There is a pretty healthy grant ecosystem which sustains a lot of small presses. SPD, a distributor, also does a lot to help alleviate costs involved with getti

There is a pretty healthy grant ecosystem which sustains a lot of small presses. SPD, a distributor, also does a lot to help alleviate costs involved with getting books to stores and handling reviews / promotions. Book fairs, such as the Brooklyn Book Fest, also can make the difference between being in the red and being able to reprint. I would disagree that it is worse now. If anything, you lose less money these days. I run a small press myself and while I wouldn't say we are rolling in the dough we are still able to keep the lights on. My strategy has been to make really unique-looking titles - both design-wise and content-wise - in small limited print runs (less than 200). This helps build the buzz about the author / work and then I sell the PDF for about half the price. I've been running it for about three years this way. Small presses are slow burners. Ugly Duckling Presse, perhaps one of the biggest "small presses" in NYC, has been ongoing twenty years and are just starting to get mainstream recognition. It's a really great scene. I've worked in publishing (one of the big five) and I honestly find the culture and taste toxic. Small presses are very much their own community, still a distinct lifestyle and scene. I know people who sleep in their workshops next to their letterpress. I've held some of the most gorgeous books I've ever seen, designed by my friends, only one copy, made just for fun in the middle of the night. Losing money is worth it for that.