In the autumn of 2024, I attended the Central Missouri Renaissance Festival with my family and had an absolute blast! I thoroughly enjoyed the chance to be around others who enjoy history and fantasy to that extent, even more so than I do. This year, my husband and I plan to go in character, and I’m more excited than I probably should be.
I knew what to expect from the vendors and booths. Besides food, I knew there would be handcrafted jewelry, chainmail, swords both wooden and metal, and all manner of fantastical knickknacks. What I did not expect to find, and was pleasantly surprised by, was Pickle Barrel Books, a pop-up booth presented by Piqueray Publishing. I was even more thrilled to discover this new indie publisher is located in Jefferson City, Missouri, the closest ‘big’ city to my hometown.
Finding out Piqueray Publishing was located so close to home I had to reach out and get an interview! I was fortunate to get a hold of J.M. Piqueray, owner of Piqueray Publishing, and ask about Piqueray Publishing, if he had any advice for aspiring authors, and find out his thoughts on current publishing trends.
You can follow Piqueray Publishing on socials:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pique_pub/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61566861651845
Check it out below!
Piqueray Publishing & Pickle Barrel Books
What led to Piqueray Publishing becoming a reality?
While helping others during their publication process, J.M. Piqueray recognized a niche need amongst self-published authors. In some circles, ‘self-publishing’ is a four-letter word, and through the development of Piqueray Publishing, J.M. Piqueray looked to help “elevate them [otherwise self-publishing authors] from self-published to indie-published”.
How did Pickle Barrel Books come about and how does it relate to the publishing company?
I had to ask about the name Pickle Barrel Books because I absolutely love how unique it is! J.M. Piqueray explained that Pickle Barrel Books came about as the result of mixing several aspects of his daily life, including his wife’s family history in the pickling industry. Pickle Barrel Books is the “pop-up retail” portion of the overarching publishing company.
Through this pop-up booth, Piqueray Publishing is able to show off its authors’ work and spread the word about the company, the books, the authors, and upcoming works in progress. I love this idea and I hope it went well because I would love for Pickle Barrel Books to continue to show up at Ren Festival and other local vending events!
What genres does Piqueray Publishing primarily publish?
According to J.M. Piqueray, currently, the company has published “exclusively sci-fi/fantasy”, “And by that I mean that it’s sci-fi that is so fi that it’s fantasy”. At this time, it is “a total coincidence that everything we have out right now falls into that category, but we’ve got some works in progress that are more clearly one or the other.”
Knowing that Piqueray Publishing is a new indie publisher, I had to ask what J.M. Piqueray has planned for the future of the publishing house and if there are any plans to grow the company someday or increase distribution.
His response is exactly what I would have hoped for a new indie publishing house, and very much along the path of where I am with my indie-publishing journey as well.
“I’m happy with just learning about the business and the industry, acquiring skills and contacts. There is so much that goes into taking a book from the author’s imagination to the reader’s hands! At this level, everyone involved has to become a sort of jack-of-all-trades, so my authors and I are working together to try to accomplish all the things that a bigger publishing company would have specialized people for. It’s a challenge, but it’s never dull!”
In regards to any plans to grow the company? Well, J.M. Piqueray indicated that the focus is currently “on quality and growing the authors” within the Piqueray Publishing network. As this is a very small, indie publisher, Piqueray Publishing has a ton of room for growth and I’m looking forward to seeing what comes from this small-town publisher.
Looking toward increased distribution, J.M. Piqueray emphasized an author’s need for self-marketing. “Self-marketing is a skill that any aspiring author should plan on acquiring, even if you’re going through a big publisher!”
I’ve found this to be true in my own research as well. A great book may have less sales than a mediocre book if the author knows how to market themselves and utilize social media. At the moment, Piqueray Publishing is looking to build relationships with “indie bookstores” throughout the state while the current publications can be found online through “distributors like Amazon and Barnes and Noble”.
What’s coming up for Piqueray Publishing?
2025 is shaping up to be a busy year for Piqueray Publishing and its authors! “The Silent Hand” by K.C. McIntosh is currently “available online, in select bookstores in the Kansas City area, and whenever Pickle Barrel Books pops up.” With book 2 in this epic fantasy due for a 2025 release date. Per J.M. Piqueray, a print version of The Ruolon War” by Stella Cline is also scheduled for release in 2025, as well as book 2 in this fantasy series (book 1 is currently available on Amazon Kindle and Kindle Unlimited)
For more information about these publications and to find out how you can get your hands on a copy, check out https://piqueraypublishing.com/books/
For Aspiring Authors
Advice for writers?
“First, write! Write a lot if you can. It doesn’t even really matter if it’s good or bad, and in fact if you worry about it being bad or not the next great American novel, you’ll have a hard time writing anything. You get better as you go, so go!
Another bit of advice I have is to edit. You learn a lot about writing from editing. As you rewrite, you will identify patterns in your own style that can be improved, so that next time you write something it comes out more polished on the first draft. That way, the more you edit and write, the less editing you have to do because you’re writing better to begin with.
At the same time, don’t get so bogged down in trying to make something perfect that you get caught in endless rounds of editing and rewriting and never pull the trigger and publish! At a certain point, it’s going to be as good as it’s going to get, and you need to get it out there and move on to the next one. If you’ve only got the one story to tell, then sure put in the extra effort. But most aspiring writers have endless tales to spin, so get spinning!”
Piqueray also took a moment to share a warning regarding the use of AI (artificial intelligence) in writing and the arts. “Be extremely aware of the issues surrounding AI”. “Indie publishing is a small community”.
AI is a huge controversy in many circles, especially those dealing with creators and works of art, including writing. Being aware of the concerns and arguments surround the use of AI in writing, art, design, etc., is something that an aspiring author seriously needs to put some thought into prior to publication.
What are you looking for in potential author manuscript submissions/what do you like to see in authors and manuscripts Piqueray Publishing picks up?
At this moment, Piqueray Publishing is looking to build long-lasting relationships with authors who understand that the company is small, indie, and not “a full-service, advance paying, do everything but write the book company”. Through sharing knowledge and resources, Piqueray Publishing is looking to help authors gain connection and information through community. “—instead of one-person self-publishing, learning everything the hard way, you have a group of people self-publishing, but growing together. If the authors are the spokes of the wheel, I serve as the hub, tying them all together to be something more than any of us could be on our own.
Beyond that, J.M. Piqueray enjoys “working with people who have a story to tell –- If you’re in it for the money, fame, or glory, then I’m not equipped to guarantee any of that. But if you write because you enjoy it, and you want to see where it might take you, that’s what I’m looking for.”
How would an aspiring author get in touch?
While Piqueray Publishing isn’t necessarily “open” for manuscript submission, “if anyone has a book or story they’ve written and want to push towards publication, they are welcome to reach out. If nothing else, I can usually point someone in useful direction, or offer encouragement. Or discouragement, as needed.” Aspiring authors can contact Piqueray Publishing through the website: https://piqueraypublishing.com/contact/
Publishing Trends You Love & Hate
“I love what the internet has done for writers.” I couldn’t agree more! The internet has created such a unique space for writers to gather an audience.
Despite the overcrowding, “– if you write, write well, and write a lot, you can find an audience. A great example are the people who have started on sites like RoyalRoad, putting a chapter or two out at a time for free. At least one of those authors has a possible movie/tv deal, some of the others are selling thousands of books.”
“At the same time, I hate the predatory business practices that have sprung up to take advantage of those writers.”
As with most things, the positive doesn’t come without some negatives as well. Vanity Presses have become a more common phenomenon, preying on hopeful authors and taking advantage of their dreams.
“There are so many people and companies out there who tell writers what they want to hear in order to take their money and give them little or nothing in return. – I’ve seen authors spend thousands of dollars on editors, artists, formatters, social media and advertising services, etc. and they end up with nothing but a book they could have made themselves for almost nothing.
The real tragedy there is that often those writers become discouraged because they lost so much money, and they give up on writing. So, I really hate anyone who makes their money off of taking advantage of the hopes and dreams of people who want to create something and share it with the world.”
Working in the publishing world is not something I really thought about before deciding to pursue my writing dreams in 2023. I remained blissfully unaware and naïve about the process and I’m not sure why I never thought to ask how a book got from an author’s imagination to the bookstore where I could take it home and devour it; how much work went into it. I think that may be one of the biggest mistakes I’ve ever made, not taking the time to wonder and look deeper.
I’m very fortunate to be able to interview people like J.M. Piqueray and dive deeper into the world of indie publishing and writing because it is truly a unique field, one that helps bring around amazing stories that may otherwise never see the light of day.
Take a moment to check out the copyright page of the next book you read. Take a moment to look up a local author in your area and give their work a read! Leave them a review and let them know how much you appreciate the work that went into their self-publishing/indie publishing journey. As always:
Happy Reading!
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