Torchflame Books launches large print imprint under Top Reads Publishing; company aims to fill market gap for independently published large print books

pic

A longtime IBPA member, Torchflame Books was founded in 1998 as Light Messages Publishing by a family of authors Wally, Betty, and Elizabeth Turnbull, who then expanded the company in 2013 to include Torchflame Books as its hybrid publishing imprint. In 2024, they transferred leadership of the company to Teri Rider, and Torchflame Books became an imprint of Top Reads Publishing, also a family-run hybrid press.

Recently, they launched a new imprint that’s dedicated to publishing large print books after discovering a gap in the market for independently published books for large print readers. We connected with Teri who is their CEO and Acquisitions Manager, and Marketing Manager Jori Hanna to tell us about the new imprint, Torchflame Books Large Print, and about the challenges and opportunities in publishing large print books.

Hi Teri. Before we dive in, we want to recognize that you’ve been a loyal, long time IBPA member. Please tell us about your publishing journey and your IBPA involvement.

I’ve been involved in publishing since 1990 when I worked for a niche academic publisher illustrating and developing books. Having the opportunity to learn every aspect of publishing, I knew this would become my chosen career. I eventually began designing books and helping authors self-publish when that became an option with CreateSpace, then continued following that path until I began my own publishing company, Top Reads Publishing, in 2015.

I was introduced to IBPA during my first year as a publisher by Karla Olson, who organizes our local Publishers and Writers of San Diego group. I immediately felt welcome in this community and realized I had a lot to learn about publishing! I attended PubU, won the Bill Fisher Award for the first book I published, and then I was on my way! Wanting to give back to this community of publishers, I volunteered first with the IBPA Advocacy Committee, where I was involved in the Checklist for a Professionally Published Book, and then the Hybrid Publishing Criteria’s initial draft. I then served on the Editorial Advisory committee for the Independent magazine and took part in the launch of PubSpot. I’m currently part of the Legislation and Standards committee, and I also have been a judge for the Ben Franklin, now IBPA Book Award, for many years.

When did you start Torchflame Books. What type of books do you publish and what is your business model?

I was fortunate to acquire Torchflame Books in 2024 when the previous owners retired, and suddenly, I had almost 100 new authors, many with multiple titles. That year was mostly spent building on the strong existing foundation of that imprint, and this year we will have the space to implement more creative ideas. We are a multi-genre hybrid press with an even mix of fiction and non-fiction titles.

A side by side comparison between a regular edition and its large print counterpart.

It’s so exciting to hear about your new imprint. Was there a lightbulb moment? What inspired you to consider publishing in large print format?

Our Marketing Manager, Jori Hanna, first brought the idea to me when one of our YA authors asked if we would consider it. This was last year, right before we exhibited at ALA in San Diego, so we talked with several librarians during the conference, and there was an overwhelming interest. From there, we began our research, mostly at libraries, learning about the styles and standards of other large print books. Jori and I would have long Zoom calls where she would show me the stacks of books she had checked out at her local library, and we began to develop our own style guide to conform with how other large print books are produced. Jori further researched how to create our house style template for the interior layout and covers, and we started with our 2025 catalog and YA backlist titles.

Large print format books aren’t only for those who are visually impaired. Who are the audiences for these books?

Books in large print editions offer readers of all ages a number of benefits beyond increased visibility due to the larger type. They help reduce eye strain caused by looking at screens all day, an increasing problem as screens become more prevalent in our daily lives.

Additionally, they help encourage reluctant readers because the pages have fewer words and seem to go by faster. That provides a sense of accomplishment which can help people who struggle to focus on the words or are easily distracted.

What is the plan to bring large print versions of your titles to your backlist and new releases? Will every future new title have a large print version?

We plan to bring each of our new titles out in large print, then, will roll out select backlist titles by genre throughout the first half of this year. We’re starting with YA as some of our most popular titles were in demand. We will release our mystery/thriller titles followed by non-fiction, then the rest of our bestselling fiction titles to wrap up the 2025 Large Print catalog.

Let’s talk about the nuts and bolts of production. What are the areas to consider for the large print version?

Most Torchflame Books Large Print books will be set in 16pt serif type with high contrast and plenty of space on the page to reduce eye strain. In most cases, the design of the large print book will not vary from the standard paperback edition except in line spacing and font size. Our standard trim size will be slightly larger than 6x9 to allow for more words on the page and still follow basic typesetting norms. Front covers will retain the original design, and back covers are simplified for easy reading. There are a few nuanced differences for some genres, like YA, but for the most part, our standard style will apply to most fiction and nonfiction titles.

One wonders...the additional labor and pages involved must mean a higher cost to produce. So what is your pricing strategy?

The large print versions are slightly bigger and pages also increase by about 30%.

Much of our research went into developing our style guide. The page count increased by around 30%, so the retail price reflects that. We pay our authors the same royalty rate on the large print edition of their books, and we offer the same wholesale discount that retailers and libraries expect. As for the extra labor for production, by establishing our style guide first, we will be able to save time for the design and layout of each book.

Finally, where did you go to for guidance in starting this venture? What resources would you point other publishers who may want to follow Torchflame’s lead?

Jori and I did most of our initial research in the libraries and by talking to librarians. There are a few large print book producers, like Gale and Thorndike, and a few of the big houses produce their own large print editions. This is when we got excited because almost no independent publishers were represented anywhere. We crunched the numbers, did some tests with a few of our titles, and decided that it was the right thing to do, and it fit our mission to make our books accessible to more readers, especially through the library market. Once we collect more data on this venture, we plan to offer mini workshops for those interested in adding large print to their catalogs.

Thank you for helping to make independently published books more accessible to all readers Teri and Jori. We look forward to hearing from you again in the future to hear about your successes and any advice you can share with other IBPA members in publishing large print books!

Share your unique publishing stories with the IBPA community! For more details about the types of stories we're seeking, and how to submit your spotlight article idea, click here.

Though launching a new book isn’t the focus of our Spotlights articles, IBPA is happy to share that exciting news on social media. Please contact adeline@ibpa-online.org with the launch date, your book cover, your book title, your book's genre, a link to where readers can learn more about your book, and your Instagram handle.

About the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA)

Founded in 1983 to support independent publishers nationwide, the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) leads and serves the independent publishing community through advocacy, education, and tools for success. With over 3,000 members, IBPA is the largest publishing association in the U.S. Its vision is a world where every independent publisher has the access, knowledge, and tools needed to professionally engage in all aspects of an inclusive publishing industry. For more information, visit ibpa-online.org.