The Next Step for TWJ in Representing Our Area
Yesterday was a big day for TWJ. We officially introduced our new cooperative publishing initiative and announced the Call for Submissions. Of course, since we started, we have been publishing local authors in the literary magazine, but the biggest difference now is that we will start publishing books. This is an exciting next step for TWJ, but it was one that, I’ll admit, seemed daunting at first.
The idea first came up months ago as Sarah, the Managing Editor, and I were looking at our budget and preparing for 2020. The Watershed Journal has benefitted from grassroots support and we wanted to find ways to invest our time, resources and finances back into our community. Through running Writer’s Block Party and getting to know people in other local writer’s groups, I felt like many of the authors I knew were gaining momentum in their practice and confidence in their abilities. They all seemed to have different goals, but many writers talked to me about their book projects.
Still, opportunities in publishing a manuscript are few and far between, especially in the mountains of rural PA. There was a clear need in our region for more representation. Could we really start publishing books?
An Extremely Atypical Literary Group
Typically, small independent presses spring up around universities or in metropolitan areas where there are abundant resources for fundraising and networking. Of course, TWJ isn’t exactly typical. We define ourselves based on our distinctions from the rest of the publishing world— we represent rural areas, we work towards inclusivity, and we are sustainable through grassroots financial support and lots of volunteer hours. At first, I wasn’t sure if the things that made TWJ so special would translate into long form publishing.
Fortunately, for this venture, we weren’t alone. I had a few meetings with the wonderful Tony Vallone from Penn State DuBois who founded MAMMOTH books and has been in the nonprofit publishing game since the early 90’s. His input was encouraging, as was his interest in working with us to make something happen.
With Tony on board, we also brought on another member of the team, Phil Terman, from Clarion University. Phil’s enthusiasm and heartfelt approach helped put all the wheels in motion. With Sarah, Tony, and Phil, I felt like we had the experience, talent and resources to build something that would last.
A Look Inside the New TWJ Publishing Venture
But why cooperative publishing? Since we started TWJ, we have been grateful to have a lot of passionate people involved with a lot of exciting ideas, however our first priority has always been to create something sustainable. Cooperative publishing was the best model, at least to start, to make the most out of our modest budget and small staff.
When a publisher selects a book to print, promote and distribute, they are investing in that book and that author. With cooperative publishing, the author invests in the project as well. This could either be through purchasing (at print cost) a certain number of copies or it could be through “sweat equity” where the author pre sells a certain quantity of books. The quantities could be as few as 25 or as much as 100, depending on the author’s goals. Then, TWJ will match or exceed that number of books. In this way, the publisher and author work together to create as much opportunity for the book to reach its audience as possible.
Our staff will offer editing, design, layout and marketing services for the book. We also will coordinate with retail locations to sell the book and public libraries or venues to have events for the author. The author gets to keep any profit made from the copies that he or she sold. TWJ gets to keep any profits made from the sales of copies we purchased, which will go back into the Community Fund to support the next book.
More Local Storytelling, Please!
Thanks to some of our other recent projects, we have experience putting together books from start to finish. Plus, we have the combined experience of Tony and Phil who have been key players in the literary scene for years.
Publishing books is a big step, but it feels like the right directions for TWJ. We will continue to produce quarterly literary magazines, hold workshops and events, but now we have one more opportunity to offer our growing community of storytellers. And more books by more writers in the western PA Wilds is right in line with our mission to elevate and empower regional authorship.
