Salt publishing, which does some great titles, has made success of it’s Just One Book campaign and will survive the year, despite losing its arts council funding. Lo and behold, it can be done! Ahead? Diversify from poetry. Hmm. Publish something people might buy? It’s so crazy, it just might work! Glad they’ve made it. Hard times abound for small presses, especially poetry presses, but those that are prepared to change and grow can come out stronger. Here’s to perseverance and ingenuity. And the charity of book lovers.

Salt launched the campaign in May to avoid closure after facing “financial difficulties”, following its loss of Arts Council funding in the previous financial year. It asked people to “buy just one book, right now”.

The company is now planning to broaden its publishing programme into literary fiction and children’s poetry, as well developing as a number of other programmes, in a bid to diversify the company’s revenue stream.

Chris Hamilton-Emery, director of Salt Publishing, said: “We raised a great deal of money through direct sales in the first five weeks, and have since that time focused on developing our trade sales: Gardners are running a promotion with us just now.”

Salt has already opened a London office and hired two new permanent members of staff, Hamilton-Emery explained, adding he would now be focusing on “diversifying, improving sales and finding some additional income to see us through that planned transition.”