanks!

I have published three novels with Troubador/Matador and will be publishing my 4th with them in the near future. Effectively, for the past 5 years they have been my publishers - and I have always been utterly satisfied with their service and provision. If you are looking to self-publish, look no further - this company is utterly professional, reliable, open and honest and provide the independent writer with the perfect service. You will be in safe hands with them.