What happens when the mainstream publishing community isn't putting out the kind of sincere, literary travel stories you crave? For Mike Robertson, the answer was simple: Start your own publishing house.
Sun Rider Press has published books on pilgrimages in Tibet, bike rides across India, wayward adventures, and self-discovery along the English Channel, and more besides. Their print runs are small; their distribution channels simple. No Amazon. No chain retailers. Just a signed copy of the book mailed to you personally by the publishers themselves.
In the midst of a publishing identity crisis fueled by collapsing margins, bullying online retailers, and the perils of AI, could this example of passionate micro-publishing be the answer? Mike Robertson joins the Travel Writing Podcast to speak about his journey.
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What happens when the mainstream publishing community isn't putting out the kind of sincere, literary travel stories you crave? For Mike Robertson, the answer was simple: Start your own publishing house.
Sun Rider Press has published books on pilgrimages in Tibet, bike rides across India, wayward adventures, and self-discovery along the English Channel, and more besides. Their print runs are small; their distribution channels simple. No Amazon. No chain retailers. Just a signed copy of the book mailed to you personally by the publishers themselves.
In the midst of a publishing identity crisis fueled by collapsing margins, bullying online retailers, and the perils of AI, could this example of passionate micro-publishing be the answer? Mike Robertson joins the Travel Writing Podcast to speak about his journey.
Mark Agnew on Resilience, Setting Records, and Conquering the Northwest Passage
Travel Writing Podcast
31 minutes 1 second
5 months ago
Mark Agnew on Resilience, Setting Records, and Conquering the Northwest Passage
When your mental health is fragile, the temptation may be to stay home and take things slow. Not so for Mark Agnew. When dealing with internal challenges, he took the fight externally, pitting himself against the elements. His ultimate quest? To be among the first to conquer the Northwest passage, the infamous route between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, which has defeated numerous explorers for centuries, with only human-powered kayaks.
In this episode of the Travel Writing Podcast, we speak about Mark's ultimately successful undertaking with his team, the Arctic Cowboys. We talk about the reality of making it as an adventurer in today's world, what his adventures taught Mark about resilience and mental health, and how he crafted his experience into a compelling book: There Will be Headwinds: Kayaking the Northwest Passage (3rd July 2025 from Icon Books).
Travel Writing Podcast
What happens when the mainstream publishing community isn't putting out the kind of sincere, literary travel stories you crave? For Mike Robertson, the answer was simple: Start your own publishing house.
Sun Rider Press has published books on pilgrimages in Tibet, bike rides across India, wayward adventures, and self-discovery along the English Channel, and more besides. Their print runs are small; their distribution channels simple. No Amazon. No chain retailers. Just a signed copy of the book mailed to you personally by the publishers themselves.
In the midst of a publishing identity crisis fueled by collapsing margins, bullying online retailers, and the perils of AI, could this example of passionate micro-publishing be the answer? Mike Robertson joins the Travel Writing Podcast to speak about his journey.
