5 Independent Presses Finding And Publishing Hidden Gems
Not every book is meant to be a bestseller, and not every author has the luxury of a big marketing team. Some titles require special care, and that's what these presses offer, publishing genre-bending works from unique voices and providing valuable services to the literary community. This video was made with Ezvid Wikimaker.
5 Independent Publishers You Should Know
| Name | Notable Titles | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Rose Metal Press | Evidence of V: A Novel in Fragments, Facts, and Fictions by Sheila O'Connor | Monster Portraits by Del & Sofia Samatar | The After-Normal: Brief, Alphabetical Essays on a Changing Planet by David Carlin & Nicole Walker |
| Carcanet Press | The Air Year by Caroline Bird | Later Emperors by Evan Jones | A Colour for Solitude by Sujata Bhatt |
| Meadowlark Books | Green Bike: a group novel by Kevin Rabas, Mike Graves, & Tracy Million Simmons | To Leave a Shadow by Michael D. Graves | Walking on Water by Cheryl Unruh |
| What Books Press | Bling & Fringe (the L.A. Poems) by by Molly Bendall & Gail Wronsky | Brittle Star by Rod Val Moore | The Origin of Stars and Other Stories by Katharine Haake |
| Et Alia Press | Black & Kiddo: A True Story of Dust, Determination, and Cowboy Dreams by Brenda Clem Black | Can Everybody Swim? a Survival Story from Katrina's Superdome by Bruce S. Snow | The President Next Door by Philip Martin |
Book Trailer for Evidence of V: A Novel in Fragments, Facts, and Fictions from Rose Metal Press
Important Literacy Statistics
- 12%: Percentage of world population that could read and write in 1820
- 86%: Percentage that could read and write in 2015
- 2/3: Illiterate people worldwide who are women
- 85%: Juveniles who interface with the juvenile court system that are functionally illiterate
- More than 60%: Prison inmates who are functionally illiterate
- 90%: Welfare recipients who are high school dropouts
- 2/3: Students who cannot read proficiently by the end of 4th grade that end up in jail or on welfare
- 53%: Percentage of fourth grade students who said they read for recreation
- 20%: Percentage of eighth grade students who said the same
- 30 million: Number of U.S. adults who cannot read, write, or do basic math above a third-grade level
- 1/6: Young adults who drop out of high school
Why Reading Matters
Organizations That Promote Literacy & Reading
If you want to spread your love of literature with those in need, then you should consider looking into these non-profit organizations that promote literacy for people of all ages
In Depth
While there is no shortage of large, well known corporate publishers offering popular books, there are many lesser-known, smaller companies offering innovative, culturally relevant works to inspire and educate the literary community. Listed in no particular order, here are 5 inspiring publishers putting out meaningful literary offerings.
Coming in at #1, Rose Metal Press is a not-for-profit company specializing in the publication of flash fiction, nonfiction, prose poetry, and artistic works. Founded in 2006, they also publish an array of literature that moves beyond the traditional genres of poetry, fiction, and essay to employ new forms of expression.
Founded in January 2006 by Abigail Beckel and Kathleen Rooney, Rose Metal Press publishes several titles every year. They sponsor up to 30 readings and events annually which help to promote their literary community. The mission of Rose Metal Press is to publish innovative hybrid, transgressive, unusual, and hard to categorize literary projects, thereby helping to expand the field of publishing and the range of opportunities available to authors and readers worldwide.
The mission of Rose Metal Press is to publish innovative hybrid, transgressive, unusual, and hard to categorize literary projects, thereby helping to expand the field of publishing and the range of opportunities available to authors and readers worldwide.
Next up at #2, Carcanet was originally a literary magazine founded in 1962. The idea behind the magazine was to collect and publish a periodical of poetry, short fiction, and intelligent criticism of the arts. The intention was to link the liberal arts communities of Oxford and Cambridge Universities. Now in its fifth decade, Carcanet is a publishing imprint representing a diverse collection of modern literature.
Carcanet's range of published works seeks to be extensive and experimental. Its repertoire includes new writers from all over the world alongside major authors from the twentieth and earlier centuries. Dedicated to discovery, appraisal and reappraisal, Carcanet has persevered in the precarious world of literary imprints. Their curated collection of literature is linked by a sense of innovation, shared among the writers rediscovered as well as the new authors they publish.
Onwards to #3, Meadowlark Books is an independent publisher, born of a desire to produce high-quality books for print and electronic delivery. Their goal is to create a network and system of support for today's independent author. They seek to ensure that the stories they love and believe in are presented to readers in a manner that enhances the author's work.
Their goal is to create a network and system of support for today's independent author.
Tracy Million Simmons, founder of Meadowlark Books, enjoys reading and writing about the people and places both real and imagined of her home state of Kansas. She started the company in 2014 with the publication of their first title, Green Bike. Since that time, Meadowlark has published various works of poetry, fiction, and non-fiction, including the 2016 Kansas Notable Book, To Leave a Shadow by Michael D. Graves.
Moving on to #4, What Books Press was founded in 2009 by a group of like-minded writers and artists in Los Angeles, California. The collective came together in order to create an outlet for fiction and poetry that they felt was groundbreaking. They chose art for the covers of their books that they considered to be extraordinary.
Since its inception, What Books Press has published a long list of titles by both known and unknown authors. Each year, they move forward publishing new works that seek to bend literary expectations with a striking use of language or poignant portrayal of the human condition. What Books is a small, independent press challenging the modern corporate literary business model. In doing so, they seek to create diversity and innovation in the world of contemporary writing and reading.
What Books is a small, independent press challenging the modern corporate literary business model.
The last publisher on our list at #5 is Et Alia. This is a small press based in Little Rock, Arkansas which specializes in three specific areas. The first being local histories, which preserve and expand cultural memory. In this area Et Alia especially values the importance of neglected and alternative histories. Second are works that place special emphasis on physical, spiritual, and environmental well-being, giving voice to practitioners of holistic and alternative medicine. Lastly, this publisher aims to spotlight emerging artists, creating a platform for talented first-book authors to start their careers.
All of their books are printed domestically in the U.S. They are run by a small team of dedicated individuals who focus on promoting women's rights and voices. Et Alia is a small, local business that aims to continue to publish new titles every year, thereby growing its family of authors.
