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STANDAGE held its invitation-only tasting, STANDAGE London Japanese F&B Tasting, over two days on Monday 8 and Tuesday 9 June 2026 at MOI (84 Wardour St) in Soho, London, introducing sake and other Japanese food and drink to UK buyers. Products from 15 Japanese SMEs were gathered under one roof, and around 50 guests — restaurant professionals, importers, and bar and off-licence operators — attended, with more than half going on to discuss concrete sourcing. Most of the products shown are not currently imported into the UK.

Although STANDAGE has taken part in numerous international trade fairs as an exhibitor, this is the first event it has organised entirely on its own. STANDAGE staff presented the products on behalf of the producers, led by Junmai Ginjo and Junmai Daiginjo sake and extending to shochu, whisky, gin and liqueurs, food, premium ice for bars and luxury hotels, and craftwork.

Event overview

Event：STANDAGE London Japanese F&B Tasting (invitation only)
Dates：Monday 8 – Tuesday 9 June 2026, 13:00–17:00 each day

Venue：MOI, 84 Wardour St, Soho, London W1F 0TF

Format：Strictly invitation only; trade professionals, not open to the public

On show：Products from 15 Japanese SMEs — sake at the centre, alongside shochu, whisky and gin, liqueurs and umeshu, food, premium ice and craftwork. Most are not yet available in the UK.

Attendance：Around 50 guests (roughly half from restaurants; the remainder importers, distributors and bar and off-licence operators)

Organiser：STANDAGE

In partnership with：Natsuki Kikuya (London-based F&B coordinator) and MOI (venue), among others

On the day

Guests tasted and sampled their way through the range — sake at the centre, alongside shochu, whisky, gin and liqueurs, as well as food and craftwork — with STANDAGE staff on hand to explain each product and the story of its producer. Rather than seated meetings at tables, conversations largely took place standing, glass in hand. Premium ice for bars and luxury hotels was also presented as a way to raise the quality of cocktails and premium spirits served. Among those attending were sommeliers from Michelin-starred restaurants in the UK, as well as major importers and distributors.

Sake, awamori and umeshu — the event’s lead categories — drew particular interest. Japanese wine also met a warmer reception than expected: in a European market where wine culture runs deep and standards are high, the ginger wine and red wine on show were well received, a result that speaks to the quality of the producers taking part. Nick Rowan, author of Japanese Wine, was also among the guests, a sign of the growing attention Japanese wine is attracting.

What guests said

A London sommelier

“There are plenty of well-known national sake brands, but consumers are always after something new — a new product, a new experience. What was shown here felt genuinely new.”

An experienced bartender

“Sake sits at around 16% ABV, close to wine at about 12%, so it’s easy for London drinkers to relate to. Awamori is around 45%, close to whisky, so that lands easily too. Shochu, at about 25%, is a category of its own — but explained properly, that’s exactly what makes it an interesting proposition.”

On show (sake at the centre, from 15 producers)

Sake (lead category)：Junmai Ginjo and Junmai Daiginjo from several breweries, including Mutoya, Akita Meijo, Mutemuka, Nishino Kinryo, Umi to Machi to, and Nihon Glocal Business

Awamori：Okinawa Island Blue and others (Nanto Shuhan); Leo Corporation

Umeshu (plum wine)：Kumahei Umeshu (Inoue Umeboshi; certified GI Wakayama Umeshu)

Japanese wine：Ginger Wine and Ginger Sparkling (Eiho Foods); red wine (Umi to Machi to)

Premium ice (for bars and luxury hotels)：Ichimaru stick ice and Diamond Ice (Chusei Seihyo Reizo, FSSC 22000); pure-ice cubes (Okamoto Ice, 48-hour slow process, FSSC 22000)

Plus shochu, whisky, gin, food and craftwork — 15 producers in total.

A number of the products shown have won international awards, including at Kura Master, the IWSC (International Wine & Spirits Competition) and the U.S. National Sake Appraisal.
What happens next

STANDAGE will follow up with the UK buyers who attended, to turn the conversations begun at the tasting into actual trade. Encouraged by the response to this first edition, STANDAGE plans to hold further own-organised tastings in London and other cities abroad.

About STANDAGE

STANDAGE Inc., founded in March 2017, supports Japanese small and medium-sized enterprises in opening up overseas markets and exporting. Drawing on a team led by alumni of Japan’s major trading houses, it works across a wide range of categories — food, sake, supplements, medical devices and materials among them — and also develops trade DX systems for settlement and logistics using blockchain. Head office: Minato-ku, Tokyo. President & CEO: Akinori Adachi.

Media enquiries

STANDAGE — PR Team

Email: pr@standage.co.jp  /  Tel: +81 3 6435 3371

STANDAGE website (English): https://standage-inquiry.netlify.app/#

First published on Big News

The post STANDAGE hosts first own-organised trade tasting in London Bringing sake and other Japanese food and drink to the UK market appeared first on businessfactor.co.uk.

STANDAGE held its invitation-only tasting, STANDAGE London Japanese F&B Tasting, over two days on Monday 8 and Tuesday 9 June 2026 at MOI (84 Wardour St) in Soho, London, introducing sake and other Japanese food and drink to UK buyers. Products from 15 Japanese SMEs were gathered under one roof, and around 50 guests — restaurant professionals, importers, and bar and off-licence operators — attended, with more than half going on to discuss concrete sourcing. Most of the products shown are not currently imported into the UK.

Although STANDAGE has taken part in numerous international trade fairs as an exhibitor, this is the first event it has organised entirely on its own. STANDAGE staff presented the products on behalf of the producers, led by Junmai Ginjo and Junmai Daiginjo sake and extending to shochu, whisky, gin and liqueurs, food, premium ice for bars and luxury hotels, and craftwork.

Event overview

Event：STANDAGE London Japanese F&B Tasting (invitation only)
Dates：Monday 8 – Tuesday 9 June 2026, 13:00–17:00 each day

Venue：MOI, 84 Wardour St, Soho, London W1F 0TF

Format：Strictly invitation only; trade professionals, not open to the public

On show：Products from 15 Japanese SMEs — sake at the centre, alongside shochu, whisky and gin, liqueurs and umeshu, food, premium ice and craftwork. Most are not yet available in the UK.

Attendance：Around 50 guests (roughly half from restaurants; the remainder importers, distributors and bar and off-licence operators)

Organiser：STANDAGE

In partnership with：Natsuki Kikuya (London-based F&B coordinator) and MOI (venue), among others

On the day

Guests tasted and sampled their way through the range — sake at the centre, alongside shochu, whisky, gin and liqueurs, as well as food and craftwork — with STANDAGE staff on hand to explain each product and the story of its producer. Rather than seated meetings at tables, conversations largely took place standing, glass in hand. Premium ice for bars and luxury hotels was also presented as a way to raise the quality of cocktails and premium spirits served. Among those attending were sommeliers from Michelin-starred restaurants in the UK, as well as major importers and distributors.

Sake, awamori and umeshu — the event’s lead categories — drew particular interest. Japanese wine also met a warmer reception than expected: in a European market where wine culture runs deep and standards are high, the ginger wine and red wine on show were well received, a result that speaks to the quality of the producers taking part. Nick Rowan, author of Japanese Wine, was also among the guests, a sign of the growing attention Japanese wine is attracting.

What guests said

A London sommelier

“There are plenty of well-known national sake brands, but consumers are always after something new — a new product, a new experience. What was shown here felt genuinely new.”

An experienced bartender

“Sake sits at around 16% ABV, close to wine at about 12%, so it’s easy for London drinkers to relate to. Awamori is around 45%, close to whisky, so that lands easily too. Shochu, at about 25%, is a category of its own — but explained properly, that’s exactly what makes it an interesting proposition.”

On show (sake at the centre, from 15 producers)

Sake (lead category)：Junmai Ginjo and Junmai Daiginjo from several breweries, including Mutoya, Akita Meijo, Mutemuka, Nishino Kinryo, Umi to Machi to, and Nihon Glocal Business

Awamori：Okinawa Island Blue and others (Nanto Shuhan); Leo Corporation

Umeshu (plum wine)：Kumahei Umeshu (Inoue Umeboshi; certified GI Wakayama Umeshu)

Japanese wine：Ginger Wine and Ginger Sparkling (Eiho Foods); red wine (Umi to Machi to)

Premium ice (for bars and luxury hotels)：Ichimaru stick ice and Diamond Ice (Chusei Seihyo Reizo, FSSC 22000); pure-ice cubes (Okamoto Ice, 48-hour slow process, FSSC 22000)

Plus shochu, whisky, gin, food and craftwork — 15 producers in total.

A number of the products shown have won international awards, including at Kura Master, the IWSC (International Wine & Spirits Competition) and the U.S. National Sake Appraisal.

What happens next

STANDAGE will follow up with the UK buyers who attended, to turn the conversations begun at the tasting into actual trade. Encouraged by the response to this first edition, STANDAGE plans to hold further own-organised tastings in London and other cities abroad.

About STANDAGE

STANDAGE Inc., founded in March 2017, supports Japanese small and medium-sized enterprises in opening up overseas markets and exporting. Drawing on a team led by alumni of Japan’s major trading houses, it works across a wide range of categories — food, sake, supplements, medical devices and materials among them — and also develops trade DX systems for settlement and logistics using blockchain. Head office: Minato-ku, Tokyo. President & CEO: Akinori Adachi.

Media enquiries

STANDAGE — PR Team

Email: pr@standage.co.jp  /  Tel: +81 3 6435 3371

STANDAGE website (English): https://standage-inquiry.netlify.app/#

——

First published on Big News

The post STANDAGE hosts its first own-organised trade tasting in London Bringing sake and other Japanese food and drink to the UK market appeared first on businessfactor.co.uk.

The publishing landscape has evolved, creating more opportunities for writers to take an active role in finding the right publishing partner. Depending on your genre, career goals, and publishing preferences, you may discover that you don’t need a literary agent to land a great book publisher.

This article explores when an agent is helpful, when you can confidently submit on your own, and how to maximize your chances of success without professional New York publishers for first-time authors representation.

What Does a Literary Agent Do?

A literary agent serves as an intermediary between authors and publishers. Their primary responsibilities include:

• Evaluating manuscripts
• Helping authors refine proposals
• Pitching books to publishers
• Negotiating publishing contracts
• Managing subsidiary rights
• Advising on career development

Agents often have established relationships with editors, which can help manuscripts reach publishers that do not accept unsolicited submissions.

While these services are valuable, they are not necessary for every publishing journey.

The Publishing Industry Has Changed

Years ago, many large publishing houses accepted very few submissions directly from authors. Today, the publishing world is far more diverse.

In addition to major publishing companies, authors now have access to:

• Independent publishers
• Small presses
• Hybrid publishers
• Academic publishers
• Regional publishing houses
• Digital-first publishers

Many of these publishers welcome direct submissions, making it possible to secure a publishing contract without first finding an agent.

Many Excellent Publishers Accept Direct Submissions

A growing number of respected publishers actively encourage authors to submit manuscripts without representation.

These publishers often provide detailed submission guidelines explaining:

• Accepted genres
• Required materials
• Response times
• Formatting requirements

If your manuscript fits their publishing program, you may communicate directly with acquisitions editors throughout the review process.

For many authors, this creates a more straightforward publishing experience.

Independent Publishers Value Direct Relationships

Independent publishers frequently build close working relationships with authors.

Because they publish fewer books each year, they often appreciate communicating directly with writers during:

• Manuscript evaluation
• Editorial revisions
• Production planning
• Marketing discussions
• Publication scheduling

This collaborative environment appeals to authors who enjoy active participation in the publishing process.

Hybrid Publishers Often Work Directly with Authors

Hybrid publishing has become an increasingly popular option.

Unlike many traditional publishers, reputable hybrid publishers generally accept submissions directly from authors.

The process often includes:

• Manuscript evaluation
• Editorial consultation
• Publishing agreement
• Collaborative production
• Professional editing
• Design and distribution

Authors can receive professional publishing support without first securing literary representation.

You Save Time in the Submission Process

Finding a literary agent can take months—or even years.

Authors may spend significant time:

• Writing query letters
• Researching agents
• Waiting for responses
• Revising submissions
• Receiving multiple rejections

If your preferred publishers accept direct submissions, you may move more quickly toward publication by contacting them yourself.

This can be particularly beneficial for books on timely subjects or authors with specific publishing schedules.

You Know Your Book Best

No one understands your manuscript better than you do.

When communicating directly with publishers, you can explain:

• Your inspiration
• Your target audience
• Your expertise
• Your marketing ideas
• Your publishing goals

Authentic communication often helps establish productive relationships with editors from the beginning.

Greater Control Over Your Publishing Journey

Submitting directly allows authors to remain closely involved throughout the publishing process.

You make decisions about:

• Which publishers to approach
• Submission timing
• Proposal revisions
• Communication with editors

Many writers appreciate having greater control over these important career decisions.

Specialized Books Often Don’t Require Agents

Some categories of books are particularly well suited to direct submissions.

Examples include:

• Regional history
• Academic works
• Poetry
• Children’s books
• Local interest titles
• Professional guides
• Educational materials

Many publishers specializing in these areas welcome direct contact from authors.

Strong Author Platforms Can Open Doors

Modern publishers increasingly value authors who already have established audiences.

An author platform may include:

• A professional website
• An email newsletter
• A blog
• A podcast
• Speaking engagements
• Industry recognition
• Social media communities

Authors with engaged audiences often attract publisher interest even without literary representation.

Technology Has Made Publishing More Accessible

Digital communication has simplified the submission process.

Many publishers now provide online submission portals where authors can upload:

• Query letters
• Book proposals
• Sample chapters
• Complete manuscripts

This accessibility has reduced many of the barriers that previously made agents essential.

When a Literary Agent Is Especially Helpful

Although many authors publish successfully without agents, representation remains valuable in certain situations.

An agent may be beneficial if you are:

• Targeting major multinational publishing houses
• Negotiating complex contracts
• Selling foreign rights
• Exploring film or television adaptations
• Managing multiple publishing offers
• Building a long-term commercial writing career

Agents provide expertise that can be especially valuable in high-profile publishing negotiations.

How to Submit Successfully Without an Agent

If you decide to approach publishers directly, preparation is essential.

Research Publishers Carefully

Study publishers that specialize in your genre.

Review:

• Recent releases
• Submission guidelines
• Publishing philosophy
• Target audiences

Choosing publishers that align with your manuscript greatly improves your chances of success.

Follow Submission Guidelines Exactly

Every publisher specifies how submissions should be prepared.

These requirements may include:

• Word count
• File format
• Synopsis length
• Sample chapters
• Query letter

Failure to follow instructions may result in immediate rejection.

Prepare a Professional Query Letter

Your query letter should briefly explain:

• Your book’s premise
• Target audience
• Genre
• Word count
• Author qualifications
• Why you selected that publisher

Keep the letter concise, engaging, and professional.

Polish Your Manuscript

Editors expect submissions to be publication-ready.

Before submitting:

• Revise thoroughly.
• Correct grammar and spelling.
• Seek beta reader feedback.
• Consider professional editing.

A polished manuscript creates a strong first impression.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Authors submitting independently should avoid:

• Sending mass submissions without research
• Ignoring publisher guidelines
• Contacting inappropriate publishers
• Overstating market potential
• Submitting incomplete manuscripts
• Responding unprofessionally to rejection

Professionalism remains essential throughout the publishing process.

Questions to Ask Before Accepting an Offer

Whether you have an agent or not, always ask potential publishers:

• What rights will I retain?
• How are royalties calculated?
• What marketing support is included?
• Who owns the copyright?
• How will my book be distributed?
• What editorial services are provided?
• What is the publication timeline?

Understanding the contract protects your interests and helps you make informed decisions.

The Importance of Contract Review

Even without an agent, you should never sign a publishing contract without fully understanding its terms.

Consider consulting:

• A publishing attorney
• An intellectual property lawyer
• An experienced publishing consultant

Professional legal advice can help identify unfavorable clauses and clarify your rights and obligations.

Final Thoughts

While literary agents continue to play an important role in the publishing industry, they are no longer the only gateway to securing a quality publishing deal. Thanks to the growth of independent presses, hybrid publishers, and direct submission opportunities, many authors successfully connect with reputable publishers on their own.

The key is to approach the process with professionalism, preparation, and realistic expectations. By researching publishers, following submission guidelines, presenting a polished manuscript, and carefully reviewing any publishing agreement, you can confidently pursue publication without literary representation. For many writers, taking the direct route not only saves time but also fosters stronger relationships with publishers and provides greater control over their publishing journey.

The post Why You Might Not Need a Literary Agent to Land a Great Book Publisher appeared first on businessfactor.co.uk.