Publishing Revolution

Book publishing is in a state of crisis. Everyone who even incidentally interacts with the industry knows this. E-books are changing the way people purchase and read books — and the economic realities of the endeavor. Amazon’s gobbling up the marketplace. Even the big box stores are going bankrupt. Conglomerate publishing — the big houses, owned by media empires with no real interest in literature — cares more about branding and marketing plans than the quality of the books (we mean the corporations, not the editors; despite everything, the editors really, really care).

As a first effort to address these issues, in 2013 Kristiania convened a three day meeting at the Omi International Arts Center involving:

• Ugly Duckling Presse
• Archipelago Books
• Open Letter Books
• McPherson & Company
• Bellevue Literary Press
• Fence

There were two outcomes from this gathering:

1. A pledge to reconvene again, widening the event to include more stakeholders.

2. An open letter to independent media, asking them to please re-consider the simply choice of which booksellers they link to in news coverage of literature. (A copy of the letter is below.)

Fiction and poetry, those most intimate of art forms, have lost their centrality in the cultural conversation. Things have gotten too big, too public, and fiction and poetry are by their nature small and private: the solitary writer, the solitary reader, the profound connection between the two. The writer can’t case the market and simultaneously pursue his or her individual vision. The writer is more than a mere content provider. And so the writer is by and large being left behind.

And yet there are individuals and collectives of passionate people who dedicate their lives to supporting the writer, curating the work, making the writing that matters most to them available despite the odds, not because they foresee an economic gain (how could they), but because they must, because like the monks of yore, they understand that the world is a lesser place without illuminated text.

The small and quixotic publishers of the world are the only chance literature has of continuing to live. And being small and light on resources, and being just a slight bit crazy, we struggle. Together, we’ll struggle a little bit less.

Open Letter to Independent Media

As publishers, writers and readers of books from independent and small presses, we encourage you to rethink your links. At a time when the independent media is mourning the loss of neighborhood bookstores and bemoaning the corporate marketing imperatives of big-house publishing, it seems some simple actions for moving book culture toward a brighter future are being overlooked: An overwhelming majority of independent media sources do not link from their online book reviews and book-related articles to publisher’s websites. Yet, such links would be the surest, easiest path to changing the culture of book-buying while supporting the independent presses working hard to make such books available. By linking from book reviews and related articles to the relevant publishers you would be leading the charge in educating the public about the importance of small and independent publishing, while also helping your readers informed choices as consumers of independently-published literature. By linking to the publisher you’ll ensure that your readers make stronger connections between the books they read and the publishers who shepherd these books — and others like them — into the world. It is the publisher that knows the best way for readers to acquire the book, and more than likely this will also be the best way for readers to support the independent presses they depend on. Largely free of misrepresentations of the author’s intentions, and devoid of informational errors regarding the book’s publication, release, distribution, and availability, the publisher’s website is the most trustworthy and accountable source of information about the book your reader is looking for. The publisher’s website also brings your reader into a world of related reading, and as a participant in communities of other small and independent presses, the publisher can serve the reader as a gateway into these communities. Independent publishers and small presses spend scarce staff time and resources on maintaining their websites with up-to-date information about their authors’ books and live appearances. Moreover, their pages often link back to you — the independent media sources that review their books. Let’s work together to make sure that the go-to webpage for any book is, first and foremost, the publisher’s webpage. The independent media can and should have a mutually beneficial relationship with independent publishers. We hope you’ll consider this as a friendly call to action.

Kristiania.

Donate to Kristiania via PayPal