indie-press

for general discussion by independent book publishers. For CLMP members only. Nonmembers will NOT be signed on.

litmagslji is for general discussion by literary magazine publishers. For CLMP members only. Nonmembers will NOT be signed on.

circtalk is specifically for users of CLMP's Circulation Database Template.

CLMP List FAQ

Q: What is the indie-press list?
Q: Why was the indie-press list started?
Q: What is litmagsLJI?
Q: Why was litmagsLJI started?
Q: What is circtalk?
Q: Are there archives of the posts?
Q: How do I subscribe?
Q: How do I unsubscribe?
Q: Are there any rules of the road?
Q: Who else is on these lists?
Q: Who are the list moderators?
Q: Can I post messages from another email account?
Q: How do I post a message?
Q: Can I get all of the day's posts in one email?


Q: What is the indie-press list?
A: The indie-press list is an email list for independent book publishing professionals to share ideas and information. The list focuses on the concerns of literary, not-for-profit presses, though issues that effect all publishers are discussed. The list is administered by Tasha Sorenson, and is sponsored by the Council of Literary Magazines and Presses, where Tasha is the Membership Services Coordinator.

Q: Why was the indie-press list started?
A: Independent publishing is often a solitary task. Unlike large, commercial houses which are bunched together in New York City, indie presses are scattered across the country, and are often run by only a small handful of staff members. Though meetings among indie press people are often educational, reassuring, even inspiring, these opportunities are too few. An email list seems a cheap, effective way to open the lines of communication.

Need to find funding sources for a new computer? Looking for a printer who can do flaps on a paperback cover? Chances are, someone else out there has faced the same dilemmas. Setting up an author event in Seattle for the first time and don't know the local press people? Where better to ask than a publisher based in Seattle? Want to get a booth at MLA, but can't afford the $500 fee? Perhaps there's another press out there who wants to share the space, or three other presses who can't send a person but would pay you to display their books in your booth.

This list is meant to help make the vital connections with experienced colleagues to help in situations such as these.

Q: What is litmagsLJI?
A: litmagsLJI is an e-mail list for CLMP member magazine professionals to seek advice, share resources and exchange information. The list focuses on operational, management and marketing issues specific to literary magazine publishing. The list is also open to discussions of trends and events that impact the field of literary publishing and are of common concern to literary publishers.

Q: Why was litmagsLJI started?
A: litmagsLJI was developed as part of the Literary Journal Institute (LJI) in January of 2000. LJI was a 2-year program [1998-2000] presented by CLMP in partnership with the NEA whose purpose was to impart skills and information to help magazines thrive in an increasingly competitive marketplace. Through national workshops and one-on-one consultations, LJI provided expert advice and guidance on issues such as marketing, fundraising, and long-range planning.

The listserv was designed to facilitate the active and ongoing exchange of information within the field as a complement to and extension of the teachings of experts and outside consultants. Via the listserv, the many lessons learned and knowledge shared in the workshops and one-on-ones lives on and is further disseminated to the field. The listserv also goes far in building the community of literary publishers and combatting the sense of working in isolation that many publishers experience.

Q: What is circtalk?
A: circtalk is a technical support group for users of CLMP's Circulation Database Template. circtalk provides a useful forum for template related discussion, queries, and troubleshooting.

Q: Are there archives of the posts?
A: There is an archive of messages on the Yahoo Groups website, if you don't want to eat up space on your computer to save the posts.

If you want to get access, you need to register and get a password. It's free. Go to the Yahoo Groups registration page and follow the instructions. You must use the exact email address where you get your subscription. If you have been a member of your list since before December 2000, you will have to link up your eGroups username (your email address) and password.

Then, go to the indie-press archive or the litmagsLJI archive to view past posts. Only subscribers can view the archives.

Q: How do I subscribe?
A: Prospective members of indie-press must submit a brief introduction to the list owner at tsorenson@clmp.org before being subscribed to the list. The introduction should include:

-your name and title
-the name of your press (or proposed press)
-its location
-your press' mission statement
-a list of your areas of expertise
-specific questions you'd like the list to address

If you are interested in subscribing to litmagslji, please send an e-mail with your name and magazine affiliation in the message body and the subject line "litmagslji," to Tasha Sorenson at tsorenson@clmp.org.

Q: How do I unsubscribe?
A: Send a blank message to indie-press-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com or litmagsLJI-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com.

Alternatively you may wish to remain a member but reduce or eliminate group email by changing your subscription option to No Mail/Web only or Daily Digest.

Q: Are there any rules of the road?
A: DELETE PREVIOUS TEXT WHEN RESPONDING: When you are responding to a post, please delete previous messages that some email client's automatically append to your message. For people with daily digest, it's VERY VERY tedious to have to scroll through multiple repetitions of a message.

ETIQUETTE: Please do not post personal messages to the list; if you want to shoot the breeze with an e-friend, please do so off list.

SUBJECT LINES: When you post a message, please make sure the subject line reflects the content of your message. Precise subject lines are helpful for people doing searches on the archives. People with digest accounts should especially remember to change the subject line when responding to a digest. Your post goes out with the unhelpful subject line: "Subject: [indie-press] Re: indie-press digest" or "Subject: [litmagsLJI] Re: litmagsLJI digest."

CONFIDENTIALITY: Do not share posts with people outside of the list without the permission of the original poster.

Q: Who else is on these lists?
A: Only independent book publishers or people who are starting a new press are allowed on the indie-press list -- no reporters, distributors, funders, what-have-you. We established this rule in order to make you feel comfortable to discuss topics such as distribution, funding, and media in a safe environment. An exception is made for staff members of CLMP, our sponsor. Applications from people who hold dual roles in publishing that may pose a conflict (such as a distributor who also publishes) will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Members can see a list of present members.

The editors and staff people of more than 85 literary magazines from all over the country are on the listmagslji list. All participating magazines are CLMP members. The staff person who will most directly benefit from the discussion is that person who handles marketing, circulation management, production and fundraising. This staff person is often the managing editor. Multiple staff persons from a single magazine may subscribe.

Q: Who are the list moderators?
A: Indie-press and litmagsLJI are not moderated, i.e. members are free to post directly. Tasha Sorenson is the owner of both listservs — you can contact him at tsorenson@clmp.org.

Q: Can I post messages from another email account?
A: If you would like to post from multiple addresses but receive posts only at one, email all the addresses to the list owner with an indication of which would be the main address. You will receive posts only at the main address, but the others will be signed up as "No Email/Web Only" accounts. You will be allowed to post from all addresses with no restrictions.

Q: How do I post a message?
A: To post to indie-press, send your post to indie-press@yahoogroups.com. For litmagslji, subscribers post messages to the list by sending e-mail to litmagslji@yahoogroups.com.

Only members can post messages freely to the lists. Non-member posts must be approved by the list owners before being broadcast. If you automatically reply to a message sent to the list, your message will be sent to the entire list. When automatically replying, you should be careful to delete previous message text, and make sure the subject header refers to the content of your message.

Q: Can I get all of the day's posts in one email?
A: Yes, this is called "daily digest." You have three subscription options which you can set yourself via the web.

1. Individual emails: You get each post as an individual email as soon as it is posted.

2. Daily digest: Compiles all the postings for the day in one huge email that you get once a day. A digest will be no more than 25 posts. In the rare event that there are more than 25 posts in one day, you will get the extra messages in another email.

3. Web-only or vacation setting: You get no email from the list, but you have access to reading the postings on the web. Useful if you go on vacation with no access to email.