Celebrate Small Presses in March
March is small presses month. Events to celebrate independent publishers and journals will be held coast-to-coast in the United States. According to the Small Presess organization,"Small Press Month raises awareness about the need for broader venues of literary expression. From March 1st-31st, independent, literary events will take place from coast-to-coast, showcasing some of the most diverse, exciting, and significant voices being published today."
Here is a video giving details of the kinds of events that have already been planned for the month:
Remember too that as a reader or writer, you can support small presses by buying their books wherever they can be found, like poetry readings, writers' conference, but most importantly, online. You can also read journal like Munyori Literary Journal, The Pedestal, African Writing Online, StoryTime and others. These presses do the dirty work of discovering new writing talent and they deserve all the support we can give them. Below is a list of what small presses can do in March, given by the Small Press Month organization:
Things Small Presses & Independent Publishers can do for Small Press Month!
Contact your local bookstore or library and suggest they put together a special display for National Small Press Month. You can obtain free posters by emailing kirstin@ibpa-online.org . Please order in sets of five.
Suggest that your local bookstore offer a discount on Small Press titles this month. Offer a special discount on all of your titles.
Hold a seminar on "How to Get Published" or on a subject related to your books. You might wish to cooperate with other small presses in your area, and to charge a nominal fee for the seminar.
Contact the book review editor at your daily newspaper about any events that you plan. Also speak to the features editor. The business editor is always interested in a successful publishing story.
Send IBPA your list of participating bookstores and libraries so that they may receive Small Press Month Materials.
Be sure to inform IBPA and The New York Center for Independent Publishing (NYCIP) about any activities you have planned for Small Press Month. IBPA would like to include your information when contacting the media. Please send your plans to Lisa@ibpa-online.org.
Get in touch with weekly papers in your area about events and submit the information to the listings editor.
Approach an interviewer at a local radio station about airing a segment regarding the problems and rewards of running a small press, or set one up for an author.
Make arrangements with any local non-bookstore outlet that is appropriate for any of your books. For example, if you publish cookbooks a grocery store might display them up near the checkout for Small Press Month, particularly with a special discount as an incentive.
Try for an interview at your local daily paper or the weekly paper, remember that the media is always pleased to find that there are successful publishers and writers in the neighborhood. So pitch not only yourself, but also your colleagues.
If you have a personable, articulate author who is available to speak in his or her area, try setting up interviews with local television or radio stations.
Schedule an interview for yourself at your local television station for National Small Press Month. Be sure to offer visuals if available. Focus on the unique angles of your books and authors.
Band together with other small presses and create a display of titles in a subject area. Offer your library the ready-made exhibit of locally published books in the areas you choose.
Find a college or university that would be receptive to a roundtable discussion on a topic like "What is a Free Press" or "The First Amendment and the Mass Media."
Schedule a talk to elementary, junior high, or high school students about how to become an author.
Use excerpts from a current or upcoming book on your website. Remember that an entire excerpt—a whole recipe, for example—is more productive than a tantalizing tidbit.
Arrange readings and signings to be held during National Small Press Month at your local bookstore and library.
Plan a group reading or event with other local independent presses and make a night out of it.
Take National Small Press Month posters to your local bookstore or library and ask that they are displayed and distributed.
Join with other small presses and take out a co-op ad in your local newspaper.
Ask that clubs or local organizations to which you belong display a National Small Press Month poster and have your catalog available as a handout.
Keep your alumni magazine up to date about you and your small press.
Celebrate National Small Press Month by hosting a wine-and-cheese party in your office for the press, booksellers and other friends of your publishing house.
Gather together any press clippings from your National Small Press Month event. Please send to Lisa@ibpa-online.org for use next year.
Link to the Small Press Month websites from your own: www.smallpressmonth.org or www.ibpa-online.org.
Send e-mails to your customer mailing list announcing the approach of National Small Press Month, and the events you have planned. A weekly digest of news would be an effective way to keep the momentum going throughout March.
Contact other small and independent arts organizations in your area—record labels, theaters, and art galleries, for example—and link to each other's websites, promote each other's events, and support the independent arts community!
Run a contest through your e-mail newsletter, asking for ten titles of famous independently published books.
Contact other independent publishers and set up a small book fair during the month at a local college or community center.
Evaluate author's pitches. Offer to set up a program at a bookstore or library where authors, with the understanding that you are there to give general advice, can make a five minute pitch to you about their manuscript.
Look over the previous 30 suggested ideas and let us know which ones provided the most response.
Here is a video giving details of the kinds of events that have already been planned for the month:
Remember too that as a reader or writer, you can support small presses by buying their books wherever they can be found, like poetry readings, writers' conference, but most importantly, online. You can also read journal like Munyori Literary Journal, The Pedestal, African Writing Online, StoryTime and others. These presses do the dirty work of discovering new writing talent and they deserve all the support we can give them. Below is a list of what small presses can do in March, given by the Small Press Month organization:
Things Small Presses & Independent Publishers can do for Small Press Month!
Contact your local bookstore or library and suggest they put together a special display for National Small Press Month. You can obtain free posters by emailing kirstin@ibpa-online.org . Please order in sets of five.
Suggest that your local bookstore offer a discount on Small Press titles this month. Offer a special discount on all of your titles.
Hold a seminar on "How to Get Published" or on a subject related to your books. You might wish to cooperate with other small presses in your area, and to charge a nominal fee for the seminar.
Contact the book review editor at your daily newspaper about any events that you plan. Also speak to the features editor. The business editor is always interested in a successful publishing story.
Send IBPA your list of participating bookstores and libraries so that they may receive Small Press Month Materials.
Be sure to inform IBPA and The New York Center for Independent Publishing (NYCIP) about any activities you have planned for Small Press Month. IBPA would like to include your information when contacting the media. Please send your plans to Lisa@ibpa-online.org.
Get in touch with weekly papers in your area about events and submit the information to the listings editor.
Approach an interviewer at a local radio station about airing a segment regarding the problems and rewards of running a small press, or set one up for an author.
Make arrangements with any local non-bookstore outlet that is appropriate for any of your books. For example, if you publish cookbooks a grocery store might display them up near the checkout for Small Press Month, particularly with a special discount as an incentive.
Try for an interview at your local daily paper or the weekly paper, remember that the media is always pleased to find that there are successful publishers and writers in the neighborhood. So pitch not only yourself, but also your colleagues.
If you have a personable, articulate author who is available to speak in his or her area, try setting up interviews with local television or radio stations.
Schedule an interview for yourself at your local television station for National Small Press Month. Be sure to offer visuals if available. Focus on the unique angles of your books and authors.
Band together with other small presses and create a display of titles in a subject area. Offer your library the ready-made exhibit of locally published books in the areas you choose.
Find a college or university that would be receptive to a roundtable discussion on a topic like "What is a Free Press" or "The First Amendment and the Mass Media."
Schedule a talk to elementary, junior high, or high school students about how to become an author.
Use excerpts from a current or upcoming book on your website. Remember that an entire excerpt—a whole recipe, for example—is more productive than a tantalizing tidbit.
Arrange readings and signings to be held during National Small Press Month at your local bookstore and library.
Plan a group reading or event with other local independent presses and make a night out of it.
Take National Small Press Month posters to your local bookstore or library and ask that they are displayed and distributed.
Join with other small presses and take out a co-op ad in your local newspaper.
Ask that clubs or local organizations to which you belong display a National Small Press Month poster and have your catalog available as a handout.
Keep your alumni magazine up to date about you and your small press.
Celebrate National Small Press Month by hosting a wine-and-cheese party in your office for the press, booksellers and other friends of your publishing house.
Gather together any press clippings from your National Small Press Month event. Please send to Lisa@ibpa-online.org for use next year.
Link to the Small Press Month websites from your own: www.smallpressmonth.org or www.ibpa-online.org.
Send e-mails to your customer mailing list announcing the approach of National Small Press Month, and the events you have planned. A weekly digest of news would be an effective way to keep the momentum going throughout March.
Contact other small and independent arts organizations in your area—record labels, theaters, and art galleries, for example—and link to each other's websites, promote each other's events, and support the independent arts community!
Run a contest through your e-mail newsletter, asking for ten titles of famous independently published books.
Contact other independent publishers and set up a small book fair during the month at a local college or community center.
Evaluate author's pitches. Offer to set up a program at a bookstore or library where authors, with the understanding that you are there to give general advice, can make a five minute pitch to you about their manuscript.
Look over the previous 30 suggested ideas and let us know which ones provided the most response.
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