Member Article

Tyneside publisher books international expansion

A Tyneside publisher is celebrating a string of overseas successes following help from an experienced mentor. Myrmidon Books Ltd, of Newcastle, has already acquired the UK and worldwide publishing rights for several experienced and debut authors.

The company aimed to exploit the opportunities in overseas markets and signed up to UK Trade & Investment’s Passport to Export programme and later the Virtual Export Manager (VEM) initiative. Through VEM, Myrmidon was teamed up with Rupert Jones Parry, who has experience in international markets working for companies such as Macmillan, Pearson Longman, the London Chamber of Commerce, the Industry Examinations Board and the Commonwealth Secretariat. He was also a Director of the Publishers’ Association.

Edward Handyside, Managing Director of Myrmidon Books Ltd, said: “With Rupert’s help we’ve made considerable progress and have already appointed distributors in Singapore to cover South East Asia, another for Australia and New Zealand and one in South Africa. “So all-in-all things are going well on the international front. We really appreciate the help we’ve received in kicking things off and will be working to build on our initial success.”

Stephen Muir, UK Trade & Investment’s VEM programme manager, said: “Since its launch in 2005, VEM has helped 46 companies across the region. The feedback we’ve received has been very positive and we’re keen to ensure more companies can take advantage of this service. “Our aim is to ensure we match companies with a suitably experienced ‘virtual export manager’, with a working knowledge of the sector the company operates in and with a proven track record in export markets.”

For more information about the VEM programme and the range of support services available through UK Trade & Investment to help your company succeed overseas call the North East International Trade Hotline on 0845 05 05 054 or email: enquiries@ukti.rito.co.uk.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .