INDEPENDENT PUBLISHING: OFF THE BEATEN PATH

Independent publishing, as opposed to commercial pushing (think Random House), is a terrific option for authors whose books don’t fit a literary agent’s idea of “saleable.” Authors of short story or essay collections, flash fiction, poetry, hybrid work and off-the-beaten-path novels very often seek out independent presses for possible publication, and they are right to do so: the world of independent publishing is an exciting one, full of terrific presses and excellent books. 

I have written three collections of stories, two published and one forthcoming, all with independent presses, and I cannot overstate how supported I have felt, and how preciously my books have been treated. 

My first press was very small—a “micro” press—that publishes only two books a year, so you can imagine the attention that was paid to every aspect of my book. I was treated as an artist and my book a work of art, and it was marvelous. Though my editor there wasn’t interested in publishing my second collection, I am indebted to her, and we are still good friends. 

At the other end of the spectrum, my second publisher was quite large; my book was one of many and so did not receive the same attention, yet that press works with a larger distributor than a smaller press can, which means my book could end up on bookshop shelves—a big plus, as brick-and-mortar stores rarely stock small press books. 

My third publisher lands between the first two in terms of how many titles they publish in a year. So far, my editor there is attentive and sensitive, and I foresee a good experience.

How do you find the right publisher for your book? There are hundreds of independent publishers, so whatever your book, you will find at least a few potential publishers. Some require an agent to submit your book for you, but many more do not, so if you don’t have an agent, there are a few approaches. 

First, do your research. Find publishers who are interested in the kind of book you’ve written. Google is your friend! Enter “independent publishers accepting _____ submissions” and you’ll see a wealth of publishers. Research those publishers: do they interest you? Use your better judgement to discern a quality publisher from a fly-by-night operation and check out the authors they publish. 

Go to book fairs and approach the representatives of the presses you find there. Again, Google! Find book fairs in your area, and if you have the means, take a trip to the mother of all bookfairs, AWP (awpwriter.org/awp_conference), where so many publishers are represented it’ll make your head spin. I have known authors who’ve found publishers through schmoozing at book fairs, so don’t be shy, go for it.

Once you’ve found some publishers that interest you, see if and how they accept submissions. Some have open submissions for limited periods of time, others accept submissions all year long. Many presses hold competitions for books of fiction, non-fiction and poetry that anyone can enter, and yes, can really win—I found two of my publishers through winning contests. Keep your eyes peeled for open calls and contests through subscribing to Poets & Writers (https://www.pw.org) and checking their lists (as well as reading the magazine’s excellent articles) and if you know which presses you aspire to, mark their submission opportunity deadlines on your calendar. 

Though independent publishing is an excellent path to publication, it isn’t a breeze. Tenacity is a must! It took me over two years to find my first publisher, over a year to find my second, and ten months to find my third, and in all three cases I left no stone unturned, searching far and wide for publishers that would be even remotely interested in my book. Every book has its own specific journey, and you just never know what it is: keeping the faith is a necessity, as is an open mind.

By now you’ve doubtless gathered that if you want your book displayed in the front windows of Barnes and Noble or to be an Oprah pick, independent publishing is not for you. There are downsides to publishing independently, and lack of exposure is one of them. Amazon will carry your book, of course, and bookstores will special order it on demand, but it will likely not be available to browsers and that will affect sales.

An independently published book can be a tree that falls in the woods, especially if your press doesn’t have a marketing budget, so publicizing the book is something you should be prepared to do yourself. Create some buzz with your local bookstore, reach out to author friends who can review your book in the appropriate media outlets, and if you have the bucks, ask around and hire a publicist who knows about indie press books. 

I have been happy publishing my story collections with small presses, and I thrive in the creative vibrancy of the independent publishing world. And I love the thrill of that moment when the brown box arrives and there it is, my published book. It is real in my hands and has a place in the world, and isn’t that what it’s all about? 

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Louise Marburg is the author of three collections of stories, The Truth About Me (WTAW Press), No Diving Allowed (Regal House Publishing), and the forthcoming You Have Reached Your Destination (Eastover Press). Her work has appeared in such journals as Narrative, Ploughshares, STORY, The Hudson Review, and many others, and she has been a recipient of an Independent Publisher Book Award gold medal for short story collections. She lives in New York City with her husband, the artist Charles Marburg.

Find out more about her on her website http://louisemarburg.com/

Follow her on Twitter https://twitter.com/LouiseMarburg

NO DIVING ALLOWED

From F. Scott Fitzgerald to John Cheever, the swimming pool has long held a unique place in the mythos of the American idyll, by turns status symbol and respite. The fourteen stories that comprise NO DIVING ALLOWED fearlessly plunge the depths of the human condition as award-winning author Louise Marburg freights her narratives with the often unfathomable pressure of what lies beneath. In “Identical,” sibling rivalry between brothers exposes lingering resentments of men who never made peace with boyhood animosities; “Let Me Stay With You” follows a man whose innocent attention to a child is gravely misunderstood.

The trials of a fractured family come to the fore in the trenchant, unapologetic “Minor Thefts.” Siblings, friends, parents, couples, children: the characters in these stories ask how much any of us can bear before we break. Marburg’s writing is agile, witty, and crisply spare. These are tales of regret and mercy, of bonds forged and frayed, and most of all our individual capacity to love even that which damns us. As readers of these pages will learn, the difference between swimming and drowning is often nothing more than the will to live.

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Category: Contemporary Women Writers, How To and Tips