We’re delighted to announce today the launch of Storm Publishing.

Oliver Rhodes, the founder and former CEO of Bookouture, will be the Managing Director of Storm and will be joined in the new company by several former colleagues. Claire Bord joins as Deputy Managing Director, Kathryn Taussig as Publisher, Chris Lucraft as Digital Operations Director, and Emily Gowers as Editorial Director.

At Storm we will be publishing adult commercial fiction in ebook, audio and print-on-demand paperback globally, paying an author royalty of 50% of net receipts (that’s double the industry standard) on both ebook and audio formats.

We are currently accepting submissions in all genres, where World English rights are available, from agents and direct from authors – click here to submit!

The launch of Storm comes almost exactly ten years after Oliver founded Bookouture, which was acquired by Hachette in 2017 and has sold over 60 million copies to date.

At Storm, we’re aiming to challenge existing models once again. We have a clear focus on innovation and the adoption of new technology to improve author experiences and support creativity. Oliver explains:

“My reason for starting Storm is that I believe it’s possible to take digital publishing to another level. The current rate of technological change offers so many more opportunities for publishers to add value to authors and readers. It is vital to keep learning and innovating at speed, which is key to the vision at Storm.

As a start-up, we can move quickly. Everyone on our team will have time dedicated to working on innovation projects, and I’m excited to see what we achieve – I’m confident that we’ll be able to create an edge for our authors.”

Oliver Rhodes

Claire Bord

Kathryn Taussig

Emily Gowers

Chris Lucraft

With a team of five confirmed, Storm is also currently recruiting for a Commissioning Editor and an Editorial Director – and is offering acquiring editors an uncapped commission on their publishing revenue. Oliver remarks:

“We’re starting by getting the right people on the team. I feel incredibly lucky to be launching Storm with Claire, Kathryn, Chris and Emily. They set the bar high in terms of talent and I know they will help to shape this new venture into something exceptional.

Storm’s next step is to build out a diverse team with the best digital publishers in the industry – those with successful track records and the ability to think differently, to challenge convention. What we’re offering in return is the opportunity to be part of an energising, ambitious start-up that pushes the boundaries for publishing in innovation, technology, and company culture.

Our uncapped commission for acquiring roles is part of that commitment to doing things differently and attracting top talent.”

Claire Bord, who joins Storm in March 2023, will lead the strategy for people and culture at Storm, as well as building her own publishing list. She added:

“Being part of Bookouture as a small start-up and helping to shape it into the thriving company it is today has been an exhilarating and rewarding journey. What excites me about my new role at Storm is the opportunity to build the business from an early stage and re-imagine what publishing could look like – for authors, readers, and those working in the industry or trying to break into it.”

Storm is actively seeking submissions, with Publisher Kathryn Taussig acquiring a launch list expected to publish in May 2023. On building the Storm list, Kathryn said:

“We’re looking for authors in all commercial adult fiction genres – agented or unagented, established or debut. The focus will be on quality: taking brilliant writers who haven’t yet found the right home and helping them to build the global audience they deserve.

Diverse representation amongst our authors and the books we publish is going to be integral to the acquisition strategy from the very beginning. We’re looking for compelling stories and will be covering a broad range of genres, including crime and thriller, women’s fiction, psychological thriller, historical, cosy crime, romance, science fiction, fantasy and reading group novels. For us, the key thing is an author who can connect with readers and is committed to building a sustained writing career. Send me your submissions, I can’t wait to get started on building a list!”