Publishing, finding an agent, submitting your work, preparing it for publication and publicity, that’s the business end of things. The craft, the work of writing is the creative part, the labor of love, the leap of faith. I could only do so much, and I always wondered what it would be like to run a press with meaningful resources.Īs I learned about publishing from the writer’s perspective, I came to understand how very different publishing is from writing. At the time, I was a junior faculty member making not a lot of money and funding the entire endeavor out of pocket. I learned a lot of painful lessons, many of them at the post office, but I published some incredible books from generous writers who entrusted their work with me, no small thing.
There is the editing, and working with a printer, going over proofs, promotion and publicity and, of course, distribution. You’re responsible for everything! You acquire the books, draft the contracts, design the books and covers or find someone to do that work. There was a steep learning curve, because running a press is incredibly challenging, especially when you’re a one-person operation. I published small but mighty books that could fit in your pocket or purse. Many years ago, I had a micropress called Tiny Hardcore Press.
