I’ve just spent most of today removing my former imprint from my book listings and covers.

Since producing my first book through Kindle Direct Press in 2022 I had been using ‘Evenwood Press’ as a moniker for my imprint. After researching the legal requirements for copyright, distribution and myriad other aspects of self-publishing, it seemed like the logical course of action.

My core reasoning felt sound at the time.

Already writing under a pseudonym with the challenges such a decision entails, I wanted to separate my identity as an author from the business side of things. Furthermore, should I choose to write in other genres under different pen names it would offer an umbrella under which to publish my work. All well and good, right?

The hiccup lies in the fact that despite the encouragement from many fellow writers to create an imprint for KDP or other ventures, the underlying feeling of using smoke and mirrors never truly sat comfortably with me. As a result, upon purchasing a batch of ISBNs last week, I decided to drop the imprint altogether in favour of using my pen name instead.

It may highlight to the world my work is not produced through traditional publishing at this time, which may in turn impact sales or building my identity, but at the same time I can pursue my career steadfast in the knowledge I am not trying to misconstrue anything to potential readers.

Will I maintain this view should my books gain traction and become well-known? I’m not sure. Perhaps if they take off and the need to represent my products through an established brand becomes paramount, then I will re-visit the concept of developing my own imprint-come-publishing house. For the moment, it feels more ethical to just be as transparent as possible to a budding audience.

I’m mostly writing this blog post in case any of my readers are wondering to themselves, ‘hey, where did that EP logo go?’ Well, here’s your answer.

As a segue this brings me to the next matter, one which must be discussed with regards to the above points.

Writing using an imprint is perfectly acceptable, if not encouraged in the marketplace. However, it’s of the utmost importance to check your local legislation concerning whether or not a business needs to be established in relation to the imprint.

For example, in some areas of the United States utilising an imprint without any financial registration for tax purposes is considered fraud, whereas in the United Kingdom taxes can be handled by the author on a personal level with regards to their branding. These are the types of issues you need to sit down and look over with a fine-toothed comb.

Some authors swear by developing their own branding to avoid the ‘independently-published’ description on KDP, and they’re fully within their rights to feel that way.

It’s a bit of a murky, grey area in terms of accurate representation, but at the end of the day as a self-publisher you do, in fact, possess the right to advocate an imprint for your work. Its need to be registered as a business varies by region.

The issue lies in how such methods are perceived by the general body of readers. For many, it’s seen as deceitful and underhanded, an implication there has been an agent to filter you out from the ‘slush pile’ and establish connections with a team of designers and editors. For others, they couldn’t care less who published the book, so long as the cover and blurb catch their eye.

The entire thing is very subjective, and down to the views of each individual as a result.

Anyway, I just wanted to establish some of the rationale behind my current choice to abandon the imprint for the foreseeable future.

Also, as a bit of a side note, the changes may take several days to be reflected on my listings. I apologise to anyone reading this if they still see the original imprints displayed. Such kinks in the system should resolve themselves shortly once everything has been processed.

Finally, if anyone at HarperCollins or Penguin Random House feels like grabbing a coffee, I might be able to make some time in my busy schedule,

Best wishes,

C.A. Fitzroy