In July 1985, Michael O’Mara Books published its first book. At that time, the firm’s only two employees were Mr. and Mrs. O’Mara, and the offices were the spare bedroom of their semi-detached Clapham house. It was, quite literally, a Mom and Pop business. Now, after thirty years of publications and with a backlist of a thousand titles, Michael O'Mara Books is still a family firm, producing 150 new titles a year. Succeeding as an independent in a publishing world dominated by vast, multinational conglomerates is not easy, but it is fun.