What Can Independent Presses Do to Survive These Uncertain Times?
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An open letter sharing strategies and resources for the indie publishing community
Hello reader —
If you’re in any way a member of the independent publishing community (or a former member, or a recovering member, or an aspirational member), welcome. I hope you and yours are staying healthy and staying home, if able.
I’ve been reflecting a lot on the notion — oft-circulated these past few weeks — that the world we want to see at the end of this COVID-19 crisis is the world we need to forge, right now, together and on others’ behalves. As I rage and grieve, I also ask myself, “What kind of independent publishing industry do I want to see emerge from this exceptionally difficult time?”
And I ask the same of you: What sort of indie press community do you want to see survive — and thrive — in the years to come? What kind of independent publishing business model will best serve writers, artists, creators, and readers in the future? Which model will best serve the workers in our industry, from the warehouse floor to the production editor’s chair or the publicity assistant’s desk?
For my part, I want a more equitable industry. I want a more collaborative and cooperative one. And I believe partnerships, knowledge-sharing, equity, transparency, and resource-pooling might be independent publishing’s best tools to survive this unprecedented economic uncertainty. Selfishly, I’m also yearning to be useful to the colleagues and businesses and creators I adore. And I know many of us outside of the essential services sector are struggling with ways — beyond donating money or amplifying efforts or being kind — to be useful.
So together with my colleagues at ZG Communications, we’re bringing together a list of strategies, actionable steps, best practices, ideas, and resources that I hope will help independent presses navigate (and survive) the tough road ahead. Today and next week, we’ll share them here on Medium. These strategies are also available here in an easy-to-print-or-share Google doc (bit.ly/WhatCanIndiePressesDo).
Below, you’ll find part one of my recommendations for what strategic efforts independent presses can undertake during this terribly uncertain time. How…
