From the beginning, the goal for Odsburg was to make this book unique, successful, and as beautifully odd as the story it contained. We all had similar ideas about where this book should end up; getting there, however, was an entirely different matter.
Small Presses
The Indie Presses of Portland
By Dani Nicholson @danielluhh72
In Portland, there’s an independent press for every sort of project you can imagine. More importantly, each press has a unique mission statement that will help you, the writer, find the best match for your personal and creative goals. Let this guide to local indie publishing houses help you decide where to submit your next piece.
10 Dos & Don’ts of Entrepreneurial Publishing
By Kristin Choruby
Savvy business practices are crucial to the success of an independent publisher. An estimated half of all entrepreneurial enterprises in the United States fail within the first five years, and only a third last ten years. If these statistics sound intimidating, fear not—here is a handy list of the ten best business practices in small-press […]
Short Stories and Small Presses
By Kristin Choruby
Short stories have long been considered something of a necessary evil in the world of publishing. It is a truism that “short stories don’t sell,” and the major publishing houses are usually reluctant to take on any anthology that doesn’t feature at least one superstar author. A small-scale press, on the other hand, can be […]
Small Presses and Local Niches
By Kristin Choruby
In the world of publishing, the big houses have a reputation of attracting as large and general a readership as possible. Large publishers often exclude books that are primarily of local interest, books that recount some quirk of local history or the current trends in the region. Some writers have resorted to the difficult and […]
Graduate Book Publishing Programs in the United States
By Emily Goldman
Almost two years ago when I called my parents to let them know I had applied to Portland State University’s Book Publishing program, their first question was, “Graduate degrees in book publishing exist? Is that really the best way to break into the publishing industry?” This is a very good question. After all, advanced degrees […]