The way Chad Post described it, subscriptions were always part of the business model for his nonprofit press, Open Letter. Post, the publisher of Open Letter, launched a number of subscription options in April, because he felt that the press's title output—12 a year—and clear-cut identity—it publishes only literary translations—worked as a package for some readers. Subscriptions, Post believed, would guarantee a certain number of sales.
While subscriptions have been a mainstay of very small presses, they have not caught on among more established small houses with heftier lists. But Post, who so far has 200 subscribers, thinks that larger small presses could benefit from the model he's trying. Open Letter offers two main subscription options: six titles for $65, at 30% off the list price; and $120 for all 12 titles, 37% off list.
“Personally, I love the idea of being able to subscribe to a certain press's books,” Post said, noting that he would sign up to regularly receive books published by presses like New York Review of Books or Melville House because he knows “every book they publish will be something I'm interested in.”
While there is an upside to subscriptions, there are also risks, according to Melville House publisher Dennis Johnson. “I think the advantages of it financially are that you're cutting out the middleman, but you don't want to rile the people you rely on to sell your wares,” Johnson said, noting that he would worry about angering his distributor if he tried subscriptions at Melville House. Although Johnson has toyed with the idea of offering subscriptions to specific lines that Melville House publishes, he notes that instituting the process is “more labor intensive than people think,” given the need to track orders and pack and ship books. He also points out that postage could pose a problem; a large rate increase could make subscriptions “an expensive experiment.”
Eli Horowitz, publisher at McSweeney's, said the press's distributor, PGW, has no issues with its subscriptions. The literary house started the Book Release Club three years ago; through it, fans of the press can preorder the next 10 books it publishes for $100. Acknowledging that McSweeney's, which already publishes three periodicals, was uniquely set up to handle the shipping component—the press has its own fulfillment house—Horowitz believes the BRC gives the press an even greater ability to put passion above the bottom line when it comes to acquisitions.
“It's a way to make these books sustainable,” Horowitz said, adding that while selling 1,000 copies of one of McSweeney's founder Dave Eggers's book may not mean much, for a debut novel by an unknown author, “having 1,000 sales is key.”
At Europa Editions, a small literary press specializing in translations, the idea of subscriptions is often discussed, though the house has not tested the model. Europa editor-in-chief Michael Reynolds said subscriptions have always “fascinated” him, and he loves the idea of giving “a more personal, boutique experience.” Still, he, like Johnson, is wary. While the guaranteed subscription sales would be “an enormous boost,” the setup would require “an investment of time, money and human resources.”
Martin Riker, associate director of Dalkey Archive Press, has also long been attracted to the subscription model. He is concerned, however, that while Dalkey is known for its literary translations, the company publishes too many titles per year to simply offer wholesale direct-to-consumer subscriptions. “The idea of bundles has interested me more,” Riker said, noting that he thinks the idea of offering specific packages of Dalkey books—say, translations from a specific region—is more workable. That option is particularly attractive since it promotes the backlist, and keeping the backlist alive is one of Dalkey's chief concerns.
