Three decades is a long time, especially in the world of book publishing. In this respect, as an independent book publisher, Headpress is something of an anomaly.
Headpress was founded in Manchester, England, in 1991, ostensibly to release a film by cult German director Jörg Buttgereit on VHS. With revenue from the sales of that film (Der Todesking, limited to 500 copies, BBFC cert 18), the publication of a zine followed, the self-titled Headpress journal.
The book publishing arm of Headpress commenced in 1992 and continues to this day.
Headpress is focused on publishing nonfiction. Subject matter is wide-ranging and includes cult film, strange music, pulp literature, fanzines, conspiracy theories, sex and gender, occult and folklore, true crime, etc.
When Headpress first started, much of this was considered the counterculture. Now it is pop culture.
The Headpress catalogue spans almost three decades and is filled with excellence but some key books might include Weird Scenes Inside the Canyon, Killing for Culture (by Headpress founders David Kerekes and David Slater), Fight Your Own War, Xeroxferox, The Town Slowly Empties, Bobby in Naziland, etc. For more click here.
Not as much a difference as there once was. Times change as does technology and markets. Headpress does a bit of both, traditional print as well as print-on-demand (bulk printing and print to order). We also offer virtual downloads of many of our books.
Many Headpress books are printed to order, a process that takes on average seven working days for a paperback and ten working days for a special edition.
In the present climate, turnaround times are longer. Shipping is dependent on the destination and delivery service required. Orders within the UK and North America should arrive within one to four weeks.
All clothing and non-book items are handled and shipped separately from books. Status and shipping updates are provided independently for these items.
Sometimes things go missing in the mail. If you haven’t received your order after four weeks please contact us and we’ll arrange for a replacement to be sent out.
If you receive a damaged item, an item in error, or there is a problem with your order in general, please contact us straight away and we’ll look into the matter and/or replace the item where necessary.
Some older titles may be marked as out of stock, in which case it is not possible to make a purchase. Copies of these older titles may turn up, in which case the item will be made available again, often for a limited time. The best way to keep informed is to join our free mailing list.
Coupons and discount codes are available for a limited time and must be applied at checkout. We cannot apply discounts retroactively on behalf of a customer once an order has been placed.
Yes. If you wish to buy three or more copies of any book contact us here.
If you have a nonfiction book proposal or ideas that you think we may be interested in, please get in touch here.
Note: Headpress isn’t publishing fiction, prose or poetry.
Headpress is not accepting unsolicited material for blog posts.
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Whilst every care is taken in the running of this website, sometimes links get broken etc. If you spot any issues, or an inaccuracy with our product listings, please email us and we will look to get it fixed ASAP.
A link to terms and conditions and our privacy statement can be found at the foot of each page. Or go to Terms & Privacy.
We can’t wait either! New and upcoming titles are announced on this website and via our mailing list, which is free to join here.
If the item you are looking for is not available on this website, then we no longer supply it. Occasionally we get asked for books that are not Headpress titles. We don’t as a rule supply those either.
Now and then a limited number of older titles may become available again due to a warehouse find, etc. These may end up in our ‘odds and sods’ section. Join our mailing list to be notified of ‘odds and sods’ here.
Unfortunately we cannot reserve or hold books on request, nor assist in finding books.
A book publishing imprint devoted to original true-life stories and memoir.
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