Libraries Publish: How to Start a Magazine, Small Press, Blog, and More

by Stephanie Katz

Overview

In this book, author Stephanie Katz, founding editor of the award-winning literary jourbanal 805 Lit + Art, shares practical tools and advice for starting successful creative publishing projects.

Publishing benefits libraries by providing high-quality content to patrons, showcasing local writers and faculty, and creating buzz for the library. These endeavors can be launched at any type and size of library, often for little to no cost. Libraries Publish teaches libraries how to publish literary magazines, book review blogs, local anthologies, picture books, library professional jourbanals, and even novels. You'll learn how to run a writing contest or writer-in-residence program, form community partnerships with other literary organizations, find funding, navigate legal considerations, market your publication, and more.

Each chapter contains detailed information on how to start your project, including comprehensive checklists, recommendations for free software, and legal considerations. Social media strategies as well as tips for facilitating student or teen-run projects are also covered. If your library wants to start a publishing project, this book will be your go-to resource!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781440869433
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	01/11/2021
Pages:	274
Product dimensions:	6.15(w) x 9.20(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Stephanie Katz is technology librarian at Manatee County Public Library System and founding editor-in-chief of 805 Lit + Art.

Table of Contents

Preface ix

Acknowledgments xi

Introduction xiii

Part I Getting Started

Chapter 1 Plan Your Publication 3

Chapter 2 Format and Software 11

Chapter 3 Submissions Management 22

Chapter 4 Professional Development for New Publishers 39

Part II Publications and Programs

Chapter 5 Publish a Magazine? 49

Chapter 6 Publish a Book 70

Chapter 7 Publish an Anthology 97

Chapter 8 Start a Blog 109

Chapter 9 Run a Writing Contest 122

Chapter 10 Start a Poet Laureate or Writer-in-Residence Program 135

Part III Legal and Financial Considerations

Chapter 11 Legal Considerations 155

Chapter 12 Financial Considerations 172

Chapter 13 Fund Your Publication 184

Part IV Promotion and Collaboration

Chapter 14 Distribution 197

Chapter 15 Promotion 208

Chapter 16 Programming and Partnerships 235

Conclusion 245

Further Reading 247

Index 249

Editorial Reviews

Workers at various types of libraries (or at schools, museums, or prisons) will find this a valuable resource for outreach and promotion.” —Library Jourbanal

“This will be a truly useful reference for those looking to get into publishing. It will be especially good for librarians or those working with libraries.” —Booklist Online

“Recommended. Public librarians and professionals.” —Choice

From the Publisher

06/01/2021

Sharing the library's work with a larger audience, supporting the local literary community, and preserving local history—these are just a few of the reasons Katz (technology librarian, Manatee Cty. P.L., FL) argues that more libraries should publish; not just books but also blogs, magazines, and e-publications. This step-by-step guidebook is packed with information: getting started, picking a format and software, and dealing with submissions management. Katz suggests repackaging existing content to reach new audiences, and also covers writing contests, poets laureate, and artists-in-residence, as well as legal and financial guidance for funding publishing programs. She cites numerous examples, from the Kurt Vonnegut Memorial Museum and Library, which publishes the magazine So It Goes, to the St. Paul Public Library, which hired local authors to write and publish picture books in the Karen language, and arranged for the translation of another book into Oromo and Amharic. Each chapter contains a checklist of necessary steps and a list of valuable and time-saving resources and references. VERDICT Workers at various types of libraries (or at schools, museums, or prisons) will find this a valuable resource for outreach and promotion.—Susan Belsky, Oshkosh P.L., WI

Library Journal