David Amerland

David Amerland (1964) – is a British NUJ journalist, editor and author. He was a founder of the iconic digital publishing house, Cool Publications pushing for the promotion of new authors’ work, a revolutionizing of the established publishing model and a democratization of the traditional publishing monopoly. He championed the no-DRM (Digital Rights Management) movement and was a vocal supporter of increased interactivity and seamless multi-media embedding in digital downloads.

He was the man who discovered fantasy fiction author Thomas M. Hunt and helped to promote his work at a time when fantasy fiction still worked under the editorial straitjackets imposed that eschewed adult subjects and focused on the more sanitized approach to fantasy.

His early career involved working as a stringer for The European and contributing finance and health articles to newspapers and magazines from Health Now to Fitness and Your Money Direct. He spent five years working for the John Lewis Partnership where he pushed the production and presentation envelopes for their long-established in-house publication the Chronicle, becoming a strong advocate for change in the standards employed and its tighter integration in branch life.

He has published three books Ninjahunter (2001), Revelations (1999) and Tae Kwon Do (2003), the latter a book for school-age children being introduced into the sport.

Over the last few years he has withdrawn from an active role in publishing to concentrate on his writing. Authors he encouraged at an early part of their career include Jane Adams, the highly controversial priest-turned-fellon and then writer Randall Radic and Victor Hardbattle. A passionate advocate of the democratisation of writing he has, on more than one occasion, spoken out against the narrowing of opportunities for new writers presented by the mergers of large publishing conglomerates like VNU.

Publications

* "Ninjahunter", Manchester: Cool Publications, 2001.
* "A little Drink", short story, Women’s Press magazine, 1998.
* "Opening Lines", short story, literary press, Manchester, UK, 1999.
* "Tae Kwon Do", London, UK, Raintree Press 2004.
* "Retail Evolution" Nottingham, UK, John Lewis Partnership, 2004