New York, NY (January 21, 2025)—The Community of Literary Magazines and Presses (CLMP) has announced it will award $285,000 in grants to 35 literary publishers formerly distributed by Small Press Distribution (SPD), the country’s only nonprofit distributor that had been in operation for 55 years before its abrupt closure in March 2024. Grant recipients from the Small Press Future Fund will receive $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000 for projects that will help strengthen operations, as they recover inventory, secure new distribution and warehousing solutions, and implement improved internal systems and marketing strategies. All grant recipients will also receive a free one-year membership to CLMP, providing them with additional resources, support, and community with other independent literary presses. Funding from the Mellon Foundation makes this program possible.
“We are honored to serve these essential publishers as they stabilize and move forward,” said CLMP Executive Director Mary Gannon, “and incredibly grateful to the Mellon Foundation for its ongoing support of the literary field. We look forward to continuing our work of ensuring a bright future for this vital segment of the publishing ecosystem.”
Grants were recommended by an independent panel composed of Jisu Kim, Sales and Operations Executive at Grove Atlantic; Olivia Taylor Smith, Senior Editor at Simon & Schuster; and Martin Riker, Cofounder and Publisher of Dorothy, a publishing project. Final grant decisions were made by CLMP and approved by a committee of the Board of Directors.
The grant recipients are:
Anvil Press, $5,000
Awst Press, $5,000
Bamboo Ridge Press, $10,000
Birds, LLC, $10,000
Blackwater Press, $10,000
Bull City Press, $10,000
Cardboard House Press, $15,000
Circumference Books, $10,000
Cleveland State University Poetry Center, $5,000
Conduit Books & Ephemera, $10,000
Empty Bowl Press, $5,000
Flood Editions, $10,000
Fonograf Editions, $5,000
Futurepoem, $10,000
Gasher Press, $10,000
Green Linden Press, $10,000
Hanging Loose Press, $5,000
Host Publications, $5,000
Instar Books, $5,000
June Road Press, $5,000
Kelsey Street Press, $5,000
Litmus Press, $10,000
LittlePuss Press, $15,000
Noemi Press, $10,000
Perugia Press, $5,000
Rescue Press, $10,000
Ronsdale Press, $5,000
Rose Metal Press, $10,000
Sinister Wisdom, $10,000
Sixteen Rivers Press, $5,000
Spout Press, $5,000
The Song Cave, $15,000
Tupelo Press, $10,000
Winter Editions, $5,000
WTAW Press, $5,000
About CLMP
CLMP ensures a vibrant, diverse literary landscape by helping mission-driven independent literary magazines and presses thrive. Since 1967, CLMP has provided publishers with funding and technical assistance; facilitated peer-to-peer learning and group action; served as a dependable, essential hub for best practices, resources, and nurturing community support; and connected publishers with other groups of literary stakeholders, including readers, writers, booksellers, librarians, educators, presenting organizations, and funders. Along with directly serving 1,000+ publishers located in every state in the country, CLMP administers the Lit Mag Adoption program, which provides educators and students with discounted magazine subscriptions; the $10,000 Constellation Award, given to honor an independent literary press that is led by and/or champions the writing of people of color; and the Firecracker Awards for Independently Published Literature, which celebrate magazines and books that make a significant contribution to our literary culture; among other programs.
