The Indie Press Network seeks to connect independent publishers, harnessing collective power
There is interesting news for independent Irish publishers with the launch of the Indie Press Network, a new initiative which welcomes independent publishers from the UK and Ireland.
Following statistics from Sara Mulryan of Nielsen BookData at the recent Publishing Ireland annual conference, which showed that of all books sold in Ireland this year just 13% were published in Ireland, this initiative may prove welcome for small Irish presses.
The Indie Press Network aims to connect small presses across the UK and Ireland, “to build on the brilliant work being done by other membership organisations to decolonialise publishing and to raise the profile of smaller presses who don’t have big marketing budgets.”
Open to all small publishers with five or fewer employees, the Network offers promotion opportunities, encouragement and support, with an open source bank of resources and information for fledgling presses.
the best antidote to an increase in damaging insular attitudes the world over is surely friendship and networking
Will Dady, founder of the Indie Press Network
Speaking to Books Ireland, founder of the Network Will Dady of Renard Press said that in an age when publishers across the industry are falling by the wayside, it has never felt more important to forge links and foster an attitude of support between and around indies.
“Following the all-round disaster that was Brexit, increasing industry communication between the UK and Ireland is surely of utmost importance, for only together are we considered the ‘home market’, and the best antidote to an increase in damaging insular attitudes the world over is surely friendship and networking. The Network hopes to harness the combined passion and power of presses in all of these isles, and to forge a lasting and robust line of communication across the Irish Sea.”
Stephen Reid of The Lilliput Press welcomed the move. “The founding of the Indie Press Network and the opportunities it looks to provide for small but mighty independent presses like The Lilliput Press is a much needed development in a rapidly changing and rapidly centralising publishing environment. Indie presses have always been the essential lifeblood of publishing, and hopefully working together through projects like this will be of benefit not just to those presses, but to the publishing landscape in general. All one needs to do is look at the success of projects like the Independent Alliance in the UK to see the potential if indies band together to promote and support one another.”
The Network wants to harness the collective power of established presses to help them achieve their goals, and also to encourage and nurture fledgling publishers. Through its free, open-access Indie Press Network Guide, it offers an introduction to the industry and the answers to common start-up questions.
The Network has an inaugural ten presses involved, and prospective members are encouraged to get in touch.
