Navigation menu
We know that publishing a book is an emotional milestone in a writer's life. That's why we're committed to ensuring every one of our authors has the best possible experience getting their book produced, marketed and distributed. Our team of publishing experts offer authors bespoke guidance and support to every author throughout a project and is dedicated to ensuring authors get the most out of their publishing journey.
The history of Troubador
Troubador has been publishing books since the late 1980s in one way or another. It was first founded as University Texts, changing to Troubador Publishing Ltd in 1996 when the publishing focus expanded. The Troubador Italian Studies books series started in 1990 and has become established as one of the UK’s leading books list in this area. During the early 1990s, the company concentrated on trade publishing for major international STM publishers such as Cambridge University Press, Gower, Addison Wesley, Elsevier, Springer, Wiley, and many others.
Troubador now publishes around 500 new titles per year. In 2013 Troubador started the annual Self-Publishing Conference at the University of Leicester and has hosted the conference every (year except mid-pandemic years) since then.
In 2015 Troubador acquired The Book Guild Ltd, which offers mainstream and partnership publishing options and has since expanded its publishing programme to 100 titles a year. Troubador employs around 30 full-time staff at its Market Harborough office and distribution centre, alongside a network of trusted external specialists we call upon when needed.
Matador self publishing
Established in 1988, Troubador's self-publishing arm, Matador, has a proud history in publishing, bringing books to life through our self-publishing services. To streamline the brand, the Matador name was phased out in 2023, with the company’s self-publishing services being placed under the main Troubador umbrella.
Our expertise and range of services is unmatched in the industry. We provide self-publishing services for authors, and we are dedicated to quality. Our team is on hand to work with our authors and help them achieve their goals. Troubador aims to provide authors with many publishing options, with quality production, marketing, distribution and customer service. We pride ourselves on offering good honest advice based on many years of experience in the publishing industry. We always welcome prospective or current authors at our offices by appointment.
Our other imprints
Our values
We work in partnership with authors to design, create, market and sell quality books across all formats, putting customers at the heart of what we do, and using our expertise to give the very best self-publishing experience. We enjoy innovating and improving services to benefit our authors and are committed to educating through our events programme to help authors make the publishing choice that’s right for them.
Authority
We use our experience, knowledge and expertise to give every author honest advice that suits their specific requirements.
Author care
We support and guide authors through the publishing process, from manuscript submission to publication and beyond.
Quality
We produce only the highest quality titles, with no shortcuts taken at any stage of the publishing process.
Meet the Directors
Jeremy Thompson
Jeremy founded Troubador Publishing in 1996 having previously worked as an academic editor across a range of scientific journals. He saw the need early on for an independent, author-focused self-publishing services provider that could help authors publish quality books and get them to market. He founded Troubador to do just that, and in 2019 was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts in recognition of his work in indie publishing.
Jane Rowland
Jane joined Troubador right at the start as one of the first employees of the company. Together with Jeremy, she has been the driving force behind enabling authors to self-publish, distribute and sell their work to a high standard, and she has been instrumental in building the company that exists today.
Other pages you might find interesting
We help authors get published and their books sold
We help authors get published and their books sold
Start a no-obligation conversation with one of our publishing experts to discuss what your self-publishing goals are and how best you can achieve them.
What you'll get:
- An informal chat about your project
- Ask an expert anything about self-publishing
- Helpful, honest advice on the options available to you
- No obligation, commitment or hard sell