Rummaging through dustbooks: An analysis of independent small presses

An “Accidental Profession”: Small Press Publishing in the Pacific Northwest

“…They are also, often, the territory for the alternative and nonconformist communities. As we have seen from this research: several small presses have developed niche markets for specific multicultural interests, women's issues, and LGBTQ matters, and unprofitable markets such as poetry [1]. These presses are also responsible for introducing these niches, and new authors into the marketplace and into the visibility of larger publishers: allowing them, the authors, the space, and time, to create and innovate.…”

“…Previous studies about the development of small presses suggest they were established in response to various counter-culture movements and have existed, for decades, alongside hegemonic media companies [1,2,37]. While seven of the interviewed publishers had a very strong, counter-culture, ethos: the remaining presses (mostly Seattle and Portland-based), while also publishing new authors and non-commercial work, were influenced, to varying degrees, by mainstream trends.…”

“…Consequently, some of the first stirrings of the alternative publishing movement grew out of the aspiration to publish American authors. Unlike later movements, this one was lead by authors rather than publishers, with key authors and titles being self-published in response to/to protest against the lack of support from large, commercial publishers of the time 1 [21]. Additionally, American publishing companies were mostly situated in the North East of the country and were also run by men from similar religious, cultural, and economic backgrounds that shared the same, conservative, worldview.…”