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Small
Press
From
Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Small
press is a term often used to describe publishers with annual
sales below a certain level. Commonly, in the United
States,
this is set at $50 million, after returns and discounts. Small presses are also
defined as those that publish an average of fewer than 10 titles per year, though there are
a few who manage to do more.
The
terms "small press", "indie publisher", and
"independent press" are often used interchangeably, with
"independent press" defined as publishers that are not part of large
conglomerates or multinational corporations. Defined this
way, these presses make up approximately half of the market
share of the book publishing industry. Many small
presses rely on specialization in genre
fiction, poetry, or
limited-edition books or magazines, but there are
also thousands that focus on niche non-fiction markets.
What
small presses are not
Small
presses should not be confused with "vanity
presses".
Vanity or subsidy presses usually require payment by authors, or a minimum
purchase of copies. Small presses make their profits by selling books to
consumers, rather than selling services to authors or selling a small number of
copies to the author's friends.
Small
presses should not be confused with printers. Small presses are publishers,
which means that they engage in a book selection process, along with editing,
marketing and distribution. Small presses also enter into a contract with the
author, often paying royalties for being allowed to sell the book. Publishers
own the copies they have printed, but usually do not own the copyright to the
book itself. In contrast, printers merely print a book, and sometimes offer
limited distribution if they are a POD printing press.
Printers have a very low selectivity. They will accept nearly anyone who can
pay the cost of printing. They rarely offer editing or marketing. Printers do
not own the copies that are printed, and they do not pay royalties.
Book packagers combine aspects of small presses and
printers, but they are technically neither small presses nor printers.
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