Three U.K. aerospace entrepreneurs have announced the launch of Factorial Books, a London-based science fiction publisher that promises to answer submissions within five days and will offer a 50/50 revenue split with authors.

Founders Chris Larmour, Martin Coates, and John May have secured initial funding for the inaugural Factorial list, which will publish later this year. The titles will be available in audio, ebook and paperback formats.

"Space technology has often taken its cues from science fiction. With Factorial, we want to return the favor," Factorial CEO Chris Larmour said in a press release announcing the venture. "Our goal is to remove the unnecessary friction that has held back too many great manuscripts—long wait times, outdated processes, poor communication—and replace it with speed, clarity, and genuine partnership."

Larmour is the founder of U.K.-based space technology company Orbex in 2015, and served as its CEO from 2016–2023. Coates served as interim CEO at Orbex from 2023–2024, and John May most recently as a program manager at the company.

The new publishing house intends to develop streamline production processes that will reduce the time to market for books. Part of this, the company claims, will come from eliminating barriers to submissions such as cover letters or synopses. They promise to answer all submissions within one work week.

"We're all sci-fi fans and we have nothing but respect and admiration for sci-fi authors," Larmour said. "No writer should have to wait for months on end for a decision on the manuscript they've worked so hard to bring to life."

Larmour explained that he and his co-founders were influenced by reading the work of a variety of authors. "Growing up, I read James Blish, Robert A. Heinlein, Harry Harrison, and Jeff Noon. And more recently, Charles Stross, Richard K. Morgan, Andy Weir, and Ernest Cline," he said. "Last year, Samantha Harvey’s Orbital became the first ever Booker Prize winner to be set in space, and testament to the power of sci-fi, it was also one of the shortest novels ever to win the award. Works like these are part of what inspired me to go out and build a rocket company. When approached with intelligence, science fiction can act as a beacon or a warning, help us grapple with big ideas like existence and meaning, and speculate about things that science has yet to unravel."

Asked about how the publisher intends to implement AI to expedite the publishing process, Larmour told PW, "We’re engineers at heart and this is very much a tech-led publishing company, so naturally we’re looking at how to streamline and modernize the production process wherever it makes sense. But for us, the real focus is on building something human-first: a publishing model that’s fast, fair, and supportive of the creative process." He added, "We’re not interested in cutting corners or outsourcing creative judgement. Every book we publish will be chosen, edited, and championed by experienced people who care deeply about the stories being told."

Board director John May emphasized the company's focus on author partnership. "At Factorial Books we're not just publishing stories— we're building the launchpad for the commercial success of the next generation of sci-fi authors," May said. "With a fair, 50/50 revenue-sharing model, a team of experienced sci-fi editors already signed up and waiting, a unique approach to marketing, and the financial resources already in place to deliver strong, innovative promotional campaigns, we're creating a new publishing platform that empowers authors and shares success equally."

The publisher is looking to publish full-length novels across subgenres including hard sci-fi, space opera, cyberpunk, and climate fiction. Both represented and unrepresented authors may submit work.

"At Factorial, we want to publish that kind of science fiction: thoughtful, original, world-building stories that say something meaningful about where we are and where we’re headed," Larmour said.