I want to take some space here to plug something that's new to me, and possibly to you: Small Press Distribution.
I like them because they work with over 450 small and independent presses, because their sole purpose is to increase the availability of the titles produced by these presses, and because they're a window into the publishing world that exists beyond Amazon and two million square foot bookstores.
Today I received Saraya, the Ogre's Daughter, Songs of Insurgency, and Mopus. All three happen to be available on Amazon, and I would have gotten free shipping. But I never would have found these titles there. One of the major criticisms leveled at Amazon and the large bookselling chains is that they've crushed the independent bookstore, and I think that's probably true. Bookselling is a business with razor-thin margins, and it doesn't take much of a push for an independent to go under.
While I'm not so sure about the place of the big chains--except as colluders with the publishing houses in the bestsellers list racket--I do know that I like Amazon a lot. Generally, I go there with a specific goal in mind. SPD fills in some of the browsing void left by the decline of the small booksellers. It's like a weird little local bookstore, but online.
So: please go check them out, and poke around for awhile.
I found them because I felt the need to expand my reading net, and so I cast about the web looking for "small press fiction bestsellers."Small Press Distribution is a non-profit literary arts organization located in Berkeley, California. Our mission is to connect readers with writers by providing access to independently published literature.
SPD allows essential but underrepresented literary communities to participate fully in the marketplace and in the culture at large through book distribution, information services, and public advocacy programs. SPD nurtures an environment in which the literary arts are valued and sustained.
Founded in 1969, SPD is currently the only distributor in the country dedicated exclusively to independently published literature.
I like them because they work with over 450 small and independent presses, because their sole purpose is to increase the availability of the titles produced by these presses, and because they're a window into the publishing world that exists beyond Amazon and two million square foot bookstores.
Today I received Saraya, the Ogre's Daughter, Songs of Insurgency, and Mopus. All three happen to be available on Amazon, and I would have gotten free shipping. But I never would have found these titles there. One of the major criticisms leveled at Amazon and the large bookselling chains is that they've crushed the independent bookstore, and I think that's probably true. Bookselling is a business with razor-thin margins, and it doesn't take much of a push for an independent to go under.
While I'm not so sure about the place of the big chains--except as colluders with the publishing houses in the bestsellers list racket--I do know that I like Amazon a lot. Generally, I go there with a specific goal in mind. SPD fills in some of the browsing void left by the decline of the small booksellers. It's like a weird little local bookstore, but online.
So: please go check them out, and poke around for awhile.
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