May 2011 Program: Small Press, Big Dreams
The Indie Publishing Scene in Chicago
The publishing industry is weathering a period of creative destruction. While some respected publishers downsize and even fall, scores more rise in their place. Such that today, the Chicagoland area is home to more than 100 independent publishers.
CWIP's May program, “Small Press, Big Dreams,” examined this rapidly evolving world of Indie publishing. Jenny Gavacs conceived the idea for this discussion and assembled a dynamic and diverse panel of local powerhouses: Jane Bunker, director of Northwestern University Press; Allison Manley, cofounder and co-owner of Squishy Press; Davis Schneiderman, founder and director of Lake Forest College Press; and Cynthia Sherry, publisher of Chicago Review Press.
Keys to Success
Panel participants agreed that successful independent publishers are passionate about what they do. They find a niche that excites them, and they remain true to their audience.
Squishy Press, for example, was founded to exploit an overlooked niche: environmentally friendly books (and toys) for babies and toddlers. Squishy's well-targeted products have struck a chord with modern moms, such that, by its first birthday, Squishy had expanded into five states.
Schneiderman offers additional advice to small and emerging publishers: “Limit the amount of things you do.” Schneiderman maintains that limiting production has allowed Lake Forest College Press to “focus on what we are doing” and “to do it better each time.”
ePublishing
ePublishing is absolutely consequential. It is changing the book-publishing model in ways not yet understood.
Chicago Review Press has been producing eBooks for some time, yet their eBook strategies continue to evolve. Sherry explained, “Now the conversation has changed . . . from should you do an eBook . . . (to) how fast can you get that eBook out?”
But Sherry points out that electronic publishing still raises many questions, particularly with respect to pricing, format, and marketing.
With respect to pricing, Sherry is concerned about hardbacks and paperbacks going away. She explains, “If we get to a point where there is no hardcover and there is no paperback, and you're doing original books in eBooks, it would be hard to sustain the much cheaper prices.”
Schneiderman approaches electronic media as a visionary. He professes no nostalgia for the physical book, and he predicts that in two to five decades, “we won't have books as we do now.” Under his direction, Lake Forest College Press is exploring literature apps that support interactive books.
Marketing
Social networking sites, interactive online advertisements, free gifting, and conceptual marketing: nontraditional book marketing is becoming the norm. Publishers not only seek to gain attention, but they also aim to stay connected.
Building affinity communities is a particularly promising method for small publishers to generate ongoing sales. Publishers who can find their niche with a community increase their potential to capitalize.
Ultimately, Bunker reminds us that the “best marketing is word of mouth.”
Employment Opportunities?
Bunker of Northwestern invites interested candidates to submit a resume.
Sherry of Chicago Review Press suggests that freelance applicants contact her firm's managing editor.
And Schneiderman, who seeks to push “the boundaries of what literature is,” asks that you email him “if you have a crazy idea.”
