‘A jugalbandi of trust’: An indie publisher on the emotional economy of book-making

You receive a message without preamble.

I want to publish a book.

Your contact details were shared without permission. Access to you is treated as community service. A text like that does not simply demand your attention; it disrupts your existing work. That is not an ideal way to start a dialogue.

Access is often mistaken for availability. Availability, for obligation. The assumption is that an independent publisher must always be looking for new material. That they must absorb aspiration on demand. Every such interaction draws on a finite reserve: focus. To give you an example, I have received two follow-up calls while editing this piece. For projects I had already declined.

Yes or no/ Yes and no

A manuscript is the manifestation of an author’s vision, and to reject it is to injure their sense of self. But there’s another side to the story.

For publishers, particularly those working on a small scale, there is no efficient way to say “no” without leaving residue. I may attempt to minimise the hurt by deferring or qualifying the rejection, but there’s no harmless way to do the deed. The issue becomes especially acute when the submission arrives through personal recommendation. One risks damaging long-time associations for refusing to grant one’s consideration.

I keep receiving proposals...

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