About Ackroyd Publishing
Rachel McLean started Ackroyd Publishing in 2020 to publish her crime thrillers. Over time we've added more members to the team, helping to publish more books and make them available to as many readers as possible.
We've published over 30 books and continue to produce new books and new editions in additional formats such as audiobook, large print and hardback, as well as foreign translations.
To get in touch, please use our contact page.
Our Authors
As well as publishing Rachel's crime books, we also publish crime books co-written with other authors and a growing number of women's fiction books by other authors.
Here are our authors:
Rachel McLean
Rachel writes books designed to get you turning the page well past midnight, with characters you'll be rooting for. The first novel in her Dorset Crime series, The Corfe Castle Murders, won the Kindle Storyteller Award, and she's sold over 2 million books.
Joel Hames
Joel Hames has been working with Rachel since her first crime novel, Deadly Wishes, and edits many of her books. He also co-writes the Cumbria Crime series, which is a follow on from the Birmingham-based DI Zoe Finch series.
Millie Ravensworth
Millie Ravensworth is the pen name of Heide Goody and Iain Grant, who are known for their comedy novels including the Clovenhoof and Sam Applewhite series. Millie writes cosy mysteries and with Rachel co-writes the London Cosy Mysteries series and the Lyme Regis Women's Swimming Club series.
Sally Brooks
Sally writes women's fiction with a sapphic twist, including romantic thrillers and romantic comedies. Her fourth book, Swiping Right (and other disasters) is the first to be published by Ackroyd Publishing.
Hazel Ward
Hazel Ward writes intelligent women's fiction set in and around Birmingham. Her books will make you laugh, cry and want to give her characters a big hug and an almighty cheer. The first five books in her Netta Wilde series are being republished by Ackroyd Publishing and there will be more to follow.
The Ackroyd Publishing Team
Ackroyd Publishing is run by a small but experienced team of publishing professionals.
Rachel McLean writes or co-writes the books and oversees publishing, marketing and everything else. If you send her an email it's Rachel who will reply. She knows she'd be nothing without readers and values every piece of feedback, even if it's to point out a typo. You can contact her at rachel@rachelmclean.com.
Rebecca Collins manages the publishing process and steers books from the initial idea to publication in multiple formats.
Alison Lake manages marketing activity and ensures that our sales and marketing activities are joined up and designed to find more readers.
Jayne O'Keeffe ensures all books are published on the right platforms with the right content and covers and looks after admin and reporting.
Sharn Hutton designs covers and artwork and ensures they're set up correctly for all the formats the books come in, including ebook, audiobook, paperback, hardback and large print.
Catherine Matthews runs the newsletter and the shop and is the person who'll probably be helping you out if you want to know when your order will be arriving!
Alex Spears runs our advertising campaigns and is responsible for data management and analysis.
Adrian Hobart creates audio visual content to promote book launches and to support the Rachel McLean Listeners' Club.
Simon Fairbanks is our ambassador to bookshops and libraries and works with them to make books available to readers and arrange author appearances.
Joel Hames edits most of the books and also co-writes the Cumbria Crime series (which he doesn't edit - that would be weird).
We also have a larger team of people who help with specific aspect of book production, design or marketing, including (but not limited to):
- Jan Cramer and Lesley Mackie, audiobook narrators
- Graham Bartlett, police advisor
- Ann, Nicola, Claire and Nicola, our beta reading team
- Maria Burns, artist and illustrator
- Hanna Elizabeth, editor
- Claire Rushbrook, proofreader
- Kerstin Jandl and her team of German translators
- Jenny Burgess, TV & film rights agent