The Little Press That Could

We are a small press; not itty bitty, one-book-per-year small, but we're not what one would call "big". We don't have an array of positions like Marketing Director and Events Coordinator, although that would be dandy. We are not a giant. There are about five major publishing houses in the United States, with an array of equally large imprints. At the same time there are thousands of small presses trying to get your attention in any way they can. But spotlights are hard to find. Each one of us is vying for your eyes, your interest, your purchase, your loyalty. We're trying to both work in harmony to gain attention as a group and support one another, while also trying to single ourselves out from the crowd like an over-eager student with his hand raised "Pick me! Pick me!!"

We go to great lengths with limited budgets to win you over. Many of us have other jobs to support our presses. We go to conferences and trade shows, visit bookstores and distributors in our spare time, or what's left of it. And at the end of the week if we can make a few sales we analyze what we did right and take thorough notes, trying to duplicate whatever it was. Starting a new press is a drain on time and money, so the passion has to be there to make it succeed. Our initial goal when we took over Plan B in 2003 was to make our press self-sustaining, to get it to stand on its wobbly new legs. Readers make that happen. Audiences at poetry readings make that happen. The passion to publish makes that happen.

So, a toast to all small presses who have stood the test of time. May we all be open as long as Ugly Duckling Presse, New Directions, or dare-we-dream?, City Lights.

Katy May
Creative Director