Small and university presses have arguably launched some of our most beloved writers to commercial and critical acclaim. Before Deesha Philyaw inked a mega seven-figure two-book deal for Mariner, part of HarperCollins, her breakout smash debut, The Secret Lives of Church Ladies, was initially published in paperback by West Virginia University Press after major presses passed.
Kristen Arnett is on Riverhead, a Penguin imprint, but she also splashed the bestseller lists with a title from the smallish independent press Tin House; her debut was from the micro Split Lip. Lilly Dancyger, an indie darling with Seal and then SFWP, ultimately signed with Dial, an imprint of Random House.
While small presses are much more than a stepping stone to the Big Five, the success some authors have had in transitioning to larger houses speaks to the importance and editorial excellence of small presses, many of whom are willing to take a chance on work of deep merit deemed too risky by agents and the largest publishers. It’s also worth noting that many writers, especially of literary novels or memoir, short fiction, or poetry prefer small presses, where their books will not garner large advances, but also won’t be yanked out of print if six-month sales projections are not met.