Calder Wood Press is a significant member of the small band of Scottish-based independent publishers of poetry. By independent I mean that I am unsubsidised, and I will remain so. I mainly publish chapbooks — poetry and some short story collections — in English and Scots. I don't publish any other subjects.

I choose and approach the writers I want to publish, based on my knowledge of them and their work, or on the recommendation of friends.

Please don't send me unsolicited manuscripts; they will be returned unread (if you've included postage).

I know how difficult it is to have work published these days, and I’m very sorry, but my other commitments make it impossible to take on more work than I can handle effectively and well. Eight books a year is as much as I can cope with.

For poets starting to think about how to get their work published but who aren't sure how to go about it there is some exceptionally good and sensible advice in a new book by Helena Nelson - How Not To Get Your Poetry Published. It's available through the HappenStance Press website.

Each Calder Wood Press chapbook is treated differently, with layout, cover and typography designed around the content. There is no ‘house style’ beyond a commitment to the authors and to the quality of their work. I like producing books with distinctive covers, but the content comes first.