I’ve been sitting here in my office (bed) this morning while eating a healthy breakfast (Apple Jacks) reading some really great discussions on Twitter about small presses that seem to have come from a wonderful article on Reddit written by Beth Revis.
I thought I’d list some of the small and independent presses I really love. If you guys bribe Gordon with chocolate he may edit this post and add his favorites too. I know he’s a lot more educated in small presses than I am and can add a lot of names to our list. Laurie probably knows a few in the adult spectrum, and Danielle already listed hers. Maybe Laurie, Gordon, and Jen will jump in with their favorites!
Algonquin always comes to mind for me because they publish some of my favorite books and they do it well. Jonathan Evison and Robert Goolrick and Julia Alvarez and Hilary Jordan are all published by Algonquin. They provide quality literature with great editing and amazing presentation.
McSweeney’s provides a wonderful outlet for artists and authors to go wild with their creativity in a publishing environment. I really love the presentation of their books.
Zest Books has great nonfiction for teens. I love the subject matters they choose and how they always push the envelope.
Tanglewood publishes Mike Mullen and Audrey Penn. They do great work on editing and presentation.
Spencer Hill Press started out with publishing the publisher’s books. They have a solid editorial team and a good distribution partner!
Shadow Mountain puts out quite a few books a year focusing on all genres and age ranges. I have a book with them and Laurie has two! We love this pub.
LAURIE HERE WITH A FEW OF MY FAVORITE GENRE-SPECIFIC SMALL PRESSES:
Night Shade Books, now a part of Skyhorse and Start, Night Shade puts out great Science Fiction/Fantasy/Horror anthologies, lesser works from bestselling authors, and debut books by the boatful. Gorgeous covers, thoughtful editing, and a fun online community. I like their tendencies to publish things that mainstream Big Five don’t.
Entangled Publishing is always growing and experimenting with new subgenres of romance, book lengths, novellas, and pretty much everything. They only pay $250 for advances, but their royalties are higher and they do market the heck out of their books.
Angry Robot Books is based in the UK, but publishes some really great SF/F/H fiction. That’s where Chuck Wendig’s books ended up. Their covers are amazing. I hope to sell to them soon.
Poisoned Pen Press. For mysteries, you can’t get much better. They’re located in Arizona. Their quality is high and their books are affordable. Many good authors here.
Pyr is great because of one man: Lou Anders. He’s an amazing talent as an award-winning editor AND art director. You always know a Pyr book. Great cover. Great story. Excellent editing.
(I also like Spencer Hill Press a lot.)
GORDON LOVES INDEPENDENT PRESSES. THEY OFTEN PRODUCE THE BOOKS HE READS FOR FUN:
Although I could go on for days singing the praises of those like Algonquin, McSweeney’s, and Skyhorse (much love, btw), I’d like to get a little freaky and dig deeper into the realm of micro/art presses. Some people think that small necessarily means unqualified in publishing. Though there are some glaring examples of unfit small presses, there are also those who not only do good work, but they are actively progressing what it means to publish books. The following presses release only a few titles per year, but they work very closely on them, often producing gorgeous works that you won’t see at the Big Five.
2D Cloud is a very forward-thinking literary comics press out of Minneapolis. Digital comics are very hot right now, and 2DC regularly supplements their print titles with alternative formats, such as web portal serials, enhanced e-books, and games. Look for MariNaomi‘s latest graphic memoir over the course of 2014 and 2015.
Pink Fish Press publishes “independent literary art,” which is essentially quality literary fiction and nonfiction. I’m a big fan of their list, and I love their tendency to push against genre conventions for the sake of creating a damn good book.
Jaded Ibis Productions has long been a favorite. They typically publish four versions of their books: e-book, b&w paperback, color paperback, and fine art edition. The latter I’d call less of a book and more of a narrative object. It isn’t terribly uncommon for their books to have soundtracks, too. I just met with Debra, and they have some very exciting work forthcoming.
Copilot Press is a California indie that is really bringing back the art of bookmaking. A lot of what they do is limited edition, hand-bound, and interactive. They released my favorite book of 2011, one that will never be an e-book or an audio book because it must be read with your hands. It was later adapted into a dress to be read on an imagined body.
This is one reason why I love working in publishing right now. There are potential outlets for just about anything your imagination can cook up.
SUGGESTIONS FROM AGENTS AND AUTHORS:
Overlook Press has been around forever and have some of the best genre books known to man.
Unbridled Books is a rare find in literary fiction. I’ve personally adored several of their offerings. Great process at that house and room for creativity.
Running Press is part of the Perseus book group. They publish quality fiction for all ages and have great distribution.
Soho Another genre option. Soho is fantastic at their specialized list and what they do. Their editorial process is similar to that of a big six.
Dzanc Books is a great publisher that also funds three literary magazines.
Counterpoint is the blend of three great independent presses.
Milkweed has been around for 33 years!
Tin House began as an imprint of Bloomsbury before opening their own doors.
