“The Fight for the South Downs” is the extraordinary, almost unbelievable story of South Downs Campaign which fought for twenty years to achieve National Park status for the South Downs. After an initial meeting of seven people in 1990 the campaign grew to a body representing 159 national, regional and local community groups by the time the National Park was established in 2010.
Powerful forces opposed. Dogged lobbying persuaded the newly elected Labour Government in 1997 to take a fresh look and the designation process began. But a Public Inquiry, a change in legislation, an Appeal Court decision and a re-opened Inquiry that overturned the original findings, were all necessary before the National Park was confirmed in 2010.
Despite the fact that this story is a significant event in local, regional and national history that needed to be told I had a wretched time over two years trying to find a publisher. Despite following the guidance of the “Writers and Artists Yearbook” many well-known literary agents did not even bother to reply. There are also some very suspect organisations on the internet claiming to be publishers. I did at least have the dubious advantage of having had a book released by a charity that had little experience of publishing which taught me many valuable lessons.
When I eventually contacted Gardners, the book distributors, their web site listed the Self Publishing Partnership as a possible organisation one might approach.
From the outset Douglas Walker and his team have been extremely helpful and efficient. I first received three samples of books using different formats of paper, illustrations and covers. Once I had identified the required format I then received quotations for various quantities. Fortunately the National Park Authority offered to buy a bulk order for their own sales and distribution that enabled us to go ahead.
Throughout the publishing process I was able to make my own decisions on details such as the layout, typefaces and picture placement based on options offered by the team. I had already had the text rigorously proof read by colleagues, so that was an expense saved and only tiny alterations were necessary.
I was extremely fortunate in being able to select the illustration for the cover from a watercolour painted by distinguished artist. The cover designer then did a superb job in giving me three options for its text. Everyone raves about the final result and I strongly recommend that it is entered in annual competition for cover designs!
The one unexpected problem was the index. I had gone to great lengths to draw up an index using the Word system, only to learn that this format could not be translated into the format used for publishing. I therefore had to find extra finance to pay for a professional indexer to write the final index. It was certainly money well spent for she did a far better job than I had! She had even gone to the trouble to search a public inquiry report to check on a person’s name!!
“The Fight for the South Downs” has now received several wonderful reviews and a remarkable history has been recorded for ever.
Robin Crane
(Chairman South Downs Campaign 1990 -2010)
Read more about The Fight for the South Downs here
