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The CLMP Newswire
A Biweekly Email News Dispatch on Independent Literary Publishing
A Project of the Council of Literary Magazines and Presses (http://www.clmp.org)

Table of Contents for May 1, 2002 (Volume 2, Number 8)

• Oregon's Calyx: A Strong Voice for Women Writers
• Poetry Daily Celebrates Fifth Year Online
• Online Press Makes Move to Print in New Anthology
• In Brief
• Announcements
• Events

OREGON'S CALYX: A STRONG VOICE FOR WOMEN WRITERS

When Calyx made its debut in 1976, its four founding editors believed the journal of art and literature by women would have a five-year life span. "We thought the world would change," says Director and Founding Editor Margarita Donnelly. "We had this idea that the need for a specific journal for women would pass away." She laughs now because not only did the need seem to grow, but over the course of the past 26 years the Oregon-based literary journal and press has established itself as a highly respected publisher. The list of writers first published by the journal (or published at the beginning of their careers) includes Barbara Kingsolver, Chitra Divakaruni, Julia Alvarez, and Molly Gloss. The non-profit corporation (http://www.proaxis.com\~calyx )has also been the recipient of many prestigious awards as well, including The Oregon Governor's Arts Award, the American Book Award (for Forbidden Stitch; An Asian American Women's Anthology) and the Stewart H. Holbrook Award from the Oregon Institute of Literary Arts.

Calyx received attention immediately upon publication-almost too much for the journal to handle. For instance, in 1976 the then-new National Public Radio featured Calyx on one of its segments. After the story aired, the manuscripts started pouring in. Since then, the pace only increased, and eventually the publication had to limit reading periods. "We were completely deluged and had to stop being open to submissions year round," says Donnelly. The journal has also cut back its publication from three times a year to twice a year because of the editors' increased lag time in responding to submissions.

In part because of the overabundance of manuscripts, Calyx Books has been forced to temporarily close its doors to submissions. More importantly, though, industry changes such as the proliferation of chains and high returns have cost the press half its revenue, according to Donnelly. "It used to be our books always sold through," she says. "When grants started disappearing, we could always make up for their loss through sales." But not anymore. "The superstores are killing all literature," says Donnelly. She adds that it's harder and harder to get reviews in places like the New York Times Book Review and other stand-alone, large-circulation newspaper book reviews.

However, Calyx Books continues to discover new women's voices and provide a forum for underrepresented writers. In 1989, for instance, the press published a ground-breaking anthology of Asian-American artwork and writing from over 80 contributors. The following year, the book won an American Book Award. Other noteworthy Calyx Books publications include Haunani-Kay Trask's Light in the Crevice Never Seen, the first indigenous Hawaiian book of poetry ever published on the mainland, and the first English translations of works by poet Wislawa Szymborksa, winner of the 1996 Nobel Prize for Literature. "We're about being first," says Donnelly. "We want to discover new writers and work that makes our books different."

According to Donnelly, part of the success in finding diverse voices stems from the collective nature of the editing process and the publisher's huge staff of volunteers and interns. Currently Calyx has four staffers that oversee the volunteer editorial collective members and office volunteers. Last year, there were over 79 volunteers and interns assisting in the publication of the magazine and books. Decisions for the journal are made by consensus, and smaller groups of editors make key decisions for books. "I think this editorial process, which is more collective and has editors from all walks of life and backgrounds, gives us a special ability to find emerging and developing writers," says Donnelly.

Despite its many successes, Calyx wouldn't have survived without the support of many grants over the years. It has received numerous NEA grants, including a three-year development grant in 1979 after it first began as well as NEA Advancement Plan Phase I and Phase II grants totaling $60,000. It also received $130,000 in marketing grants from the Lila Wallace-Reader's Digest Foundation, and other grants from the Lannan Foundation, the Meyer Memorial Trust, and the Allen Foundation for the Arts.

The marketing funds have helped Calyx develop its commitment to promoting emerging writers and developing its audience. Each issue of the journal reaches about 12,000 readers. It is distributed to bookstores and newsstands through five magazine distributors, while the press is distributed by Consortium. The imprint has been particularly successful at classroom sales: 90% of Calyx Books' titles are being taught, in 148 classes at 90 higher learning and secondary education institutions throughout the United States.

While Donnelly finds the current market challenges her morale, she can't imagine doing anything else besides publish Calyx. "Only crazy people do this. But it comes out of a love of literature. Historically, publishers never made a lot of money. They have always just loved what they do."

POETRY DAILY CELEBRATES FIFTH YEAR ONLINE

Poetry Daily, the website whose mission is "to make it easier for people to find poets and poetry they like and to help publishers bring news of their books, magazines and journals to more people," has become a fixture on the poetry scene since its inception five years ago. The nonprofit reprints a new poem every day -- from of a wide variety of poets published in the English language, and from books, magazines, and journals currently in print -- as well as news and an online bookstore.

According to founder Don Selby, the daily poem is selected from new publications -- most of which are from indie presses and magazines like BOA Editions, Denver Quarterly, and Ploughshares. But Selby says the site also culls poems from chapbooks, university presses, vanity presses, and big commercial houses like Knopf and Houghton Mifflin. Included with each poem is information about the poet and attribution of the poem's source.

The site (http://www.poems.com or http://www.poetrydaily.com) has proven tremendously popular. For instance, last year Poetry Daily logged 11 million total page views, and a total of 4 million viewers. This year, the website has already outdistanced those numbers: there have been more than a million page views per month, and many visitors have made Poetry Daily their home page. There are also 18,000 subscribers to the weekly email newsletter, which features one retired poem from the daily website and offers news on poetry publishing in general.

"You can imagine we get an avalanche of journals, so we don't work back. Most everything we publish is new," says Selby. The site has made only one foray into original publishing, with David Lehman's daily poem project (later published in his book, The Daily Mirror). However, generally speaking the site does not publish previously unpublished work or accept unsolicited manuscripts.

In order for Poetry Daily to stay afloat, the site conducts an appeal to its email newsletter subscribers during poetry month. More recently, the nonprofit has gotten support through a program that taps the very journals it selects many of its poems from. Publishers have been sponsoring the email newsletter, as well as taking out small banner ads on the homepage. This month, Poetry Daily's sponsors include Sarabande Books, jubilat, Tupelo Press, Bold Type, The Southern Review, and Miami University Press. "It all helps," says Selby. "But by far the largest revenue comes from the annual fundraising drive."

In a larger sense, the success of the website has pointed to something larger -- the age-old fascination for the form it promotes. "I've been asked if I'm surprised by the popularity of the site and all the activity around it, and I have to say that I'm not," says founder Don Selby. "People really do read poetry."

ONLINE PRESS MAKES MOVE TO PRINT IN NEW ANTHOLOGY

In its first venture into print publishing, the online literary journal The Melic Review (http://www.melicreview.com) has just debuted its print anthology, The Best of The Melic Review: Three Years Online. "I don't really have the slightest idea what I'm doing," says founder and editor, C.E. Chaffin. "But with this anthology, I wanted to prove that the 'net wasn't second rate." That may account for the alternative title, printed at the bottom of the cover of the anthology which reads, "Or, can the literary net possibly compete with the vaunted print journals?" "That subtitle is kind of mean, and I would like to remove it now," says Chaffin. "But I just wanted to prove a point; that there are good poets out there on the net."

The Melic Review got its start in 1998 when Jamie Wasserman, a member of a poetry workshop that Chaffin had joined the year before, asked him if he wanted to help start up an online literary publication. "I had no skills at webmastering. I joined as an editor, but when Jamie left after three issues I found another webmaster and carried on," says Chaffin. Since then, the site has had five webmasters. It just published its 17th issue and receives over 15,000 visitors a month. The site publishes poetry, very short fiction and essays.

The anthology, a no frills, cloth-bound book of 275 pages, received most of its funding through supporters of the online publication. Chaffin hopes to find other sources of funding, such as grants and fundraising drives, but admits that at present he and his wife Kathleen, who acted as assistant editor, are "flying by the seat of our pants." The anthology's first print run of 100 copies has already sold out. There are 25 orders pending, all of which bear the notice, "ISBN number pending." "We're financially strapped," says Chaffin. "And I just found out I have to buy 10 ISBN numbers for $250 when all I need is one."

Despite such limitations and setbacks, Chaffin is clear on what the anthology can accomplish. "I'm the editor. I don't know much about marketing. We don't have any income…but hopefully this book will change people's idea of the 'net as a poor sister to print publishing," says Chaffin.

IN BRIEF

Future of Publishing Panel

Publishers Weekly and the Small Press Center will hold a panel discussion on the future of publishing called "What Will the Future of Publishing Look Like?" The panel will take place April 17 from 6-8 p.m. at the Algonquin Hotel in New York City and include: Kenneth Davis, author of Don't Know Much About History; Brian Lewis, publisher, Sleeping Bear Press; Jim Lichtenberg, president, Lightspeed; Peter Mayer, president and C.E.O., Overlook Press; Robert Miller, president, Hyperion; Lorraine Shanley, publisher, Publishing Trends; and Johnny Temple, publisher, Akashic Books. The event will be moderated by Nora Rawlinson, editor-in-chief of Publishers Weekly. For information log on at http://www.smallpress.org. The Algonquin is located at 59 W. 44th Street.

New Book Clubs Springing Up Everywhere

Since Oprah's announcement to end her book club, others have taken up the call. The latest: USA Today recently launched a new book club in its Life section and on its website. The book club plans to announce a new book every six weeks and hopes to promote online discussion of each selection. Its first pick was Richard Russo's Empire Falls (Vintage), which won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction. On May 23, Russo will appear on the paper's website for a live discussion with readers.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

CLMP will be offering booksellers two bundles of goodies: one, a "Meet the (Small) Press Packet" features a selection of small press CLMP member catalogues, and the other features mailers of literary journals packaged with a "How to Sell Literary Journals in Your Bookstore" brochure. Thank you to the many members who sent in promotional materials! CLMP will also be displaying journals participating in the www.litmagkiosk.com program, which offers single copies of literary journals shipped postage free.

EVENTS

Member Events at BEA in New York City:

AKASHIC PRESS is sponsoring three events:

1) Friday author signing. Arthur Nerseisan, author of The Fuck-Up and Suicide Casanova (forthcoming) will be signing books at the Akashic shelf (within the Consortium area -- booths #2538 & #2540) from 3-4pm on Friday, May 3.

2) Saturday author signing. Norman Kelley, editor of Rhythm & Business: The Political Economy of Black Music and author of "politique noir" novels The Big Mango and Black Heat will be signing books at the Akashic shelf (within the Consortium area -- booths #2538 & #2540) from 12-2pm on Saturday, May 4.

3) Sunday author signing. Tim McLoughlin, author of Heart of the Old Country will be signing books at the Akashic shelf (within the Consortium area -- booths #2538 & #2540) from 2-3pm on Sunday, May 5.

AUSABLE PRESS; James Richardson will be signing books at the Small Press Distribution booth (#2552) at 4:00 on Friday the 3rd. The book is VECTORS: APHORISMS & TEN-SECOND ESSAYS.

Please join COFFEE HOUSE PRESS as we celebrate another piping-hot year of independent publishing. Friday, May 3 from 6-8 pm, The Bowery Poetry Club, 308 Bowery (at 2nd Street), NYC. Cash bar. Books available for purchase. Fun for free.

SARABANDE BOOKS will be having two author signings of Brenda Miller's Season of the Body at the show. Miller's first signing will be a part of BEA's Salute to Health and Wellness in the general autographing area on Saturday, May 4, from 12:00-12:30. She will then sign again at the Sarabande booth (#2536) on Sunday, May 5, from 11:00-12:00.

On Saturday at 1 p.m., MANIC D PRESS author James Tracy, editor of The Civil Disobedience Handbook: A Brief History and Practical Advice for the Politically Disenchanted, will be signing free books at the Last Gasp booth (which Manic D is sharing) - Booth 2562. Come on by, get a copy, and say hello!

CURBSTONE PRESS has 2 authors doing autographing sessions: Lorraine López, author of Soy la Avon Lady and Other Stories, Saturday 3 - 4 p.m., Latino/Latin American Author Salute section; and Marnie Mueller , author of My Mother's Island, Sat. 4:30 - 5:30, Table 1

CODHILL PRESS: David Rothenberg, who wrote Blue Cliff Record: Zen Echoes, will be signing books at the BEA in the Autographing area at 4 pm on Saturday, May 4th.

Other Events in May

SNAIL'S PACE PRESS announces book signing and reading by Harry C. Staley for All One Breath: Selected Poems on May 1st, 4pm, 2002, at the uptown State University of New York Assembly Hall, Campus Center, Albany, NY. The reading is free and open to the public.

The National Arts Club (15 Gramercy Park South) will host a Celebration of FIVE POINTS: A JOURNAL OF LITERATURE AND ART on Monday, May 6th at 7:00. The event will feature readings by David Bottoms, Kate Daniels, Edward Hirsch, Philip Levine, Anne Marie Macari, Sharon Olds, Charlie Smith, and Gerald Stern. The general public is welcome; business attire is required. There is no fee to attend. For more information, contact Megan Sexton, Managing Editor, at 404-651-0071 or msexton@gsu.edu.

MARSH HAWK PRESS is sponsoring a reading with Sandy McIntosh, author of Between Earth and Sky; Burt Kimmelman, author of The Pond at Cape May; Jane Augustine, author of Arbor Vitae; and Tom Fink, author of Gossip. The reading will take place on Sunday, May 12 at the Cornelia Street Café (29 Cornelia Street, New York City).

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Issues are distributed on the 1st and 15th of each month. News reported by: Leslie Schwartz, lschwartz@clmp.org Edited by: Robert N. Casper, rcasper@clmp.org

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