CLMP Membership Opens to Non-U.S. Publishers
The Birth of a Global Independent Literary Publishing Community

The Council of Literary Magazines and Presses, America's only technical assistance and advocacy organization devoted exclusively to serving independent literary publishers, marks another milestone in its development. Starting in January of 2003, CLMP will expand its community to include members throughout the world. An international membership of English-language publishers will benefit publishers and readers alike. Through listservs and expertise exchanges, CLMP will develop a community of independent literary publishers eager to exchange media contacts and promote their publications in new markets-work that translates into a greater variety of independent literature at bookstores across the world. Also, international member-publishers will have access to all of CLMP's invaluable resources.

Jeffrey Lependorf, CLMP Executive Director, says, "Adding international publishers is a natural step in the evolution of our growing community. With more and more of our services being provided through the Internet, and with more and more publishers acting collaboratively, connecting non-U.S. publishers with CLMP's membership ultimately serves readers everywhere." Additionally, Robert N. Casper, Membership Manager, adds, "I'm excited to welcome international publishers to CLMP. It's amazing how many English-language publishers there are around the globe, and I feel that adding them to our substantial U.S. membership can only help everyone."

CLMP was founded in 1967 as the Coordinating Council of Literary Magazines, adding presses to its constituency in 1991 and on-line publishers in 2001. For 35 years, CLMP has supported the country's diverse literary culture by promoting and advocating on behalf of its publishers and nurturing their business and organizational capacity. CLMP strengthens its membership by offering marketing and organizational workshops, hosting a national membership meeting, sponsoring technical assistance programs, representing the voice of its publishers in government and the media, maintaining a comprehensive website (www.clmp.org), and providing basic information services and publications. In addition, CLMP informs funders and other arts groups about the role of independent literary publishing in American culture, conducts research about the field, and ensures that literature has a voice in the politics of cultural policy.