A new business in Sunderland is working with high-profile authors from across the globe to help publicise their work.
Born out of a passion for reading, Confessions Publicity was launched by Nev Murray to help horror authors drive awareness of their work and increase book sales.
Nev, who is a self-confessed book lover, took the opportunity to go self-employed with support from the North East Business and Innovation Centre (BIC) after being made redundant, and he is delighted to be making a success out of something he loves.
“I’ve been reading horror books since I was a kid and I started reviewing books seriously around 2012,” said Nev, “but when people started buying books on the back of my reviews and the authors themselves asked me to do some promotion work for them, I thought I could use my skills to open a publicity business and take advantage of a gap in the market.
“That’s why I started up and now I’m reading around 160 books a year. This gives me a sound base and knowledge about writing in general, so I can promote my client base better.
“My list of clients includes authors from all over the world so I need to keep up to date with worldwide trends.”
Having previously reviewed many books before starting Confessions Publicity, Nev had already built a large following on social media which he now utilises to promote his clients.
Nev explains: “I offer various kinds of publicity services including dedicated book tours and Facebook launch parties.
“The tours involve me taking a book and promoting it on social media as well as liaising with different websites around the world to have them post reviews of the book and interviews with the author.
“When I’m hosting a launch party I’ll invite fans of the author to attend online so they can interact with the author and take part in competitions to win different prizes and ultimately, to convince them to buy the book.”
Working with the BIC
Nev worked with BIC Business Adviser, Victoria Moodie, who helped him develop a business plan and supported him through the New Enterprise Allowance (NEA) scheme, a national government initiative.
Victoria’s support helped Nev make his business dream a reality and provided ideas on expanding the services he offers.
“The encouragement I received from Victoria gave me the confidence I needed to try and take my business to the next level and attract new clients.” Nev added.
“Now I want to build on my early success by expanding on the services I offer to include editing and proofreading.
“This does not have to be purely for authors. I would edit or proofread anything that needs it and hopefully I’ll soon be working with universities to offer proofreading and editing services to students writing essays and dissertations.”
Victoria commented: “Nev is very passionate about what he does and that’s evident in the work he does.
“I was delighted to support him and give him the confidence to expand his services further.”