Canelo was founded in 2015 to take the best from the old world of publishing and combine it with the best of the new, while offering more beneficial terms to authors. We are proud to have been shortlisted for Independent Publisher of the Year at the British Book Awards 2021 and 2022.
Combining experience and skills from across the publishing industry, we have built a broad and diverse list of top-quality genre fiction, working with major established names including Sunday Times and New York Times bestsellers, alongside new breakthrough authors and some select titles revived from yesteryear and brought back to life for a modern audience.
We have seen phenomenal growth and are perhaps the largest independent digitally-focused publisher in Europe. Based in London, we have global distribution in both print and digital formats, a budding audio list, and excellent industry relationships with everyone from literary agents to web platforms, chain bookstores to big name reviewers. In 2021, we acquired the commercial and inclusive publisher Hera Books.
With a team of brilliant editors, marketers, publicists, sales people and production experts, and a clear vision for what we want to achieve for our authors, Canelo is ambitious, growth-oriented, and committed to quality across the board.
What we do
Canelo finds the best commercial storytelling and brings it to the widest possible audience – but with a new and fairer deal for authors. We are one of the top 10 largest fiction publishers in the UK by volume.
We come with a fresh look at the publishing process, always aiming to do better for our writers and never afraid to challenge received industry wisdom with that in mind. We take the vibrant digital market seriously, sell paperbacks in the millions, and publish with boldness, confidence and expertise.
Our Approach
At Canelo we apply a focused approach to all our publishing, aiming for nothing less than an industry-leading position for each of our core imprints.
We collaborate closely with authors and pay careful attention to each book, in every aspect, from editing and design to metadata and marketing.
At Canelo we never rest easy. Everything from price to copy is regularly reassessed. We are constantly looking to improve, and to capitalise on all opportunities. Above all we strive to maximise readerships, and to make sure we deliver for those readers.
Our Offer
Writers deserve a better deal and more ambition from their publishers. That’s why we founded Canelo.
We passionately believe in fairness and transparency, and offer the same base terms to all our authors:
- Ebook royalties starting at 50% and going up to 60% of all receipts, with absolutely no deductions. This is the highest ebook royalty rate we know of from any non-exclusive publisher and can quickly generate better income than a traditional advance model
- Print royalties of 20% net receipts on trade sales
- Cutting-edge book marketing and publicity
- A promise to submit every title for at least one major retail promotion
- In-house ebook creation with optimised metadata and bespoke digital design to produce beautiful, high-quality ebooks