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, Small Town Skateparks, GREBO!, 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.
ISBN stands for International Standard Book Number. Each book carries one, with almost no exceptions.
Headpress NO-ISBN Special Editions are nice, quality collectable hardback editions of select Headpress titles, which do not have carry an ISBN and are not available anywhere else but the Headpress website. For more information click here.
NO-ISBN books may show a barcode on the back cover. This is the manufacturer's SKU product code and not an ISBN number.
This depends on the book itself. For many older titles, the difference is the binding and exclusivity. Newer NO-ISBN Special Editions often carry colour content that is unavailable in the paperback. Each product page will indicate whether the content between the two formats is different.
For Headpress NO-ISBN Special Edition titles click here.
Many Headpress books are printed to order, a process that can take up to ten working days.
Orders within the UK and North America should arrive within one to four weeks. If you still haven’t received your order after six weeks, then likely the package is lost. Please contact us and we will sort out a replacement.
All clothing and non-book items are handled and shipped separately from books. Status and shipping updates are provided independently for these items.
Economy/Flat rate is the default cheapest shipping option, and the reason we can offer competetive rates worldwide. Note that this method is without tracking or insurance.
We use a variety of shipping agents, including UPS/USPS, Royal Mail and Media Mail (book rate) in the US at our discretion.
We also offer a tracked service option for UK. For orders elsewhere contact us for tracked rates.
We love books and take packaging seriously. All books are shipped in boxes or cardboard mailers designed to protect books from damage.
We do not include printed invoices or receipts in our packages, as a digital receipt is supplied via email.
Most of our titles are also available in digital form, as well as physical, and these can be ordered on the regular product pages.
If you purchase an eBook or an item with a digital download, you will receive a download link by return. This is in your order confirmation and not your receipt (check your spam folder, just in case).
Unless stated otherwise, format of our digital books is .epub, compatible with all popular devices, Kindle etc, and e-readers.
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.
In the unlikely case that any books are found to be defective due to a manufacture fault, please note that for auditing purposes, we will require photos of any such defect and also proof of destruction in order to raise credits/replacements for said items. This is a requisite of our global manufacturers in order to process and log any claims/replacements.
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.
Notify us immediately. We cannot gurantee changes can be made to an order once it is being processed, although we will try our best.
In the event of a refund, this will be minus the standard fee taken for each transaction by the ecommerce payment provider.
Of course, if the error is with us, we will refund the entire amount, or supply an alternative on request.
Yes. If you wish to buy three or more copies of any book contact us here.
When ordering titles designated pre-order/not yet released, please note that we will take payment on order and the book will ship on or before the designated publication date.
If your order includes both a pre-order item and available item(s), the entire order will ship when the pre-order item becomes available. A separate order for available items will avoid this.
Cutomers in Europe please note that a VAT and import charge now applies to goods shipping to Europe, which is charged to the customer by the destination country on receipt and is out of the control of Headpress.
Take a look around the site. If you have a nonfiction book proposal that you think we may be interested in, click here for further information
Note: Headpress isn’t publishing fiction, prose or poetry.
Headpress is not accepting unsolicited material for blog posts.
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We keep no record of customer passwords. If you lose or forget it you will need to create a new password here.
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.
New and upcoming Headpress titles are announced on this website and via the Headpress newsletter. Click here to join our free mailing list.
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.
We are a small team and, unfortunately, are not looking to fill any positions at present.
Due to changes in international shipping we are presently not always able to offer a flat shipping rate to all countries outside the UK or USA.
If you are ordering from a country other than the UK or USA, please contact us before placing your order for a shipping price. This is to ensure you are charged the most sensible price for delivery, wherever you are in the world.
Click on the link below and send us:
(1) Info and quantity for the item/s you are after;
(2) Delivery details, i.e. Country, State and Postcode
Alternatively, email us with any questions here
