REGAL HOUSE PUBLISHING: AN INDIE PRESS BRINGING DIVERSE LITERARY FICTION TO LIFE

BOOK CORNER Regal House Publishing

AN INDIE PRESS BRINGING DIVERSE LITERARY FICTION TO LIFE

By Meredith Hemphill

Independent publishing companies are a vital though often underappreciated part of the literary landscape. They make publishing accessible to more authors and expand the palette of books beyond what the Big Five offer. Regal House Publishing in Raleigh, exemplifies what makes independent publishing important. Regal House was founded in 2014 by editor-in-chief Jaynie Royal as a press that would truly support its authors and promote quality literary fiction. In 2021, Regal House was named Foreword INDIE’s Publisher of the Year for their excellence and enterprise in independent publishing. According to Royal, Regal House espouses the principles of transparency and openness in their

publishing process, making sure that their authors are informed at every turn. The press is a fully invested collaborator with its authors. Assistance, resources, and connections are available at each stage. “Regal House seeks to create a literary community for our authors,” Royal said. In addition to publishing general literary fiction under the Regal House label, the press has two imprints. As Fitzroy Books, they publish Children's, Middle Grade, and Young Adult fiction. Pact Press publishes both fiction and non-fiction pertaining to themes of diversity, equity, and social justice. justice. “With the Pact Press, we are striving to elevate marginalized voices,” Royal explained. In connection with Pact Press, Regal House Publishing runs the Regal House Initiative, a charitable arm of the company that promotes diversity in publishing and gives voice to underserved populations and important social issues. “Pact Press publishes issue-specific anthologies that donate the proceeds to nonprofits [through the Regal House Initiative],” Royal said. Past anthologies have highlighted the opioid epidemic, the plight of refugees, and the degradation of our oceans. Another of the Regal House Initiative projects is the Summer Scholars Program, a three-month

internship that introduces students to the fundamentals of publishing. The program offers mentorship and offers mentorship and hands-on experience. hands-on experience. As Royal explained, As Royal explained, there aren’t degrees there aren’t degrees in publishing, so this program offers those interested in the industry the opportunity to learn how publishing works. Applications for summer 2023 will open on March 1. Regal House books are available at Quail Ridge and Page 158. You can also ask your preferred bookstore to order a book for you. However, the way to buy that is best for the publisher is to order through their website, https://www. regalhousepublishing.com/shop/. Keep an eye out for these upcoming releases: • Loving the Dead and Gone by Judith Turner-Yamamoto (NC author) • Meet the Moon by Kerry Malawista (Fitzroy Books) • Three Muses by Martha Anne Toll • Mirth by Kathleen George • Delphic Oracle, USA by Stephen Mayfield • A Knit of Identity by Chris Motto • Daughter of Spies by Elizabeth Winthrop Alsop

If you are a writer, Regal House also hosts writing contests. Submissions for their Acheven Book Prize for Young Adult Fiction will be open through September 30, and the W.S. Porter Prize for Short Story Collections opens September 1.

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