Council of Literary Magazines and Presses Co-sponsors Small Press Month

Fifth Annual Observance Brings Public Attention to Important Role of Small Presses

New York, NY; February 8, 2001 - To increase public awareness of independent and small presses, Small Press Month is being observed across the nation in March for the fifth year in a row. The theme, "Expect the Unexpected from Small Press Books" will be developed in thousands of bookstores and libraries throughout the country with special programs, displays, events, bookmarks and posters. Two non-profit organizations, the Small Press Center and the Publisher's Marketing Association and PMA's affiliates, are the sponsors of Small Press Month. In addition, support has been provided by Publishers Weekly, R.R Bowker, Small Press Distribution, Council for Literary Magazines and Presses and American Booksellers Association (ABA). Commented Jan Nathan, Executive Director of Publishers Marketing Association, "Through the cooperation of Barnes & Noble and many independent bookstores who have begun to feature the titles from many small presses during this month-long celebration, we see both the sales and visibility of independently produced titles increase each year."

In a time marked by the advent of e-commerce, e-publishing and e-books, the role of small presses is rapidly changing. Fifty thousand independent publishers account for $14.3 billion in book sales (according to a Book Industry Study Group/Publishers Marketing Association survey published in 1999). Often able to be more flexible than the larger conglomerates, these adventurous, independent presses are effectively incorporating the latest technological and tactical marketing techniques into their publishing programs, putting them on the cutting edge of publishing today.

There are two major events taking place during Small Press Month. The first is the release of a one-year study on Returns sponsored by Publishers Marketing Association. This "Returns Report" will be released on the Ides of March (better known as March 15) at the Small Press Center. In addition, the Small Press Book Fair -- one of the premier book fairs for small and independent presses --will take place at the Small Press Center in Manhattan on March 24-25.

"It is wonderful that so many independent presses are flourishing, but Small Press Month is not only about the independent publishers with multi-million turnovers. Equally important are the mid-sized and smaller publishers battling away to find their niche and to bring works by promising writers into print that might never otherwise see the light of day," says Karin Taylor, Executive Director of the Small Press Center in New York. " Small Press Month will help these presses by showcasing their books and encouraging the public to seek out new and backlist small press titles from their local bookstores and libraries."

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