Notes from a Small Press

After taking a few weeks off in June, I found that I was simply…not reading the various articles and essays about publishing that I come across daily, and often writing about here. I think AI has been the tipping point—the barrage of issues, complications, prophesies, histories, and outrage have overwhelmed me. I joked that I have decided to stop having opinions, and this one simple trick relaxed me more than anything else I’ve tried. Who needs massage when you can simply not know or care?

Okay, that subject line is a bit of a psych, as we Gen Xers used to say. We all know publishers don’t reveal sales figures; instead, they leave everyone to guess via analytics, vibes, and gossip. There are many weird reasons for this, all mainly “norms, not laws,” as we used to say in 2016. I will not be the one to break this silly code. However, no one gets huffy if you reveal actual sales figures for backlist titles.

Last call for my book proposal course. • On July 11 I’m hosting a webinar on what authors can expect from publishers, and how to build a strong and fun relationship with the folks with whom you are creating a book . American Made: Stories of Work from the WPA publishes in two weeks (Bastille Day!). It’s my (ironic) contribution to America250. Below is the introduction*I wrote. Get your copy of the book here or wherever books are sold.

July 6 is soon! That’s when my book proposal course starts.It’s a 12 day opportunity to develop an idea, revise a draft, or gain insight into the weird genre of nonfiction proposals. Asynchronous! No zoom, no set meeting times, just words exchanged on a private site providing you with information and feedback. . We’ve been finished up cover designs, revising descriptive copy, and choosing BISACs for titles Belt is publishing later this year and early next. Can I show them off to you?

But first: Substack peaked in 2023, according to this chart, which shows how much money I’ve earned through this newsletter since 2019. So don’t be fooled by this chart, which shows the number of subscribers during the same period: There is nothing surprising about either chart; we’ve all seen this cycle before. What I do find surprising is I still like writing these newsletters as much as I did in 2019.

I love Pierre Publishing Related (And Adjacent) This great write-up by David Wilson about his art for Rust Belt Arcana book and tarot deck. This great Publishers Weekly review of American Made: Stories of Work from the WPA :) (I’m really thrilled—pull quote is “A mesmerizing combination of voices…Readers will be hooked.” The reviewer’s thoughts about my introduction I find flattering, if surprising in focus (it’s often surprising to see what people respond to in your book).

Twice in Belt Publishing’s lifetime, a local NPR station has chosen one of our titles to give away as a gift to those who make a pledge during their pledge drive. Most recently, WOSU did so for their listeners in Columbus, who received a copy of Columbus in 50 Maps. I gotta say: having one of our books chosen for this purpose makes me inordinately happy.

My nonfiction book proposal course starts in two months; 5 spots left. I’m teaching another course— different, shorter, and cheaper—in July as well American Made: Stories of Work from the WPA publishes July 14. Ask your library to order it! Put in a request to your local indie. Or order directly through the line. In a few weeks I’m giving a talk at the Piedmont Publishing Symposium about publishing as a creative act.

It’s impossible to know who was the ‘first publisher’ (though it was certainly not Gutenberg ,which is the strange and wrong answer many internet sites provide), but it won’t harm us (as it never does) to look to Rome. There we can find a thriving industry, a street crammed with booksellers, and authors bemoaning how little they earned from sales. 1 Let’s start with Atticus, Titus Pomponius Atticus. He was friends with Cicero, who was at the time a celebrated orator, public figure, and writer.

I published a version of this newsletter in September 2004. This morning I was writing a new post about this same topic, and whaddya’ know, the situation two years ago was not all that different than it is now, so this is a revised and updated version. There seems to be less researched nonfiction being published, and even less being acquired.