The Small Press Publishing Handbook, Part 2 — Foundations

Welcome back to this continuing series aimed at those looking to start, and successfully run, a small publishing house. In part one, I defined the term small press publishing, offered some thoughts on why it may be a worthwhile pursuit, and explained my background/why I was writing this series. Now, it’s time to get started, and we’ll begin at the absolute beginning.

What should I name my small press?

Anything you want — but there are conventions in the naming of publishing houses, and following them can help people already active in the literary world quickly understand who you are and what you are offering.

The typical small press name is a game of two halves. The first half would be one of the following:

• A place name or landmark local to the founder
• The founder’s name, or initials
• A species of animal or plant
• Any quirky word or phrase not currently in use

This would be followed by one of the following words: “Press”, “Books”, “Publishing”, “Editions”, or the more recently-popularised “Ink”. Which of these you use should be carefully considered: “Press” and “Editions” lean towards the more serious, literary end of the spectrum, whereas I feel…