Indie Presses and Writer’s reminiscent of American Punk Rock - By Melinda Carroll
An Argument for Writers’ Taking Charge by Johnny Temple, publisher and editor of Akashic Books of New York, while written in 2005, is an article that captures the spirit of Indie Presses and Noveltown to this day.
“Today’s indie publishing community is in some ways reminiscent of American punk rock in 1982. In that era, bands took it upon themselves to carve out networks that would connect the punk scene in San Francisco to the one in Phoenix, the one in Lawrence, Kansas, to the one in Washington, D.C., to Amsterdam’s, to Belgrade’s, to Israel’s, to Bangkok’s, and beyond. Working closely with indie labels, bands did the dirty work of booking their own tours and driving in decrepit vans and sleeping on floors and in parking lots—hammering out a vibrant (and, yes, highly flawed) new underground culture where one didn’t exist before. A similar grassroots approach to local- scene building—and to the networking between those scenes—is under way in indie literature.”
A grassroots approach to local scene building and networking… now that is what Noveltown is all about!
Temple goes on to make the argument for why writers should work with independent publishers.
“For starters, one’s editor at an indie is often the publisher herself, who can’t easily up and leave for greener pastures…
And independents are often far more attentive to their books, and more creative with their marketing, even if their budgets are smaller…
Reaching beyond traditional venues and actively seeking out new audiences, rather than waiting to be “discovered,” young writers and publishers are rolling up their sleeves and carving out new networks through which literature can be promoted…
The love of books remains the guiding principle for almost all indie publishers.”
(Read the full article)
Noveltown loves books and writers and we’re working hard to connect the indie literary scenes as we grow in the world of indie publishing.
“Today’s indie publishing community is in some ways reminiscent of American punk rock in 1982. In that era, bands took it upon themselves to carve out networks that would connect the punk scene in San Francisco to the one in Phoenix, the one in Lawrence, Kansas, to the one in Washington, D.C., to Amsterdam’s, to Belgrade’s, to Israel’s, to Bangkok’s, and beyond. Working closely with indie labels, bands did the dirty work of booking their own tours and driving in decrepit vans and sleeping on floors and in parking lots—hammering out a vibrant (and, yes, highly flawed) new underground culture where one didn’t exist before. A similar grassroots approach to local- scene building—and to the networking between those scenes—is under way in indie literature.”
A grassroots approach to local scene building and networking… now that is what Noveltown is all about!
Temple goes on to make the argument for why writers should work with independent publishers.
“For starters, one’s editor at an indie is often the publisher herself, who can’t easily up and leave for greener pastures…
And independents are often far more attentive to their books, and more creative with their marketing, even if their budgets are smaller…
Reaching beyond traditional venues and actively seeking out new audiences, rather than waiting to be “discovered,” young writers and publishers are rolling up their sleeves and carving out new networks through which literature can be promoted…
The love of books remains the guiding principle for almost all indie publishers.”
(Read the full article)
Noveltown loves books and writers and we’re working hard to connect the indie literary scenes as we grow in the world of indie publishing.
Labels: Bakersfield, Grassroots, Indie Press, Literature, Networking, Noveltown, Punk Rock, Writers
This entry was posted by N.L. Belardes, on
Monday, February 19, 2007.
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I'm going to go check out the whole article...
OK, I read it. That's a must read piece for any DIY, independent writer or musician...
I really enjoyed this article! A lot of insight into the world of indie publishing and I like the punk rock attitude.
what a great article! it's all good...
I liked how they compared it to punk rock too. Sometimes you just gotta pave your own way, right?
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