Growing up an avid reader, big publishing names like Penguin or Bloomsbury were ingrained in my literary vocabulary, often forgetting about the work of smaller, more widely unknown presses. However, in the current climate, the part they play is integral to the life of the industry. The unique perspective these presses adopt with a curation of diverse voices, quality and emerging talent brings a level of creative innovation to book publishing that would easily otherwise be lost.
Hearing from the voices of individuals who are working to put out crucial literature into the narrative is important to understanding the value these presses hold. Therefore, I reached out to talk to some local presses, and a couple of individuals were kind enough to have an enlightening conversation with me.
Excerpts from a conversation with Gavin MacDougall, Director of Luath Press
K: What sets you apart from larger publishing houses or other smaller presses in Scotland?
G: Our policy is “committed to publishing well written books worth reading,” which is printed in each of our books and on our website, so that’s the overriding criteria for everything we publish. I guess, there’s major international companies that have operations in the UK and other countries, have multiple imprints and so on. Whereas smaller publishers such as ourselves, especially publishing in Scotland to a Scottish market, we can perhaps move slightly more quickly on key books. However, we obviously don’t have the deep pockets that the major publishers have, we’ve never done advertising on the London underground, and we never will.
K: What keeps you passionate about the work you do as a small press?
G: Publishing books worth reading that may or may not make a difference to somebody in the world. Every book we publish, we sincerely hope that we can find readers for that book, and we work with authors to do so—it may be that some of our books are more worthy, more worthwhile than others and that’s entirely subjective.
Excerpts from a conversation with Francesca T. Barbini, Director and Founder of Luna Press
K: What do you feel sets your publishing house apart from larger publishers or other small presses in Scotland?
F: A small press like Luna is built around and by one person, and therefore will reflect its founder, in terms of choices, preferences, experience, etc. The uniqueness comes from this. By nature, a small business will grow as a result of all actions taken, the good and the bad—the good one will then go on to become its strength.
An important vision for Luna is not to compete with a bigger press, but to be an excellent small press. It takes a huge amount of work and determination to do that. And looking at what we have accomplished in 6 years, I can only be extremely proud of this. And there is still space for improvement.
K: How do you stay passionate about the work you do despite the challenges you may face as a small press?
F: The passion comes from being a part of my authors’ journey, and having the freedom to publish what I love, without having to ask permission from anyone! I always say that at Luna, we publish “by heart.” It might sound cheesy, but when you are this small, and with finite resources, you really focus on what truly connects with you.
K: In what ways do you feel smaller presses contribute to keeping diverse and underrepresented voices in literature?
F: Small presses are often made up of one or two individuals, and therefore their books primarily reflect their taste. I am intrigued by stories with strong characters and their journeys. I also love to work with authors from different countries, and not necessarily anglophones. Writing in English should be seen as a bridge, not a criterion for the quality of the book. I am very proud of the “Luna Map of the World” on our website, where you can see all our authors and where they are from! As for the artwork, I have worked with amazing artists from all over the world, and I love it when authors introduce me to new artists they know! It is this personal touch that allows small presses to publish in a different way.
Illustration by Izzy McBroom
