Handheld Press

14/02/2025

Oooh! A PS about PS!! We are very happy to be able to announce that very last of our stock (that was in limbo in the distributor’s warehouse rather than in our office) has been taken on by remainderer company . They will be selling the remainder of our UK stock from their website. There may be a bit of a rush, so do shop early and often to be sure to get the titles you want!

The link to the Postscript website is in our bio where you can also find links to The Handheld Diaries on Substack and Kate’s new venture Peachfield Press. And for newsletter subscribers, keep an eye on your inboxes – the very last Handheld Newsletter is out now!

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12/02/2025

I'll be closing down the Handheld page in a day or so. Thank you all for coming! If you'd like to stay in touch with me (Kate), and what I'm doing after Handheld, you can follow me on the Peachfield Press site.

Handheld Press is now almost off my hands, in that I no longer spend half my working day grappling with the books, book orders, and so on. So my writing time has expanded, and I’m beginning t…

24/01/2025

And we're done. Handheld Press has closed its doors. So many messages of appreciation and love for the books, which is lovely. But, the last three orders that came in last night were a perfect illustration of why I am glad to be departing online retail sales. (1) A polite note to tell me I'd only packed one copy of a book they'd ordered instead of the two they'd paid for (it's now out of stock, so I refunded them); a request for replacement copies of two books the post office machinery had chewed up in transit (actually not my responsibility since the books were wrapped in cardboard, and no-one can resist chewing machinery, but I'll send a replacement copy of the one title I do have left in stock); and someone who clicked the 'pay by bank transfer' for their order .... and Didn't. Pay. The office closes in three or four hours. I'm waiting for their payment to show up. What a way to end a business.

Update: they paid!

21/01/2025

MIDNIGHT THURSDAY 23RD JANUARY 2025: YOUR LAST CHANCE TO ORDER DIRECT FROM US!

If you missed our sale but still hanker after a Handheld book (or two…), all is not entirely lost. Please check the link in our bio for availability and to order. But remember the deadline – midnight, Thursday 23rd January 2025! After that our website shop will be closed for good.

Note: Sadly we still cannot sell direct to the EU due to totally ridiculous customs & VAT paperwork. Sending orders to non-EU countries may be possible - please email us first to discuss shipping costs: [email protected]

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19/01/2025

And the sale is over! 600 books sold, wrapped, packed, and posted. Kate is exhausted. Thank you all!

17/01/2025

LAST CHANCE TO NAB THE BOOKISH BARGAIN OF YOUR DREAMS!

In the first four days of our Grand Closing Down Sale we have sold, packed and posted over 400 books! Office stock is now running low. You’ve got until midnight on 18th January to put in your order. Check our bio for the link.

All available titles just £5 each plus Postage & Packing.

Note: Sadly we still cannot sell direct to the EU due to totally ridiculous customs & VAT paperwork. Sending orders to non-EU countries may be possible - please email us first to discuss shipping costs: [email protected]

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17/01/2025

In four days the Grand Closing Down sale for Handheld Press has sold, packed and posted over 400 books. We're running low on office stock: this is the page to check for the bookish bargain of your dreams. Sale ends on Saturday 18th. 💙📚

The complete catalogue of all our titles, showing authors, editors and publication titles

13/01/2025

THIS IS IT! THE GRAND CLOSING DOWN SALE!!!

Do please clear out the office stock so we don’t have to…!

From 13th to 18th January, all titles on the Handheld website will be just £5 each plus Postage & Packing.

(We still cannot sell to the EU due to totally ridiculous customs & VAT paperwork. Sending orders to non-EU countries may be possible but the postage costs will be extortionate: if still interested please email us to discuss: [email protected])

There’s no code to remember for the sale, nothing fancy, just look at our website (link in bio) and marvel at the changed prices.

Please note: Jane’s Country Year and Personal Pleasures are now out of stock (The Akeing Heart and Women’s Weird 2. Strange Relics is also pretty low in stock.

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12/01/2025

Have spent an hour checking and scheduling the massive price drop for the Grand Closing Sale of Handheld Press online. Starts tomorrow, folks. Get in line.

Handheld Press sells wonderful stories from the past and the present. Our books are beautiful, designed and laid out with care.

06/01/2025

We're starting the New Year with a closing down sort of feel ... the closing down sale is coming soon, and we are already running out of some of our books in the office. Jane's Country Year is now out of stock. Currently (6/1/25 at 10.03) we have ONE COPY LEFT of The Akeing Heart, Personal Pleasures and Women's Weird 2. Get 'em while you can.

The complete catalogue of all our titles, showing authors, editors and publication titles

01/01/2025

Whether 2025 is filled with Personal Pleasures, Business As Usual, or What Not…Wishing all our loyal fans and followers a Happy New Year from all of us at Handheld!

We step into 2025 with mixed feelings…as many of you will know, we will cease trading on 1st July. After seven wonderful, exciting, exhausting and exhilarating years publishing some of her favourite forgotten books so joyfully received by you all, the wonderful Kate Macdonald will we be hanging up her publishing boots….or will she?! Go and see Peachfield Press (link to website in Bio) or follow Kate on Bluesky (.bsky.social) for news of her new venture!

In the meantime, Handheld has accepted an offer from a UK remaindering company for all our UK stock. From 1st February 2025, Handheld titles will no longer be sold by mainstream UK bookshops or by us. This is a bit sooner than we expected, but it makes sense, and honestly Kate will be relieved to stop.

In the US we have also accepted offers for some of our stock there to be sold to another remainderer, and the transfer will happen in January. We will let you know where Handheld books can be bought in the February Newsletter, our last one, and the website will also close for sales on 1st February. It will probably stay online for a few months as a placeholder to redirect passing customers to the remainderers’ websites.

The good news is that there will be one more Handheld Sale! Watch this space…

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