Transition Time at Trafalgar Square Books
By Nikki Alvin-Smith
Leading equestrian publishing house Trafalgar Square Books {TSB}, has built a legacy of world-class titles throughout its independent production line of books and videos. The focus of this women-owned company has been mainly on the education for horse owners and trainers, and there is little question that lives of horses across the globe have been positively impacted by its continued legacy. While it may be headquartered at a farm in a small town in rural Vermont, U.S.A, there has been nothing small-minded about the owners and staff in what they have chosen to publish and how they have selected to operate the business.
TSB has become renowned for their inclusive attitude to multiple equestrian disciplines and can-do attitude working avidly with authors to produce high quality works. From the glossy pages and well-laid galley of images in coffee table books to hard core training manuals that maintain an important historical connection to the forebears of equine training and sport, TSB has always maintained a high standard in the publishing world.
But as with all things in life, it is time for the ‘shelf’ life of this company under its present ownership to transition to new ownership. There is an ardent hope from both the engaged equestrian public that enjoys the fruits of the work at TSB as well as the present owners and staff, that the legacy of the brand and of the company will continue under new ownership.
A loyal and long-standing small staff has helped to develop TSB into the powerhouse of independent publishing that it is today. We spoke with present day Managing Editor, Rebecca Didier, about her 23 years at the company and the anticipated go-forward for the entity that is currently available for purchase through the widely known media company acquisition/merger specialists at The Fisher Group.
“I have no plans to just walk away from the company after my career here and am open-minded about the sale of the company and what my role, if any, will be under new ownership. I am happy to help shepherd the company into something beyond what it is now or as the new owners see fit or work together on the go-forward. I would love to see it settled and know it will keep on going,” Didier explained.
Didier has worked with Martha Cook, Managing Director at TSB for her entire career at the company. Cook has a stellar 35 years working under the direction of owners Caroline and Ted Robbins. The ‘four-in-hand’ team have kept a firm hold on the reins of the company throughout the decades and driven the brand to significant success with their hard work and visionary efforts.
While the company is for sale, business goes on at usual at the offices in North Pomfret, VT.
“You are never bored working at Trafalgar. No day is ever the same!” says an enthusiastic Didier, who is widely appreciated by their stable of authors for her professionalism at her editing and book design craft and renowned for her good nature working them through the publishing process.
“It is reassuring to know that the humble book is still hugely appreciated by readers across the globe and that it is not going away. There is a vibrant readership market that keenly absorbs every new title we produce. Whether the format is print, digital and increasingly audio books, the market is strong. Despite the huge hiccup in the industry after Amazon’s drawdown upsets following Covid where the company overbought titles and then issued massive returns, small independent publishers like us have weathered that particular storm and moved on. But of course cost of goods and inflation has had an impact. And while we fight to keep our price points as low as possible, it is inevitable that a modest increase is going to be necessary at some juncture.”
Didier explains how the business has been impacted by recent challenges in the supply chain:
“There is always a ripple affect caused to the publishing industry by events on the world stage. Whether it’s a ship blocking the Suez Canal, a ‘go-around’ a Continent to avoid mariner and ship losses due to risks of acts of war, or a world-wide pandemic, the reality is that books are too heavy to make shipping by airfreight viable. Ocean freight costs have skyrocketed, and source wise as much as we’d hoped that post Covid the printing industry would come alive again in the U.S.A., aside from a few small and overworked printing houses such as the one we currently use for some titles in Illinois, outsourcing to Asia is still the only viable means to produce works.”
Unlike the supermarket environment, where a product or item can be price switched on a dime, the timelines between final edits and production and ultimately distribution are such that the ‘cover price’ does not always reflect the entirety of the increase in cost of goods that may be experienced in any given scenario. This makes issuing a price point difficult.
“Even where e-books are concerned, which is obviously too large a market for any publisher to ignore, you can only charge a certain percentage of the cover price. And as the e-marketplace is basically a monopoly you have to follow the ever-changing rules and guidelines that come down the pike because otherwise you are simply ‘switched-off’.”
It is clear that Didier is highly experienced at handling the challenges that the publishing world throws her way and is constantly engaged with industry experts including those at the five leading publishers based in New York City, to keep abreast of market changes. There is little that appears to thwart her energy or efforts to keep things moving forward productively at TSB and her own legacy and talents with the company will certainly prove an asset on the go-forward whichever land she chooses to ride into next.
TSB continues to handle numerous submissions from authors every day. In the past four months the number exceeds 100, so there is plenty for the current total staff of five people to handle.
“Of course it is difficult to invest in everything we’d like to say ‘yes’ to and the likelihood of us doing so will as always depend on how much the return on investment is to be. But we also offer a hybrid publishing option and even a total self-publish access through TSB, for those titles we cannot see taking on 100% but feel we can help get off the ground.”
Didier is grateful for her experiences to date at TSB.
“There is a legacy to this company that I sincerely hope will be upheld. The horseman’s legacy for us is telling the stories so that a whole generation of horse aficionados will have the opportunity to learn from methods that should not be lost. While modern day equestrians seek their education across different platforms and the equestrian world has changed, it is important that valid training methods are passed on and that new research and science that benefits the horse is brought to the horse world.”
The evolution of the small company Trafalgar Square Books, from a literal backyard operation that began with the publication of the Sally Swift bestseller to becoming the leader in a field of equestrian endeavor for decades with a host of successful titles under its belt, is certainly proof positive that it has done its bit to develop a multi-billion-dollar horse industry. And for the savvy investor interested in media development that is interested in putting the needs of the horse foremost and building an even larger slice of the equestrian marketplace TSB offers a great foundation from which to launch.
Change in any industry or business is inevitable. As an avid reader of Trafalgar books and viewer of their videos since they began publishing as I started my own career from backyard horse owner to an international level equestrian competitor/clinician and professional writer, I do hope whoever takes the reins will honor the company’s legacy and ethics and ride it forward to ever more successes. Just like a horse, in the right hands it will likely continue its success but always has the potential to reach even greater levels of performance.
About TSB:
TSB publishes 16–20 titles a year, with more than 400 active titles, making it the biggest equestrian publisher in the English language. It publishes the highest quality books across equestrian disciplines and for the general horse market as well as specialized sports and interests. TSB’s first equestrian book, Centered Riding, published in 1985, is still in print, with 1 million copies sold worldwide, in 16 languages. TSB continues to produce standout titles with worldwide appeal—for example Horse Brain, Human Brain (2020) has sold 47K English-language copies and is now published in 8 languages, and Horse Speak (2016) has sold 40K English-language copies and is now available in 7 languages.
TSB also publishes select titles on dogs and nature with the same care and attention it gives its equestrian books. Its 2010 field guide Naturally Curious by New England naturalist Mary Holland (revised and rereleased in 2019) was awarded the National Outdoor Book Award.
TSB is distributed in the US by Ingram, Publishers Group West; in the UK by Quiller Publishing; and in Australia/New Zealand by DLS Australia.
Serious inquiries please contact:
The Fisher Company
Caroline Cook, Associate
520.237.8114 | caroline.cook@thefishercompany.com