Company Details

So pleased I decided to use Troubador for publishing my first book ‘Ageing Rewired - How to flourish in later life’. They gave outstanding service and produced a high quality product - I have no hesitation in recommending them highly. Huge thanks to all the team. Lynne Dorling

Working with Matador has been a quality experience from beginning to end. Their one day seminar on the whole self publishing process was so helpful and informative, and their staff so approachable and professional. Hannah Daikin’s customer service has been excellent as too has Sophie Morgan’s marketing advice. The promotional video team was excellent too. Hats off to Sam who produced a great writers website and Joshua in production was always available and helpful. Stephanie Carr has been excellent in producing a first class ebook which is easy to read, has great illustration layout and good navigation. Having direct email contact with staff in all the departments has enabled me to navigate the self publishing process wonderfully.

Production of my book was a life project and I wanted to get it right. After the exhilaration of deciding to self-publish in 2021 I was then faced with the bewildering and increasingly crowded market of self-publishing companies. What a minefield! I still feel a bit queasy when I realise how very easily I might have gone with a different company. I look back now and consider that my decision to go with Matador at Troubador was one of the best decisions I have ever made. I have become very aware recently that not only is Troubador the best possible company I could have chosen, but that it is in fact the only company that could have produced my book to such supreme high quality. My book is non-fiction and Troubador produced it immaculately. A well known Canadian blogger in the sector emailed me to say "Your book is stunningly beautiful to handle" - and that was just the paperback! This was my first book but I have been accepted as a legitimate player in my subject area, acknowledged as contributing to the sector. I obtained a gratis review in the sector's leading periodical and an invitation to speak by a prominent national company soon after publication. Publishing is a tough business and - ultimately - as a self-published author you're on your own. But if you decide to take that journey I can strongly recommend Matador for their professionalism, responsiveness, efficiency and sociability. Above all, they have a glorious belief in the highest standards and they maintain an efficient organisational structure that can actually deliver those highest standards in the final product.

Once I had written my book the challenge then was who would publish it. So, after deciding that my first choice would be Matador and having downloaded their free guide on self publishing, I nervously picked up the phone and made a call to them. I’m not usually a nervous person when it comes to making calls, but this was different. I had a piece of work that was there for scrutiny, judgement and critique. The best way that I can describe my feelings at this point is similar to a stress dream where you are naked in a crowded street and everyone is looking at you. I didn’t need to have worried. I spoke to Hannah Dakin, Matador’s Customer Service Manager, who immediately put me at ease. It was a lovely chat with someone who got it, understood my anxiety and above all else respected what I had done. She encouraged me to send in the manuscript and said that they would decide whether this book was for them over the coming two weeks. What I felt at this point was that even if Hannah decided it was not something that they wanted to progress with, there would be someone out there who would. I had made the leap of faith and felt like I had someone holding my hand as I jumped. Just over a week later an email arrived in my inbox with the amazing news that Matador would like to publish my book. I cannot begin to describe just how uplifting it was to know that my book would be available for people to buy. This was to be a lifelong ambition realized, a genuine bucket list item ticked off and a part of my legacy. Subsequent conversations and emails happened over the following weeks with Hannah, her sister Emily, Fern (who would make the book come to life), Jonathan (who would help me with the marketing) and Andrea (who was the eBook guru). The contract that you sign is easy to understand and you only go to this point when the conversations have happened and everyone, not least yourself, is completely at ease with the process and have a realistic grip on the detail. What surprised me the most was the timescales. The expectation was that it would take six months to get from the point of my original manuscript to a completed book. Six months! What on earth was going to take this long to print a book? And there lay my naivety in its rawest form. The process is professional and requires an up-front payment on each stage of the contract. Again, this is not taken until you are ready to proceed. It is lengthy for a reason and that is to ensure the book is right for you, right for your readers and that once it goes to press there is no turning back without incurring additional cost. The proof and copy reads were essential. Yes, they took time, but they were so worth it. I never believed that there could be so many areas that required clarification and Matador’s eye for detail is incredible. As one example I had spelt Mum as Mom, which is local to the West Midlands where I come from. Matador had even picked up on this to ensure that was how I wanted it spelt? Wow! I took most of the services that were available and offered - and I am really glad that I did. The team have made the finished book thousands of times better than I, without any experience or professional knowledge, could have ever done. Their advice along the way was always gentle, and with masses of respect for me and what I was seeking to achieve. They even talked me out of one service that I had signed for saying that in my case this wasn’t a necessity. That is business integrity and wonderful to receive. Even after publication they continue to deliver and I have no issue in recommending them. In short I am a client not a customer and the relationship is set.