Project archive: Fiction
Our most recent projects are shown first
Louisa Treger
Louisa Treger is the acclaimed author of four novels inspired by the untold stories of women who challenged the expectations of their time—remarkable women, rebels, artists and survivors who dared to live on their own terms.
The Robbins Office, Inc.
Founded in 1978, the Robbins Office, Inc. is led by Kathy Robbins and is a literary agency representing adult fiction and non-fiction. They work closely with their authors throughout the development and publication processes — from the genesis of an idea to the packaging, marketing, and release of a writer’s work.
Robert Bryndza
New website for Robert Bryndza, a British-born, internationally bestselling crime author whose page-turning thrillers have captivated readers around the world.
Stephen Ford
Author Stephen Ford uses satire, pathos and humour, to explore the nature of mankind and how we are shaped by politics, technology and the natural world, the dystopias we might create and how we might escape.
Michael Cordy
Michael Cordy writes stories about what could happen tomorrow to make sense of what is happening today. We created a new website to support his return to publishing with Manhattan Down.
Reverend Penny Stephens
“Simon and the Bookswarm team were very helpful and efficient with setting up my author website, listening carefully to my ideas and concerns, and doing a great job with creating it. I have found the whole process surprisingly straightforward, with their care and help. Thank you!”
Reverend Penny Stephens, author of Till Death us do Part
Amy Arnold
New website for award-winning novelist and experienced creative writing tutor and mentor Amy Arnold.
“I love the website Bookswarm has created. How Simon understood so perfectly what I was after (when I didn’t) is beyond me! A stress-free and surprisingly enjoyable experience all round. I can’t recommend them enough.”
Amy Arnold, writer and coach
Kelly Scarborough
Kelly Scarborough writes historical novels about fascinating women who lived in challenging times. Her first novel, set in the Swedish royal court, will be published in 2026.
Tony Heck
New York-based novelist Tony Heck recently published his first novel, Tribulations.
“Initially struggling to make a website on my own, I am elated at the final website I have to represent me as an author. Simon is professional, prompt, and polite, working collaboratively to build a website that you want. Highly recommended.”
Tony Heck, author of Tribulations
Viper Books
Viper was established in 2019 as the specialist crime and thriller imprint of Profile Books. Its mission is to publish Books with Bite: the best and brightest in the genre, celebrating new voices and unique approaches to murder and mystery.
After starting life as part of the Serpent’s Tail website, we created a new sister site for the Profile and Serpent’s Tail sites, using the same architecture.
Sharon Bolton
Sharon (formerly SJ) Bolton grew up in a cotton-mill town in Lancashire and had a varied early career in marketing and public relations. She gave it up to become a mother and a writer.
Her first novel, Sacrifice, was voted Best New Read by Amazon.uk, whilst her second, Awakening, won the 2010 Mary Higgins Clark award. In 2014, Lost, (UK title, Like This, For Ever) was named RT Magazine’s Best Contemporary Thriller in the US, and in France, Now You See Me won the Plume de Bronze. That same year, Sharon was awarded the CWA Dagger in the Library. She has been shortlisted for the CWA gold and steel daggers.
“I’m a total technophobe, but Simon made the process of building my new website entirely stress free. Bookswarm have a lot of experience setting up authors’ websites and it shows. I’m delighted with the look of my new site and with how easy it will be to maintain in the future.”
Sharon Bolton, Sunday Times Bestselling Author
Daniel Jakacic
Microsite for Australian author of Anja, Against The Odds.
In the tumultuous world of 1950s rural Slovenia, Anja is young, brilliant, talented—and caught in the oppressive grip of a corrupt government. As she navigates a landscape of betrayal and hardship, Anja’s determination to save her family’s farm from ruin propels her into a dangerous game of survival. With her father imprisoned for resistance and the threat of nationalization looming over their heads, her courage and resourcefulness are put to the ultimate test.
“Thanks Simon to you and your team for your excellent service. Every interaction has been a pleasure and the level of skill, judgement and care you and your team brought to designing, establishing and providing after sales support has been excellent. Anyone interested in an author website would do well to consider choosing Bookswarm.”
Daniel Jakacic, Author of Anja, Against The Odds
Fiona Erskine
Website for engineer-turned-author Fiona Erskine, showcasing a mixture of traditionally and independently published titles.
“I’m delighted with my new author website and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Bookswarm.
The things that particularly impressed me were
- Planning – Simon took a lot of time and care to establish exactly what I needed (as well as the bells and whistles I fancied), but he didn’t complain (or charge me more) when I made late additions to requirements. He’s experienced in the publishing world, and made some excellent suggestions and challenges.
- Smooth transition – The information on my old home-made website was transferred to the new and we have a period of transition to decide what to hide and what new material was required. I never felt rushed and could work on content at my own pace without having to worry about the magic that makes everything work underneath.
- Ongoing support – this is a team, not a one man band, so there is always someone on hand to help resolve issues.
If you’re in need of a new website or considering an upgrade to your old one, then I heartily recommend a chat with Simon.”
Fiona Erskine, crime novelist
Liz Wildwood
Microsite for independent psychological mystery author Liz Wildwood, a new pen name for Ripley Hayes.
The History Press
The History Press is an independent non-fiction publisher based in the heart of Cheltenham, Gloucestershire – also home to one of the most prestigious literary festivals in the country.
We created a new website populated using an ONIX feed from their Consonance title management system, with the option to sell selected titles directly (special editions, signed copies, etc.). All ebooks are available to buy via Glassboxx.
“Having worked with Simon in the past, Bookswarm instantly sprang to mind when I needed to deliver a new company website in time for the 2024 London Book Fair. Simon and his team easily outclassed the competition with their thoughtful proposal, which showed the most care and attention to our brief.
With a very tight window for delivery, the Bookswarm team remained responsive throughout while providing excellent customer care. Each of our challenges was met with creative problem-solving and industry-specific advice allowing us play to our strengths. The entire project was also clearly costed and came in well under budget with no nasty surprises. The end result was a beautifully designed, functional website that we are all proud of (live as of March 8, 2024).
It’s worth noting that support since launch has remained exemplary with swift responses as issues arise. On one occasion we had mere days to launch a complex, time-limited offer. Simon was still on hand to help, despite being on holiday and separated by a 12-hour time zone. The successful campaign brought us thousands in revenue.
If you’re dithering over whether to include Bookswarm for tender, I’d urge you stop reading this and get on with contacting them for a chat and a quote!”
Cynthia Hamilton, Head of PR & Marketing at The History Press
The Antony Harwood Literary Agency
An Oxford based literary agency with an international reputation. From brilliant first-time writers to those with long-established careers, from bestsellers to prize-winners in all genres, the Antony Harwood Literary Agency are proud to represent a wide range of wonderful authors, managing their business around the world in publishing, film, television and on the stage.
“Getting a website up and running was, frankly, a very daunting prospect but, from the first conversation with Simon, I knew I was in a safe pair of expert hands and the whole experience turned out to be quick, smooth and clear. And I’m absolutely delighted with how the website looks and functions, and how easy it is to keep it up to date.”
Antony Harwood, literary agent
Hugo de Burgh
Hugo de Burgh writes books about survival in chaotic times. After a long career involving many traditionally-published books, Hugo is now independently publishing both a novel and a non-fiction exploring the future of Britain in the Age of Asia; this required a new digital presence to promote the books and act as a digital hub.
“As a novice I was very dependent on Simon Appleby to take me through the creation and operation of a website point by point. He was clear in instruction, efficient in execution and immediately responsive to all my requests for help. I am confident that his support will continue as I gradually acquire the skills needed to improve my use the website. The initial design was his, and I like it very much.”
Hugo de Burgh, professor, novelist
Paul Adam
Paul Adam is the author of thirteen critically-acclaimed novels for adults and the award-winning Max Cassidy Trilogy of thrillers for children, featuring a dare-devil teenage escapologist.
“I’m delighted with the site. I think it’s terrific. Really clean, clear, attractive, modern and easy to use. Perfect for authors.”
Paul Adam, author
Stephen Collier
Website for former policeman-turned-author and screenwriter Stephen Collier.
“I had been looking for a website designer, specific to writers and authors. Up until this time I had built my own websites with varying degrees of success.
Then I found Bookswarm and Simon Appleby. After a conversation we seemed a good fit and the price was not as extortionate as some website designers.
Simon and his team produced an amazing site – professional looking and a professional team that provided just what I needed. Thank you Simon and your team.”
Stephen Collier, crime writer for page and screen
Bedford Square Publishers
Bedford Square Publishers is an independent publisher of fiction and non-fiction, founded in 2022 in the historic streets of Bedford Square London and the sea mist shrouded green of Bedford Square Brighton.
The site uses an ONIX feed from Consonance to populate its catalogue, and also incorporates a ‘sub site’ for the No Exit Press imprint – No Exit titles and authors have separate branding.
“It was so fantastic to work with the Bookswarm team as they were both collaborative and creative but also transparent about everything they were doing, including the costs. So we got a website that we are really pleased with and it all came in on time and within budget.”
Laura Fletcher, co-founder & Commercial Director at Bedford Square Publishers
Lucienne Boyce
Lucienne Boyce is a historical novelist, biographer, and historian. She was already a WordPress user, and our aim with this project was to keep the best elements of her old site, while creating a better-defined structure, and migrating the separate blog from Blogspot into the site, to increase the amount of search-engine friendly content and allow readers to find all her content in one place.
“I enjoyed working with Simon on the website. I was impressed by his patience answering any questions I had, and also by the way he was able to make suggestions that we could then discuss and tweak so that the website would meet my requirements. I’m really pleased with the end result.”
Lucienne Boyce, author
Seren
Seren is Wales’ leading independent literary publisher, specialising in English-language writing from Wales for over forty years. With a list spanning poetry, fiction and non-fiction, their aim is to bring Welsh literature, art and politics before a wider audience.
The new Seren site uses WooCommerce to provide a full retail experience, including the ability to purchase book subscriptions for yourself or as a gift.
“Working with Bookswarm made developing our new website an exciting and enjoyable project. We were involved in every step of the process and worked safe in the knowledge that Simon and his team had our vision and interests at heart. The new site feels refreshed whilst keeping everything we loved about the old design. I can highly recommend working with them.”
Sarah Johnson, Deputy Publisher, Seren
DunnFogg
DunnFogg is a high-profile independent literary agency that specialises in quality and commercial non-fiction and fiction. Set up in 2021 by Ben Dunn and Jack Fogg, the agency represents numerous award-winning, bestselling and renowned writers and artists.
“Simon and Bookswarm are a joy to work with, providing a fantastic design, great support and clear communication, making it an extremely enjoyable and easy process, with the end result being a wonderful website.”
Ben Dunn, literary agent, DunnFogg
Merryn Glover
Merryn Glover is an author and community gatherer who writes fiction, drama, poetry and non-fiction, with work widely published and broadcast on the BBC.
Merryn is also an experienced workshop leader, storyteller and project manager – so her new website needed to showcase all aspects of her publishing and wider work.
“I am absolutely thrilled with the beautiful website the Bookswarm team have created for me and am getting great feedback on it, too. Simon and Susie bring the highest technical and design skills, creating bespoke sites that reflect the writer’s personality, always working with utmost professionalism and customer support. I cannot recommend them highly enough.”
Merryn Glover, author and community gatherer
Hannah Sheppard Literary Agency (HS-LA)
HS-LA is a boutique agency run by Hannah Sheppard. Hannah puts authors at the heart of everything she does; from helping authors to develop their ideas for commercial success with expert, collaborative editorial work, to being their number one fan and shouting about their stories as loudly as she can – she is here to build careers that flourish.
We developed a new visual identify for HS-LA, which we then applied to a new website showcasing their clients and enabling online submissions.
“Working with Bookswarm has been an absolute pleasure. Simon and Susie have been brilliant, fully understanding the brief both on what I needed from the website, and on branding and design. They’ve been able to make really helpful suggestions and their experience working with publishing sites mean they already fully understood what was required. They made the whole process really easy and I feel confident keeping my website updated.”
Hannah Sheppard, founder, HS-LA
Dorothy Koomson (2023 relaunch)
A major redesign of our previous website for Dorothy, now incorporating an online shop as well as a fresh new look-and-feel.
Lacrimosa of Dana
Promotional microsite for the official novelization of YsVIII: Lacrimosa of Dana, a video game by Nihon Falcom Co., written by Anna Kashina.
“Simon and Bookswarm did an amazing job on my website and they were friendly, responsive, and highly professional at every step. The website looks beautiful and functions like clockwork. Their customer support is superb. Anyone looking for a perfectly designed website through easy, worry-free experience should definitely use them. Can’t recommend them enough!”
Anna Kashina, Author, Lacrimosa of Dana
Duckworth – 125th Anniversary Edition
A major update to the Duckworth website to celebrate the publisher’s 125th birthday!
“Hugely knowledgeable, practically minded and super-responsive – what more could you want? Simon and all the team at Bookswarm are a genuine pleasure to work with.”
Pete Duncan, MD, Duckworth Books Group
Jane Ross Potter
Microsite for author Jane Ross Potter, showcasing her books and short stories and the locations she visits for her research, via an interactive map and photo gallery.
“I contacted Bookswarm to completely rebuild and update my author website. Simon had many creative suggestions that make the website much more than simply an introduction to my novels. With a photo gallery, map, and photos linked to places of interest on the map, it is now an interactive place to visit. Simon very patiently explained in video calls and emails how to update and add content, and he is consistently responsive to follow-up questions. I highly recommend Simon and Bookswarm to any author, wherever based, and whether for one book or many. I look forward to continued work with this team as I add books.”
Jane Ross Potter, author
Laura Wilson
Laura Wilson writes psychological crime novels, sometimes with contemporary settings, and sometimes with settings in the recent past, including the DI Stratton series, which is set in the 1940s and 50s.
“Great ideas, excellent designs, and prompt, efficient service. Simon is great to work with – very patient, good at explaining things, and extremely helpful in dealing with follow-up questions.”
Laura Wilson, crime novelist and YA author
Ripley Hayes
Ripley Hayes is an independent author, and the creator of the DI Daniel Owen series, set in Wales.
“Bookswarm made me a unicorn — a website that is easy for me to use. I’m a technologically challenged author so that’s kind of a big deal. The whole process was painless from start to finish.”
Ripley Hayes, crime author
Nick Black
Author website providing additional material and background for Nick Black’s debut novel, The Honourable Doctor.
.
“Starting with no knowledge or experience of creating a website, Simon steadily and methodically guided me through the creation and establishment of my site. His straightforward, jargon-free and practical approach was perfect and I’m delighted with what we jointly created. I even feel confident about developing it further, especially knowing he is available for help and advice at the touch of a button.”
Nick Black, historical fiction author
Cat Castellanos
Cat Castellanos is a writer. She has covered a variety of subjects, from Amazonian head shrinking to politics, brain health, Veteran’s Affairs and backcountry cooking. She has written for CNN, National Geographic Channel, BuzzFeed, Huffington Post, Thrive Global, and Maria Shriver’s networks, among others. She is currently somewhere between her 4th and 50 bajillionth draft of her first novel, Noms de Plume.
“Loved working with Simon! Professional, creative, and went above and beyond!”
Cat Castellanos, author
Lizzie Lane
Lizzie Lane is a bestselling author of sagas, historical fiction and more – who also writes as Jean G Goodhind, Erica Brown and Jean Moran. We created her first website to showcase her extensive list of books, and allow her to start building a mailing list, as well as sharing news and snippets from the historical research that informs her writing.
“I wasn’t sure about having a website but Bookswarm came up trumps. I’m not that technical so need someone like them loitering in the background when I get lost. Brilliant!”
Jean Goodhind, historical romance and cosy crime author
Rob Starr
Rob Starr is an author living in Brighton & Hove. His new author website primarily promotes his debut novel, What The Tide Brings Back, with future books to come in a planned trilogy – but we also showcase his previous writing projects, including a non-fiction book, plays and musicals.
“Dear Simon
I wanted to just drop you a short line to say thank you for delivering my new author website .
As you know I was rather scared of starting this as not only is it a new career choice for me, but also the thought of a website and social media etc is well out of my comfort zone. I was therefore so happy to have been introduced to you as you made the whole process not only easy for me but also allowed me to be part of the entire process without having to be involved in the building of it. It really was a great experience for me and I not only have ended up with a fantastic website, but I feel like I understand how it works and what I need to do to progress in this new adventure. You really were a joy to work with on this.
Thanks so much
Rob Starr”
Rob Starr, author of What The Tide Brings Back
Oneworld
Oneworld was founded in 1986 by husband and wife team Juliet Mabey and Novin Doostdar as an independent publishing house focusing on stimulating non-fiction. Now publishing over 100 books a year, Oneworld has retained its founding commitment to the old-fashioned principles of great writing, editorial excellence, high production values, and marketing flair, to produce books that are read by the intellectually curious all over the world.
We have created a new, modern web presence which is automatically updated via an ONIX feed from Stison.
Jane Austin
Author microsite for Jane Austin, author of Renegade and News From Nowhere.
“From the outset, Simon was clearly interested in my writing projects and asked questions that hit exactly the right note. He created an author website which reflects my taste and style and he gave very helpful guidance over what to include and the value of a newsletter, which took a little persuasion! I’m now thoroughly delighted with the look and the content of the site, which is easy to manage and has attracted many compliments. I’m now building my network and readership with confidence, proudly presenting my work on a professional platform that I can update at any time.”
Jane Austin, author
Alice Oseman
Alice Oseman is an award-winning author, illustrator, and screenwriter, and was born in 1994 in Kent, England. She has written four YA contemporary novels about teenage disasters: SOLITAIRE, RADIO SILENCE, I WAS BORN FOR THIS, and LOVELESS. She is the creator of LGBTQ+ YA romance webcomic HEARTSTOPPER, which is now published in physical form by Hachette Children’s Books, and she is the writer, creator, and executive producer for the smash-hit television adaptation of HEARTSTOPPER.
“Working with Simon and the team at Bookswarm was an absolute dream. The whole process was smooth and professional. Simon is so experienced with author websites it meant we could skip past the basic needs and focus on the unique aspects we needed to appeal to our international audience, fan base and new readers alike. They had a real problem-solving attitude and were quick to respond to edits during a tight turnaround. We were also delighted with the look and design which perfectly matched our brand vision.”
Krissi Hill, Marketing Manager at Hachette Children’s Group
Janet Savin
Author website for Janet Savin, whose debut historical novel Music for Three in a Prelude to Revolution is set against the backdrop of revolution in Communist Prague.
“Simon Appleby designed my literary fiction website, and it’s gorgeous. It has the look I wanted, raised to several powers above my expectations. His work combines a high degree of technical expertise and creative intuition. His approach to working is clear and systematic, and he is equally professional in client relations. He patiently explains terminology and processes, and I never felt lost. His training session is brilliant and includes a recording for easy referral later and a built-in support system. I am not much at home in the digital world, have had difficulty with websites in the past and was dreading maintaining this one. But it’s a delight.”
Janet Savin, author
Fenella J Miller
“I have just had a new website designed by Simon Appleby of Bookswarm. Not only is the website exactly what I wanted, easy to negotiate and update, it was also a pleasure to work with Simon. I can’t recommend his company highly enough.”
Fenella J Miller, historical romance author
Colin Fletcher
Website for Colin Fletcher – author of historical adventures White Clyffe and King’s Mercy, and a forthcoming volume of non-fiction, Southern Waters. The design is inspired by the beautiful countryside of South Western England, where Colin’s books are set.
“The website, an essential tool for any author, will become the focus and anchor of your marketing drive.
I have found that Simon Appleby’s experience of specialist author websites after a background in book publishing, can be relied on to create an efficient website.
A nice man, helpful and accessible.”
Colin Fletcher, author
RA Williams
RA Williams is the author of the Gothic fiction trilogy The Gift, perfect for readers of Gothic and historical military fiction who don’t mind a good fright now and again. His new website is designed to be a digital representation of his writing desk.
“When my publisher informed me it was due time to establish an author webpage I was refereed to Bookswarm. And it was wise advice. Simon Appleby is top of the game. He understands authors and is well capable of capturing the spirit of them digitally.”
RA Williams, author of The Gift trilogy
Quarto
The Quarto Group creates a wide variety of books and intellectual property products, with a mission to inspire life’s experiences. Produced in many formats for adults, children, and the whole family, their products are visually appealing, information rich, and stimulating. The Group encompasses a diverse portfolio of imprints and businesses that are creatively independent and expert in developing long-lasting content across specific niches of interest.
Bookswarm undertook the creation of a new information architecture and design for the Quarto website, before handing our designs over to their in-house development team for implementation. The new structure consolidates two previously separate websites, one of which was more trade-focused and one of which was more consumer-focused, bringing the content together into a new entity that’s much easier to explore and allows users to gain a full understanding of the range of imprints and titles that the Quarto Group has.
Gaelic Books Council
Bi-lingual site in English and Scottish Gaelic for Tha Comhairle nan Leabhraichean / The Gaelic Books Council. Their main missions are:
- To support the development of Gaelic writing.
- To stimulate interest in Gaelic books and other related materials.
- To support Gaelic authors by awarding grants and commissions.
- To support the Gaelic publishing industry.
- To increase the range, quality and impact of Gaelic literature
The new site uses WooCommerce to allow the sale of books and other products, and is integrated with the in-shop POS system Merlio, allowing streamlined inventory and stock management. It’s fully bilingual in English and Scottish Gaelic through the use of the WordPress Multiingual Plugin (WPML).
“We are delighted with our new website made by Bookswarm. From making the site accessible in both English and Gaelic to the integration with our EPOS system, Simon had a solution for all our requirements. The end result is a beautiful site which provides a seamless user experience. Post launch, Bookswarm’s excellent customer service has ensured that any issues are fixed within a few hours. I would highly recommend Bookswarm’s services to any individual or company seeking to improve their online presence.”
Joe Sanders, Comhairle nan Leabhraichean / The Gaelic Books Council
Swift Press
Swift Press is an independent publishing company that launched in June 2020. Part of the Independent Alliance, they publish fiction and a wide range of non-fiction.
“We worked with Bookswarm to create the website for our new publishing company Swift Press and were delighted with the results. Simon is great to work with, the communication was always clear, punctual and thorough and we felt very supported throughout the build process and beyond. Highly recommend the Bookswarm team!”
Swift Press
The Clover Crate
The Clover Crate was founded by a team of book enthusiasts spread around the world, readers who love their shelves filled with books and goodies! Their purpose is to introduce their customers to new reads as well as help them rediscover their favorite series in unique ways, while creating bookish merchandise related to beloved novels and characters.
J.B. Turner
J.B. Turner is a thriller writer, best known for the Jon Reznick® series of novels. He is a former journalist. His next book, NO WAY BACK (Thomas & Mercer), will be published on 1 January 2022. He also wrote the American Ghost® series of political thrillers and the Deborah Jones® crime books.
“Simon was a delight to work with. His attention to detail and can-do attitude were very refreshing. Thrilled with the brand new website. Would highly-recommend to any authors looking to refresh their author websites.”
J.B. Turner, thriller writer
Madeleine Reiss
Madeleine Reiss is the author of Someone To Watch Over Me, This Last Kiss, Before We Say Goodbye and Live A Little – with a fifth book on the way. This is her first website, designed to showcase her books as well as her editorial services offering.
“Such a painless process and I felt supported all the way through.”
Madeleine Reiss, author
Tiffani Collins
Author website for Tiffani Collins, creator of the epic fantasy series The Traveler’s Journal, chronicling the adventures of Danny North Star and Alice Sinclair.
Deborah Swift
Rebuild of an existing website, using most of the existing design elements but simplifying how books were managed and recreating the theme using Divi.
“The kind folks at Headline (who publish my Pepys Books) recommended Simon at Bookswarm, and immediately I was having a sensible conversation with someone who was used to making websites for authors. He tidied up the muddle that the other company had left behind, streamlined the design, and made it all functional so that a non-techie person like me could update it with the minimum of fuss. And all for a reasonable cost.”
Deborah Swift, author of historical fiction
Lion Hudson
Lion Hudson publish books and other media for children and adults to help them grow in their Christian faith. We created a new e-commerce website for Lion Husdson to replace the previous incarnation, focusing on ease of use and integration with multiple distributors and internal systems.
Serpent’s Tail
Serpent’s Tail is an imprint of Profile Books. They are passionate about finding and championing books that excite them creatively, by talented writers who don’t just break but smash the mould with work that opens up space for readers to think, and live, differently.
We designed their new website in tandem with the new website for Profile Books.
“We had a great experience working with Bookswarm. Simon knows how publishing works and his vast experience meant that most challenges with our build had been encountered before and he was able to present flexible solutions. Responsive and agile as a team, we were pleasantly surprised by how stress free the builds were (we’ve built two sites with Bookswarm in the past year) and very pleased at how they’ve turned out.”
Niamh Murray, Campaigns Director, Profile Books
Woodville Parish Council
Probably best to let author Mark Stay explain this one! Here goes…
“What the blinking flip is the Woodville Parish Council you might ask (not unreasonably)?
Woodville Village is the setting for my new Witches of Woodville books, and not a completely made up place, no siree. It is here that you will find everything you need to know (or at least everything we’re allowed to tell you) about the strange goings on in the village of Woodville.
On the Notice Board you’ll find all the latest blogs from me. Sign-up and join the Village Library for free eBooks. Pop into the Village Bookshop to buy any of my books. And drop me a line via Writers’ Notes.”
We tried to design what we thought a website might look like if the technology had existed in about 1940 – which was great fun!
Will Harker
Will Harker is the pen name of William Hussey, the award-winning author of several novels for adults and children. As the son of a fairground showman, he has now used his inside knowledge of this still largely hidden community to create a detective unlike any other: the brilliant but troubled Scott Jericho.
“Masters of the digital art, Bookswarm exceeded all my expectations and delivered an author website that everyone from readers and fans to industry insiders has raved about. I can’t recommend them highly enough.”
William Hussey, author of YA novels and dark thrillers
Keelan Nicks
Keelan Nicks writes for a new age of urban fantasy. Current projects include his upcoming debut novel Burden Of Care and the occult mystery novella Olivia Finch. Keelan is also a freelance content editor with over three years of experience with helping self-published and aspiring authors find their light in the writing community.
Barbican Press
The Barbican Press list holds poetry, drama, writing for children, and compelling nonfiction too, including vivid tales of maritime communities.
The publisher is the writer Martin Goodman. He knew what sort of publisher he would like to find for his own work, and so created it for others. The Press was born in Plymouth – hence the name ‘Barbican Press’ for the Barbican in that city, and a sense that a Barbican is a strong and protective space in which writers with a fighting spirit can take shelter.
Barbican Press were already using WordPress, but we worked with them to create a completely new look-and-feel and content structure, including the ‘Where in the world?’ map, which plots the key settings of all of their books.
“A sweet aspect of Bookswarm is their focus on books. They bring wide and relevant experience to the table. That gave us clear direction in creating Barbican Press’s new website. In our meetings there was real focus on understanding how we want to communicate with our readers and the book industry. Our site feels distinctly ours, meets our needs, looks good, works cleanly, and the support in finessing it once it went live has been prompt and effective. We’ve been really happy to recommend them to others.”
Martin Goodman, Publisher, Barbican Press
The Prime Trilogy
Set in an alternate universe, The Prime Trilogy is a gritty, albeit comedic coming of age tale that poses a serious question, “Could the greatest heroes from inspired texts and world mythology, even begin to fill the shoes of a modern teen?”
Joelle Izack / Opal Iden
A pair of websites for an American romance novelist who writes under two different pen names – the sites use the same underlying structure and basic theme, with two different ‘skins’.
“It took me quite a while to step into a contract with another web designer. But, I am glad I did. With years of experience in the industry, Simon and his crew honed their communication and technical skills to a level that guaranteed they successfully translated my “I want” into a couple professional, market oriented, pleasing set of sister websites. Thank you for all the hard work and the perfect platforms for my stories.”
Joelle Izack, author
New Welsh Review
Founded in 1988 as the successor to The Welsh Review (1939-1948), Dock Leaves and The Anglo-Welsh Review (1949-1987), New Welsh Review is Wales’s foremost literary magazine in English.
After undertaking an initial consultancy exercise funded by the Welsh Books Council into the options for digital publishing that would work best for NWR, we designed and built a new website for New Welsh Review, which uses WordPress and WooCommerce to allow them to sell books, magazines and subscriptions – with subscribers also receiving access to an extensive archive of online articles, and a library of digital back issues delivered via our partner Circular Software’s Masterplan system.
The site also acts as the home for the New Welsh Writing Awards, and as a submissions portal for non-fiction, short fiction and poetry.
Isabelle Dupuy
Saraband 2020
Saraband is an award-winning independent publisher of outstanding fiction, absorbing nature writing, pressing environmental issues and compelling memoir. Over the last quarter century, they have provided a platform for underrepresented and marginalised voices that are often overlooked, championing diversity and inclusion as part of our commitment to excellence – and to their readers of all ages, backgrounds and personal identities, wherever they may live.
This is the second version of the Saraband website we have created.
Holly Bourne
Holly Bourne is a bestselling and critically acclaimed author. Inspired by her work with young people, and her own experiences of everyday sexism, Holly is a passionate mental health advocate and proud feminist.
We created this site jointly for Holly’s publishers Usborne and Hodder & Stoughton.
Geoffrey Gudgion
Website for Geoffrey Gudgion, who writes stories with a subtle, other-worldly twist.
“Working with Simon, Hazel and Alex at Bookswarm has been an absolute delight. My needs were moving beyond DIY WordPress and I’m delighted to have made the step into their hosted environment. The site looks fantastic and is a step-change in functionality. Even better, it will scale with me as more books are published. Strongly recommended.”
Geoffrey Gudgion, author of Draca and Saxon’s Bane
Erich Segal
Erich Segal (June 16, 1937 – January 17, 2010) was an American author, screenwriter, and Classics Professor. He was best known for writing the phenomenally successful novel Love Story (1970), and the hit major motion picture of the same name.
We worked with his literary estate to launch a new website in time for the 50th anniversary of the first publication of Love Story – designed to showcase Erich’s achievements in the fields of writing, academic and sport. We wish we could have met Erich while he was alive, but working on this website alongisde those who did know him was the next best thing.
“I can’t thank you enough for Erich’s website. It is absolutely perfect! You really listened to what I wanted, and captured both Erich and his work. You managed to incorporate all the different elements and still keep it fresh and accessible. The publishers in the US love it. Thank you for making the whole process such a pleasure, and I would highly recommend Bookswarm.”
Karen Segal, Erich Segal literary estate
S. K. Tremayne
S. K. Tremayne, a bestselling novelist and award-winning travel writer, and a regular contributor to newspapers and magazines around the world.
Boldwood Books
Boldwood Books is a new fiction publishing company with its first books published globally in August 2019.
Based on the principles of a true partnership with authors, consumers and team members, Boldwood seek out the best stories from around the world from both new and established writers and bring them to readers everywhere.
The Hamilton Agency
The Hamilton Agency Ltd is a literary agency based in Michelin House in South Kensington. It was founded March 2019 by Matthew Hamilton, who was an agent with Aitken Alexander Associates for over 12 years. Previously he was editorial Director at 4th Estate, and Publishing Director and a member of the Board at Bloomsbury. He has a particular interest in politics, music, entertainment, narrative non-fiction and literary fiction.
“When I set up my literary agency Simon was so supportive and inspiring – and he played a key part in the branding of the company. He created a stylish and extremely effective website, which is simple for me to update. Simon’s technical support is excellent too and whenever I’ve had a question he’s responded immediately. Bookswarm offer incredibly good value and they really are the best in the business.”
Matthew Hamilton, founder, The Hamilton Agency
Neem Tree Press
New website for Neem Tree Press, a vibrant, young publishing house producing books that change and broaden perspectives. Neem Tree Press are global in scope with books under contract from Germany, the Middle East, Spain, Turkey and the United Kingdom to date. The common theme for their books is to provoke both thoughtful discussion on sensitive issues and a thirst in the reader to explore further the ideas or cultures they encounter.
Bonnier Rights
Bonnier Rights sells foreign rights to fiction, illustrated and narrative non-fiction, and children’s books from the Swedish Bonnier Publishing Group, Sweden’s largest publisher.
We designed and built their new website using WordPress, and set it up so that books and authors are automatically added and updated, using a feed from Bonnier’s Opus rights management system.
Jonathan Coe
Website for leading British novelist Jonathan Coe, showcasing his full catalogue of work, including galleries of numerous UK and overseas editions of his books.
Dorothy Koomson
Dorothy Koomson is an award-winning novelist and best-selling author of My Best Friend’s Girl, The Ice Cream Girls and The Woman He Loved Before and many more books. Dorothy was already using WordPress, and we have created a new, custom design for her website, tied in to her transition to a new publisher; we have also streamlined the management of content on the site, using custom post types and custom fields to make it easier to add books.
Duckworth
Duckworth nurtures a rounded world view through accessible and stimulating works of popular science, psychology, memoir and history. Founded by the family of Virginia Woolf in 1898, Duckworth have published incredible authors including D.H. Lawrence, Oliver Sacks, Evelyn Waugh and Beryl Bainbridge.
We really enjoyed creating this site for Duckworth after they joined the Prelude Books family – and reading about their interesting and at times hair-raising history!
“Hugely knowledgeable, practically minded and super-responsive – what more could you want? Simon and all the team at Bookswarm are a genuine pleasure to work with.”
Pete Duncan, MD, Duckworth Books Group
Marina Warner
Marina Warner is a writer of fiction, criticism and history; her works include novels and short stories as well as studies of art, myths, symbols and fairytales. We created a new site to act as a definitive bibliography and news source.
Hodderscape
Updating the Hodderscape blog to use a new version of the brand, with a new-look mascot (Pickwick the dodo).
This was an update to a previous iteration of the site, which we created several years before, with the same underlying architecture.
“When a project comes along I can work with Bookswarm on I immediately feel more relaxed. Communication on projects from start to finish is outstanding (and so important) which helps to move things along at a good pace and get the results we all want. Simon is always on hand for questions and advice throughout the project, and is incredibly tolerant of the unrelenting change requests and tweaks from our many stakeholders.”
Amy Dolman, Digital Marketing Manager, Hodder & Stoughton
Susanna Lea Associates
Created in 2000, Susanna Lea Associates has offices in Paris, London and New York. Their aim is to work in close collaboration with authors and publishers in order to maximize the potential of each project both domestically and in translation – in print, audio and electronic media – and, when applicable, for film.
We designed and built the new website for Susanna Lea, allowing each office to show market-specific covers for key titles and showcase its own team and social media presence.
Felicity Bryan Associates
Felicity Bryan Associates is an independent literary agency based in Oxford, with a client list includes prize-winning and bestselling authors in adult and children’s fiction, and non-fiction. We designed and built a new website for them designed to showcase their clients in an easy-to-maintain site, while also attracting plenty of submissions through an easy-to-use online process.
“We opted to completely overhaul our previous website and Bookswarm made the process very straightforward – particularly impressive considering we transferred a lot of content from the old site. They were happy to invest lots of time working with us on the design until we had things exactly right. We’re delighted with our new website and have had glowing feedback from our authors. The ongoing support has been great, too.”
Megan Palmer, Digital Manager and Administrator, Felicity Bryan Associates
Imogen Clark
Website for author Imogen Clark, who originally self-published her debut novel but then signed with Amazon publishing imprint Lake Union.
“As soon as I started talking to Bookswarm about the feel that I wanted for my website I could tell that they were with me and understood what I was looking for. The resulting site is exactly what I had in mind and was achieved quickly and with the minimum of fuss. They were pro-active in making suggestions for things that I hadn’t considered and patient when I changed my mind. I cannot recommend them highly enough.”
Imogen Clark, author
Douglas Westcott
Douglas Westcott is a pseudonym for a well-known Bath businessman, self-published author of Go Swift and Far.
Kathryn Hughes
Kathryn Hughes is author of digital number 1 and international bestseller The Letter, as well as The Secret and The Key.
Michael Symmons Roberts
Michael Symmons Roberts has won the Forward Prize, the Costa Poetry Prize and the Whitbread Poetry Award, and been shortlisted for the Griffin International Poetry Prize and the T.S. Eliot Prize. He has received major awards from the Arts Council and the Society of Authors. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, and of the English Association.
“It was a pleasure to work with Simon and the team at Bookswarm. They were professional, creative and efficient, always happy – and swift – to answer my stupid questions. The fact that they specialise in writers and publishers made the whole process so much easier.”
Michael Symmons Roberts, British poet, writer and broadcaster
Farrago Books
Website for Farrago Books, the series-driven humour imprint of Duckworth Books Group.
“Hugely knowledgeable, practically minded and super-responsive – what more could you want? Simon and all the team at Bookswarm are a genuine pleasure to work with.”
Pete Duncan, MD, Duckworth Books Group
Michael O’Mara Books
Creation of a new website for specialists in creative and inspired adult non-fiction, Michael O’Mara Books, encompassing their LOM ART and Buster Books imprints too. The website take a feed from the client’s Biblio system to keep the catalogue up to date.
Christina Enquist
Website for debut author Christina Enquist, with her first YA novel The Immundus.
“Simon and his team did a phenomenal job on creating my author website. His team was flexible and accommodated the various edits and really understood the vision of the site. I would highly recommend Simon and the Bookswarm team.”
Christina Enquist, author of The Immundus
MBA Literary and Script Agents
Based in London’s Fitzrovia for over 45 years, MBA is a leading literary agency representing writers in all media – books, and scripts for film, television, radio and theatre.
Wildfire
Wildfire is part of the Headline Division of Hachette UK, a vibrant and dynamic publishing company which is also one of the biggest in the world. Wildfire publish a broad range of quality commercial fiction and non-fiction.
P. D. James
Website for the late, great crime author P. D. James, designed to showcase her backlist as well as new publishing output from Faber, and provide readers with access to a range of archive material.
Pavilion Books Group
Pavilion Books is a thriving independent London-based publisher specialising in illustrated books for the UK and all international markets. Their new website is populated with bibliographic data feeds from their Stison title management system, and also features a blog, news & events section and many different ways of exploring their books – by category, by imprint and by author.
Annabel Kantaria
Website design and build for Dubai-based author of ‘domestic noir’ Annabel Kantaria.
“Authors should look no further: Bookswarm completely understand our needs.”
Annabel Kantaria, author of domestic noir including The One That Got Away
Martina Cole
A new website for Queen of Crime Martina Cole, celebrating the 25th anniversary of the publication of her first novel.
Folio Society Blogs
We created a new WordPress-based news and blogging site for The Folio Society, which integrates with their main e-commerce site. We replaced two separate WordPress sites which were not mobile-friendly.
Alma Books
Established in 2002, Alma Books now has five imprints, and we have created a single new e-commerce website which encompasses all of the imprints.
“We’re a small independent publishing company which prides itself on being able to do everything in house, so we were initially reluctant to get any old company in to rebrand our online presence. However, Bookswarm aren’t any old company, and they’ve made the whole process unbelievably easy – we were looked after by two people who seem to answer questions immediately (however tedious or obvious), and we’re thrilled with the finished website. They’re also the only tech company I’ve come across which just “gets” books – they took this knowledge and tailored everything to our needs perfectly. On top of the sleek design, transparent way of working and hands-on help, the team have also proved to have an astonishing level of after-care, and are happy to help you acquire the skills to maintain and enrich the site for yourself. Would – and have – whole-heartedly recommend.”
William Dady, Editorial and Marketing Executive, Alma Books
Gerard F. Kennedy
Author website for architect-turned-writer Gerard F. Kennedy.
“I really enjoyed working with Simon; he was extremely supportive throughout. And to my surprise I was able to manage my website very easily. In short the process was painless, and I have a perfect website to prove it. The back up service is excellent. For an IT simpleton like me, that’s important.”
Gerard F. Kennedy, writer
Who Killed Cuthbert Harverville?
Promotional microsite for Faber to celebrate the release of a Christmas-themed P.D. James anthology, The Mistletoe Murder.
K L Slater
Author website for psychological thriller author K L Slater. We already created a website for Kim as a young adult novelist, but she needs to keep her two professional personas separate.
Atlantic Books
Atlantic Books is an independent British publishing house founded in 2000. Based in the heart of Bloomsbury, they publish quality literary fiction and non fiction. Atlantic are also the home of commercial imprint Corvus, and proud publishers of a selection of books from Grove Atlantic in the US as well as a home to a growing list of fine fiction and non-fiction from Allen & Unwin.
We designed and built Atlantic’s new site to be updated with a feed from their Biblio system, and put their four imprints at the heart of the structure – so each imprint has its own ‘home page’ within the site.
Black Horse Westerns
A new website for the Black Horse imprint, which in 2015 became part of The Crowood Press, a family owned publishing house, which is committed to continuing with the Black Horse imprint and to working with both new and established authors and editors.
Jo Thomas
New scrapbook-style author website for Jo Thomas, author of romances about food, love, family and fun.
Belgravia Books Collective
A new web presences for two linked brands, under the banner of the Belgravia Books Collective:
- Gallic Books (publisher)
- Belgravia Books (bookshop)
This e-commerce website replaces two older websites, and allows the the client’s team to manage everything within one WordPress website.
H for History
H for History is the historical fiction and non-fiction community from Hodder & Stoughton, Headline and Quercus. Bookswarm designed and built this responsive website to allow both books and blog posts to be explored using a range of classifications, including Period and Genre.
“When a project comes along I can work with Bookswarm on I immediately feel more relaxed. Communication on projects from start to finish is outstanding (and so important) which helps to move things along at a good pace and get the results we all want. Simon is always on hand for questions and advice throughout the project, and is incredibly tolerant of the unrelenting change requests and tweaks from our many stakeholders.”
Amy Dolman, Digital Marketing Manager, Hodder & Stoughton
Anne Holt
Anne Holt is a journalist, lawyer, politician, news anchor and crime writer, published by Atlantic Books in the UK. This new website promoted Anne and her work ahead of the broadcast of a new television adaptation of her work, Modus.
Academy of New Zealand Literature
The Academy of New Zealand Literature / Te Whare Mātātuhi o Aotearoa is a writer-led initiative developed to help New Zealand’s active practitioners sustain themselves – creatively, intellectually, psychically, practically – through a writer’s life.
Bookswarm developed the brand identity for the Academy and applied it to new website that was designed to present a contemporary picture of the New Zealand literary scene.
Saraband
New website for independent publishers Saraband, winners of the inaugural Saltire Scottish Publisher of the Year.
“When we decided to give our website a makeover, we were very keen to work with someone who truly understood the needs of a publisher, and Bookswarm have been second-to-none in that regard. From the off they ‘got it’ – both in terms of how our new website needed to be intuitive to use for us as publishers, and in terms of how it performed for readers and the wider books industry.
Simon and his team have been superb to work with and we’re delighted with the final website – it really does look better than we could have hoped for.”
Sara Hunt, Publisher, Saraband
Hoopoefiction.com
Website for Hoopoe, the new fiction imprint of The American University in Cairo Press.
“Working with Bookswarm on both the branding and website development of our new fiction imprint, Hoopoe, was both a pleasure and a breeze. The Bookswarm team understood our needs with least effort and promptly came back with ideas that were just what we were looking for but could not conceptualize ourselves. They combine technical experience with creativity, and love for books with a deep understanding of the publishing industry. You can’t wish for a more innovative, supportive, and responsive team!”
Tarek El-Elaimy, Marketing Manager for North America, The American University in Cairo Press
Six Tudor Queens
Campaign microsite for Alison Weir’s new Six Tudor Queens series, which will encompass all six of the wives of Henry VIII in six books.
Hoopoe
Brand development for The American University in Cairo Press’s new fiction imprint, Hoopoe. AUC Press has previously published acclaimed Arabic writers including the Nobel Prize-winning Naguib Mahfouz and Alaa al-Aswany. Hoopoe is their response to the surge in interest in new fiction writing from the Middle East. The new imprint will showcase groundbreaking literature from celebrated Arabic writers packaged and priced in a way that will better access that large new market of general readers.
“Other than their creativity and prompt responsiveness, Bookswarm’s strongest asset is their patience with clients like us, who keep suggesting new ideas and changes. With a team split between Cairo and New York, communication was very smooth, with time difference never being an issue. The final result for Hoopoe branding and website projects are proof of Bookswarm’s competence and commitment, and seeing Simon speak at London Bookfair confirmed we made the right choice.”
Basma El Manialawi, Marketing Manager, The American University in Cairo Press
Anatomy of a Soldier
Microsite commissioned by Faber for Harry Parker’s Anatomy of a Soldier.
Captain Tom Barnes is leading British troops in a war zone. Two boys are growing up there, sharing a prized bicycle and flying kites, before finding themselves separated once the soldiers appear in their countryside. On all sides of this conflict, people are about to be caught up in the violence, from the man who trains one boy to fight the infidel invaders to Barnes’s family waiting for him to return home.
We see them not as they see themselves, but as all the objects surrounding them do: shoes and boots, a helmet, a trove of dollars, a drone, that bike, weaponry, a bag of fertilizer, a medal, a beer glass, a snowflake, dog tags, an exploding IED and the medical implements that are subsequently employed.
Anatomy of a Soldier is a moving, enlightening and fiercely dramatic novel about one man’s journey of survival and the experiences of those around him. Forty-five objects, one unforgettable story.
Elly Griffiths
Website for Elly Griffiths, author of the Dr Ruth Galloway Mysteries, and the Stephens & Mephisto novels.
“It has been pleasure to work with Bookswarm. Simon took the time to find out exactly what I wanted, even though I wasn’t sure myself at the outset! The result is a website that really reflects my books. Simon and his team were creative, helpful and efficient. Highly recommended.”
Domenica de Rosa, author who writes as Elly Griffiths
Karen Rose Cityscape
Commissioned by publisher Headline, Karen Rose Cityscape allows fans to explore the work of internationally bestselling, RITA-award winning, author Karen Rose via an interactive map, and to see which characters feature in which books.
We Don’t Know What We’re Doing
Responsive microsite for Thomas Morris’s debut volume of short stories, published by Faber.
Books from Scotland
BooksfromScotland showcases the best books of Scottish interest around, including the latest children’s, fiction and selected non-fiction titles, as well as titles from publishers based in Scotland.
Bookswarm developed a new Books from Scotland brand identity and a new website to showcase the Scottish titles, as well as developing a technical strategy to help easily identify which titles should include, based on processing of bibliographic data from Nielsen.
Helen Bell
Website for Helen Bell, author of the Ilmaen Quartet.
“The team at Bookswarm gave me a site that met my brief perfectly and went well beyond, with support and advice on areas I hadn’t considered – or hadn’t considered I would be able to manage so easily! They opened my eyes to all the options, and provided training and guidance that make the site really work for me and my books.”
Helen Bell, author of The Ilamen Quartet
Lisa Gardner Case Files
A UK digital presence for bestselling crime-writer Lisa Gardner. Redesigned and relaunched in November 2016.
Stephen King Books
A home on the web for international multi-million selling author Stephen King’s Books – focused on the UK, Australia, and New Zealand, and commissioned by his publishers in those territories, led by Hodder & Stoughton.
Sheila O’Flanagan
Responsive website for Sheila O’Flanagan, number 1 bestselling author of contemporary women’s fiction.
Crimefiles
Crime fiction community website for Hachette publishers Headline, Hodder & Stoughton and Quercus, showcasing their combined crime list as well as staff and guest blogs and a regular podcast.
“When a project comes along I can work with Bookswarm on I immediately feel more relaxed. Communication on projects from start to finish is outstanding (and so important) which helps to move things along at a good pace and get the results we all want. Simon is always on hand for questions and advice throughout the project, and is incredibly tolerant of the unrelenting change requests and tweaks from our many stakeholders.”
Amy Dolman, Digital Marketing Manager, Hodder & Stoughton
Patrick Gale
New website for Patrick Gale, author of novels including A Perfectly Good Man, The Whole Day Through and the Richard and Judy bestseller Notes From An Exhibition.
“Having designed me a stylish website, which is simplicity itself for me to maintain and update, Bookswarm have always been wonderfully speedy and a pleasure to deal with when I’ve needed some radical change making to the site’s structure or functions. I’d recommend them highly to any other writers or creative types who need a website and don’t want to know too much about what happens under the bonnet…”
Patrick Gale, author of Richard and Judy bestsellers Notes From An Exhibition and A Perfectly Good Man
The Buried Giant
Microsite commissioned by Faber for the launch of Kazuo Ishiguro’s first novel in ten years, The Buried Giant. The site aggregates content from Twitter, Instagram, Google+ and Flickr with the hasgtag ‘theburiedgiant’, bringing together all the buzz for this much anticipated book.
Tinder Press
Blog and catalogue website for Headline’s fiction imprint Tinder Press, a place where classy, intelligent writing thrives.
Karen Maitland
Website for Karen Maitland, author of medieval thrillers including The Vanishing Witch, Liars and Thieves, Falcons of Fire and Ice, The Gallows Curse and The Owl Killers.
Jill Mansell
Website for bestselling author Jill Mansell.
Robert Hale
Responsive site for Robert Hale, independent publishers since 1936. The site has four themed sections for Robert Hale’s four imprints – Robert Hale, J.A. Allen, NAG Press and Buried River Press.
Robert Hale is now part of The Crowood Press.
Faber Modern Classics
‘Definition of a classic: a book everyone is assumed to have read and often thinks they have.’
Alan Bennett
A responsive one-page microsite for the launch of Faber’s Modern Classics list. Designed and built in one week from initial briefing.
Simon Scarrow
Responsive author website for Simon Scarrow, number one bestselling author of the Cato and Macro novels and many other historical best-sellers.
Charles L. Carson
Responsive website design and build for US thriller writer Charles L. Carson.
“With two eBooks on Kindle and a third on the way, and after reviewing too many US based author website developers who touted phenomenal sites but without portfolios that supported their claims, I ran across Bookswarm. Simon’s philosophy matched mine exactly – have a website that mirrors the feeling of the books. I was in Honolulu and, obviously, Simon was in the UK. But, two Skype calls and numerous emails later, the result was purely wonderful. He captured the feeling of my work perfectly. I cannot say enough in support of his creative spirit.”
Charles L. Carson, author of the McManus Thrillers
Penguin blog on WordPress.com
Creation of a customised theme for the Penguin Blog in its new home on the WordPress.com platform.
Harriet Evans
A new home on the web for Harriet Evans and her writing, to coincide with her move to new publishers Headline.
Penny Vincenzi
Author website for multi-million bestselling author Penny Vincenzi, commissioned by publishers Headline. Updated in August 2018.
“Working with Bookswarm on [Penny Vincenzi’s website] was a completely positive and painless experience – you made everything as easy and straightforward as possible and everyone is thrilled with the result.”
Jo Liddiard, Head of Marketing, Headline Publishing Group
Apple Tree Yard
Competition microsite to collect reviews for inclusion in a “people’s edition” of Apple Tree Yard by Louise Doughty
Cornerstones
Cornerstones is one of the founding UK literary consultancies, set up in 1998, with a reputation spread by word-of-mouth with agents, publishers and writers.
We wanted the website to emphasise this depth of experience and know-how.
The Girl With a Clock For a Heart
Promotional microsite for crime debut The Girl With A Clock For a Heart, by US author Peter Swanson, commissioned by Faber. This is a responsive site – desktop users see a clock-face but mobile users see a more space-efficient digital clock!
George Foss never thought he’d see her again, but on a late-August night in Boston, there she is, in his local bar, Jack’s Tavern.
When George first met her, she was an eighteen-year-old college freshman from Sweetgum, Florida. She and George became inseparable in their first fall semester, so George was devastated when he got the news that she had committed suicide over Christmas break. But, as he stood in the living room of the girl’s grieving parents, he realized the girl in the photo on their mantelpiece – the one who had committed suicide – was not his girlfriend. Later, he discovered the true identity of the girl he had loved – and of the things she may have done to escape her past.
Now, twenty years later, she’s back, and she’s telling George that he’s the only one who can help her…
Hanif Kureishi
Author website for novelist, playwright and screenplay writer Hanif Kureishi CBE.
Shannon Selin
Responsive website design for Shannon Selin, Canadian author of historical novel Napoleon in America. We also created a logo for Shannon to use on her business cards and on the books themselves.
“Simon Appleby and the Bookswarm team immediately understood what I was looking for in an author website, and came up with a design and functionality that fully meets my needs.”
Shannon Selin, author, Napoleon in America
Three Hares Publishing
Brand creation and website design for startup publishing house Three Hares.
Peter Watson
Design and build of a WordPress-based website for award-winning author and journalist Peter Watson.
“My collaboration with Simon Appleby was so friction-free and productive that, had he been a woman, I would have asked him to marry me.”
Peter Watson, award-winning author and journalist
The Thought Fox
Responsive re-design of Faber’s blog, which is named after a famous poem by Ted Hughes. Back in 2009 Simon worked on the first iteration of this project – technology has moved on since then, but the appetite for quality content on the web has not diminished!
Salted
Blog design for innovative independent publisher Salt Publishing.
“Bookswarm’s technical and aesthetic experience clearly shines through in their work. When this is matched with a clear understanding of books and readers, it’s a powerful combination. We’re delighted with the results.”
Chris Hamilton-Emery, Operations Director, Salt Publishing
Marcel Theroux
Website for novelist, travel writer and journalist Marcel Theroux
The Seven Secrets of Successful Crime Writing
Facebook app with videos and competition mechanic
Patrician Press
Branding and website design for startup independent publisher
Ali Knight
Website for Hodder & Stoughton crime author Ali Knight
Raymond Khoury
Website and for New York Times #1 Bestselling thriller writer Raymond Khoury. First designed by Bookswarm in 2011, and re-designed in 2013.
“Redesigning my website was a very enjoyable experience right from the minute I sat down with the Bookswarm team. Truthfully, I can’t recommend Simon and the Bookswarm team highly enough.”
Raymond Khoury, New York Times Bestselling Novelist, author of The Last Templar (Orion)
Pam Evans
Website for established family saga author Pam Evans.
“I can’t speak highly enough of Simon Appleby and the team at Bookswarm. They built a beautiful website for me and Simon was always available to help me learn how to use it.”
Pam Evans, family saga author
Hector’s Journeys
Title microsite for Gallic Books
Christina Hopkinson
Two generations of this author website for author and journalist Christina Hopkinson.
“The Bookswarm team built me a site that was not only lovely-looking, but intuitive to use. I can thoroughly recommend them and have done so already to some of my fellow authors.”
Christina Hopkinson, author of The Pile of Stuff at the Bottom of the Stairs and Just Like Proper Grown-Ups (Hodder & Stoughton)
Saul David
Website for historian, novelist, lecturer and broadcaster Saul David.
“Bookswarm’s classy design has transformed my website. It looks great, is simple to navigate, and – vital for a non-techno like me – even easier to update.”
Saul David, Historian, Novelist and Broadcaster (Penguin / Hodder & Stoughton)
