Small Publishers: Why ever do they do it? By Sandra Bunting

In December, I was dismayed to hear that Mercutio Press of Montreal, which published some poems of mine in the past, was going to shut down due to lack of funding. It had been up and running since 2003 and had published many fine books. Fortunately a few private donors came through for the press at the last moment and Mercutio will go on. However, the incident caused me think about small presses in general. Through my own position on the editorial board of Galway’s Crannóg Literary magazine, I know the number of hours put into such an endeavour. I often question whether it is commitment or madness.

So, why do people give up their time and risk financial insecurity to add to the seemingly over-supply of books in print? For Ben Kalman of Mercutio Press, a love of literature led him to start publishing. He wanted to provide a platform for writers and has gone on to publish Canadian Governor-General Award winners alongside people who have never published a single poem or story before. However, his press receives no outside funding. As Mercutio specialises in chapbooks, and his books have no spine, he is not recognised as a publisher and therefore is not eligible for grants or funding from sponsors or government agencies in Canada. A labour of love can lead to moments of doubt or burn-out.

I contacted an Irish publisher who appears to have the same commitment. Dennis Greig of Lapwing Press in Belfast says ‘love is always draining’. However, if one can manage one’s time well and tries to hold a balance financially, it is worthwhile. “Poetry,” he says, “is and always will be a cultural imperative related to the deepest (sometimes shallowest) human concerns.”

Dennis Greig and his wife, Rene, organised and participated in many literary events before Lapwing was set up, taking a cue from T.S Eliot’s observation that “the small press was an indication of the literary health of a nation”. Concerning funding, Greig gets none and wants none.


Both Mercutio and Lapwing publish chapbooks, although Lapwing also publishes books with a spine. What exactly are chapbooks? According to Ben Kalman they are booklets of literature, essentially an 18th century innovation to get books out to the literate poor (chap/cheap). For more on the history, consult: www.willbradley.com/words.18th_centurychapbooks.htm. Chapbooks are just as important nowadays, according to Kalman. “They provide an outlet for grassroots and unpublished writers…..a chapbook publisher will often take a risk because they have little to lose.” This refers to the tendency to keep costs down and to opt for a low print run.

Mercutio considers its books on the high end of the chapbook scale. Ben Kalman says he wants people to be impressed with the look, feel and design of his chapbook in addition to the writing inside. His laser colour covers are of high-quality glossy card, the contents typeset by him and then formatted, folded and staple-bound at the printers. Lapwing also has a house style and, like Mercutio, spends a lot of time on editorial detail. “The only unique thing about any poetry publication is the poem or poems,” says Greig. Lapwing publications could be a simple saddle-stitched pamphlet up to 28 pages, a saddle-stitched chapbook up to 44 pages or a spined paperback of 48 pages or more.

Distribution for small presses is a nightmare, especially for poetry. “There is simply not enough interest in poetry,” says Greig. “Poetry is a non-commercial ‘thing’ so why stock something which may take up space for ever and a day?” He goes on to say that book shops often make poetry publishers pay for the privilege of stocking their books, often demanding large discounts or percentages of the cover price. Ben at Mercutio says as he prints in limited numbers, he has no way of tapping into the major book chains. “Even if I could,” he says, “I’m not sure I would sell much through them. Chapbooks are very much a niche item.” Rather than a mass market, there are those who like them. He himself has a collection of several hundred different ones.

So what can be done to support small presses? “We could perhaps look into lobbying government agencies that give out grants like the Canada Council of the Arts, The Arts Council of Ireland or the Arts Council of Northern Ireland,” suggests Ben Kalman. Dennis Greig, however, has found that bureaucracy takes up too much time. The days of patronage long gone, perhaps universities, news media companies or bookshops could be called on for sponsorship. Whatever suggestions there are to keep them afloat, small publishers seem to possess a determination against all the odds. “Get on with it,” advises Greig. “If you are going to publish, publish and be damned.” For him the most important thing is to make the work available- writers are more important than policy. On average Lapwing publishes30 to 40 new titles a year with no government funding and has built up an international reputation beyond England and Ireland. “Being independent,” explains Greig, “means we are not tied to government policies, arts council strategies, committees or other cultural constipating factors.” Ben at Mercutio agrees. “This kind of platform for writers allows people a valid shot at publishing in a literary world filled with snobbery and a buddy system. The publishing world is too often ‘who you know and where you were published?’”

As pundits are pondering the future of publishing in general, what is the future of small presses? Some evolve like Peppercanister, Gallery, Daedalus and even Bloodaxe (which started out as a pamphlet/chapbook publisher. Others close. Because small presses are normally run by one or two people responsible for everything, it can be a lonely job with an enormous workload that is hard to sustain. It is not an easy venture but one made worthwhile because they perceive it to be an important cultural contribution.

I would just like to say hats off to all small publishers whether their books have a spine or not, to Lapwing and Mercutio Press and especially to the ones in Galway because I have seen their dedication to the craft firsthand: to Ciarán Parkes of Marram Press, who published my collection in Ireland, Identified in Trees, to Ger Burke and Tony O’Dwyer of Words on the Street who have published a play and an anthology and have poetry coming out soon, and to Alan Hayes at Arlen house who has published everything from academic publications to west of Ireland women writers to coffee table art books.

As I don’t know myself why I enjoy being so involved in my work with Crannóg, I can not hope to understand all the reasons for small publishers to face such demands on their time and the strain on their own money. I only hope that they continue to introduce us to new voices and that may they flourish.


Contacts:
Ben Kalman www.mercutiopress.com
Dennis Greig Lapwing Publications, 1 Ballysillan Drive, Belfast BT148HQ

Alan Hayes arlenhouse@ireland.com

Tony O’Dwyer www.wordsonthestreet.com
Ger Burke www.wordsontheweb.net

Ciarán Parkes, Marran Press Marrampress@gmail.com
www.bookparkes.com
www.crannogmagazine.com
Next submission deadline March 1, 2007