Spotlight on Indie Presses
Celebrate National Poetry Month with books from independent publishers
Photo by Kimberly Farmer on Unsplash
I chafe a little at the idea that we need a designated month (#nationalpoetrymonth) to pump up poetry in our culture. The Academy of American Poets, the organization that started National Poetry Month in 1996, says on its website:
“National Poetry Month reminds the public that poets have an integral role to play in our culture and that poetry matters.”
Ouch. Well … we certainly don’t need reminding. But we might benefit from all the extra activity in the poetry community (events like this or this or this).
Another way to celebrate National Poetry Month is to find new-to-us independent presses and to buy their books. Sure, buying books supports presses. It helps authors. But there’s another benefit that is purely selfish: It is the first step in making a connection with a press that might be a home for your current or future work.
Read … and Research
When I was seeking to place my first collection, Bloodline, I developed a short list of presses that published work that aligned with mine in some way. I bought books from their catalogs that intrigued me. I absorbed the books, assessed various strengths, considered which ones I quickly forgot and which held my interest over time.
I submitted my manuscript to some of those presses and was fortunate to receive two offers. There are many reasons that I chose to publish with 3: A Taos Press, but number one was the strong connection I’d developed to their books in the years prior to that acceptance.
So, go forth and buy books. If you can only afford to buy a few, buy a few. It can only benefit you.
The indie publishing landscape is wide, so if you’re feeling lost try browsing Small Press Distribution to start. They list books by genre and subcategories like Jewish, Latinx, LGBTQIA, etc. (Psst, Janie, they have a section for hybrid books.)
Poets & Writers magazine also maintains a searchable database of literary presses. And you can always work backwards to books and presses from poems you’ve found online or in an anthology.
Here ten that I particularly like—aside from 3: A Taos Press, of course.
Copper Canyon Press (OK, they are a more major publisher, but they are a nonprofit and I love almost everything they print so …)
Share your favorites in the comments.
This is a great list. I just met a few new-to-me presses at AWP, one of the highlights of the conference for sure. I'd put Milkweed in the Copper Canyon category, i.e. one of the biggest of the small. :) Alice James, which you list, has become a recent favorite. I'd put Graywolf on my list as well.
Well, Tupelo and 3:ATaos are two of my very favorites! Also, Two Sylvias.