Why you should become a small press publisher

Give a few hundred authors their "forever home", help lapsed readers turn off Netflix, and boost your own writing career

While working on the next educational post, I realised I had skipped a crucial question that needed to precede all of the “how” articles – “why?” Most of you reading this have absolutely zero interest in following in my footsteps and starting a small publishing label; and on some level, perhaps I should let you stay that way. You’re here to support Valley Press, right, not compete with it? And does the world really need more books?

Yes, it absolutely does – and anyway, this is not a zero-sum game. I don’t believe there is a limited pool of readers’ hours out there that we’re all fighting for; rather, I think great publishing makes new readers, brings back old ones, and convinces the part-timers to cancel their Netflix subscription and invest in a few more paperbacks. Not only will I benefit from your publishing efforts, but so will all those readers; to say nothing of your authors. “A rising tide lifts all boats,” as the old adage goes – and of course, putting more boats in the sea can only cause the water level to rise. (Erm… I think. May need to check with my six-year-old.)

In any case, if you are passionate enough about literature to read this blog, publishing could well be the hobby, “side hustle”, or part-time job you’re looking for. Here’s why:

It’s easier than you think

I genuinely believe that anyone computer-literate enough to answer emails, with the financial acumen to manage their own bank account, can – with time and patience – learn the skills required to be a successful publisher. Patience is the crucial word there, of course; besides a love of books, it’s the one essential trait a publisher needs, and you’ll have to learn that on your own. Everything else, I can teach you, and I will be doing so on this blog every week for the foreseeable future. (Note: the next “how” post included an overview of everything I’ll be covering.)

It’s cheaper than you think

If you need to, you can get your first book out in the world without spending a single penny – except for the £3.50 a month to access my premium blog posts, of course. The founder of Bluemoose famously re-mortgaged his house to kick things off, but he’d come from a job at the top end of the publishing industry and was aiming for the stratosphere; we’ll be starting a touch more modestly. I’m not talking about some slapped-together volume, though; I mean a real, impressive-looking publication that will put you on the map, without you needing to invest any of your own money. How? That’ll be a future post. (I’m sorry this is turning into such a tease!)

The writing is out there

It’s pouring into my inbox right now; 150 submissions in the first 11 days of the current window, with the same again expected before the 30th. I can only take on about 5 or 6, so what happens to the rest? I’ve seen 20 typescripts bordering on genius already, and it would be an absolute crime if they didn’t all see the light of day. (That’s partly what’s motivated this post, in fact – those authors need you!)

Oh, and not one of the first 150 has come from a talentless time-waster; these are all books crafted with great thought and care, and they all have a readership somewhere. It might be a few years before your small press can attract authors in their hundreds, but if you approach each task professionally and take the job seriously, you’ll never have a problem finding projects.

Time flexibility

Publishing is a slow-paced, asynchronous pursuit. You could literally put in an hour’s work each week, and still run a publishing house authors will want to be part of and readers will be keen to follow.

You’ll notice “get rich quick” does not appear on this list – I’m very much still waiting for that after fifteen years – but there’s more than one kind of wealth, and in many ways I live like I’ve already made my millions. Most days of the year, I set no alarm, keep whatever working hours I choose, and when I finally do sit down at my desk, select whatever task I feel most in the mood for, from a list of projects that are all of my own choosing. The deadlines for these projects? Whatever I say they are!

Obviously I do need to get a bit of move on, since I’m doing this for a living – and if you’re someone who thrives on structure and external motivation, you may be thinking that all sounds terrible (though authors will provide plenty of motivation, and you can set up as much structure as you need, as I have previously described). If, however, you think my working arrangement sounds like perfection, small press publishing could be right up your street.

Satisfaction

When a book is fully completed to a good standard, you have achieved something absolutely permanent, that you can pick up and remind yourself of any time. For example: every book published in the UK with an ISBN goes into the British Library, presumably for as long as Britain exists – so even if the absolute worst happens, and you don’t sell any copies, you’ve still contributed something real and long-lasting with each publication. (In the US, you have the Library of Congress, which I believe fulfils a similar purpose.)

Express yourself

Whatever your literary tastes, political views or favourite causes, being in control of a publishing outlet is a superb way to express them. You could blog for years without anyone looking or caring; but publishing houses are so rare, and so intriguing, that if you start one and take on authors, people will pay attention. What you do with that attention is up to you.

Boost your own writing prospects

In my post detailing how authors could (almost) guarantee themselves a small press publishing deal, I spoke about the importance of “give to get” as a form of marketing and image-building. Publishing other people’s work is the ultimate manifestation of that; you give a little love and it all comes back to you (as a wise, custard-pie-toting child once sang). But we don’t even need to get that metaphorical…

A more effective way to self-publish

Case study: CB Editions is one of the great UK small presses of this century, and among their first group of titles in 2007 was 24 for 3 by “Jennie Walker” – actually a pen name for the press’s founder, Charles Boyle. Taking this route gave the publication that extra kick of legitimacy that it wouldn’t have had if Charles had pursued straightforward self-publishing. As a result, it got into bookshops, secured some reviews, won a prize (at the ceremony for which, Charles confused everyone by standing up in “Jennie’s” place) and was re-published two years later by Bloomsbury.

I’m not saying you’ll repeat that journey, of course, and it was a different time; but there’s a glimmer of wisdom in there. If you are interested in self-publishing, your chances will be much higher if you learn publishing first; and what better way to learn than by doing? (Plus a subscription to this blog, of course!)

Boost your CV

If you aspire to work in publishing one day, don’t sit around daydreaming of a two-week internship stapling press sheets at a London conglomerate – start something yourself. That’s what I did, and though there have been rough times and smooth, it ended up keeping a roof over my head for ten years (and counting).

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That’s all I’ve got to say on this subject; a shorter post today, but with a lot more to follow. For now, if you can still complete this sentence – “I can’t become a small press publisher because…” – get in touch and I’ll see what I can do.

If you’ve been inspired by the above, or are reading because you already have your heart set on starting a small press, remember I’m happy to answer any quick questions in the comments or via email – and any not-so-quick in the next “Readers Questions” post. We could have the beginnings of a real movement here.