Meet an Indie Publisher: Sarabande Books

Fifth in a series

Louisville, Kentucky, is one of the country’s great book cities, and its literary standout (well, along with Carmichael’s Bookstore) is the award-winning independent publisher Sarabande Books. I’m pleased that Joanna Englert, Sarabande’s senior director of marketing and publicity, provided such thoughtful responses to our small-press questionnaire. Extra points to Joanna for finishing up with a great list of other indie presses to investigate.

Name/Location: Sarabande Books: founded and headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky

Year Founded: 1994. (That means we’re approaching our 30th anniversary!)

Number of Books Published Per Year: 8–12

First Book Published: Jane Mead’s The Lord and the General Din of the World and Lee Martin’s The Least You Need to Know, both published June 1, 1996

Most Recent Books Published: The Book of Disbelieving by David Lawrence Morse (published July 18, 2023) and Once a City Said: A Louisville Poets Anthology edited by Joy Priest (published June 20, 2023)

Biggest Seller: Animals Strike Curious Poses by Elena Passarello

Books You Published You Wish More People Knew About: New Bad News by Ryan Ridge and Big Bad by Whitney Collins

If people pick up a Sarabande book, what are they in for?

In terms of genre, we publish poetry, fiction, and essay, and we really do value innovative and hybrid forms within these traditional genres.

We love works that are fresh to us, collections that do or say something we haven’t seen before and that electrify and excite us in some way, and our hope is that readers feel the same about our books when they read them!

It’s also incredibly important to us that each of our books is beautifully designed and packaged, that each book exists as a beautifully crafted artifact (heavy on the “art”). We strive to create gorgeous, lasting objects that will make a reader think, Wow, I want this book on my shelves! (Don’t worry; many of our books are also available as eBooks and audiobooks. We recognize the importance of convenience, too!)

What’s most challenging about being an independent publisher?

Each book signed is a passion project for us. When we acquire a book, it’s because we—our complete, tightly knit team of five—really do believe in it. Being independent affords us the opportunity to publish titles we love, ones that are innovative and interesting, or perhaps more experimental than what you might see at larger presses. We sign books that commercial presses might pass on simply for not having “commercial appeal.”

Of course, this means that independent presses (like us!) must largely rely on external fundraising. We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and this means that raising funds from donors and from organizations like the National Endowment for the Arts and the Kentucky Arts Council is essential for us to continue putting quality work out into the world, work that we feel is of great and lasting value.

What’s most exciting about being an independent publisher?

As I mentioned already, each book signed is a passion project for us! We are able to give each title unmatched attention—from acquisition to editorial to production to marketing, the full gamut. We are swiftly approaching our 30th anniversary, and we know well by now that our books will find loving, attentive homes with readers, that they are guaranteed life beyond our office. We also see our efforts creating lasting relationships with authors; we pride ourselves on launching and lifting debut writers, many of whom stick with us for their second and third books—and beyond.

Likewise, our authors are drawn to the creative freedom and attention we offer—a pair of qualities that’s proven really attractive to established authors, as well. For instance, we’ve published nearly twenty short projects by distinguished authors through our Sarabande Quarternote Series. This series is home to Sandra Cisneros, James Tate, Mary Ruefle, Frank Bidart, Yusef Komunyakaa, and many more. It’s a delight to be able to work with these authors on such unique projects.

With our small team, we are also able to pitch creative ideas that we know will be heard, considered, and frequently implemented. We are always ready to listen to one another, and then roll up our sleeves and make things happen—from our free Sarabande Writing Labs programming to our Young Professionals Board to our collaborations with local artists and organizations. Being a local arts resource is not necessarily something that’s expected of a national publishing house, but our longtime home in the upper South positions us as one of a small handful of literary arts resources for our community. We value these community collaborations and relationships so much.

The list of benefits could go on and on. The point is there are lots, and we are all absolutely grateful and passionate about being here.

Insert a question of your own you wish people asked about independent publishing, and answer it.

As an independent publisher, what are some of your favorite independent publishers?

We adore our fellow indie presses! (It finally feels like our time!) I will answer this one personally, though (while lamenting over how difficult it is to narrow down my answers). I personally love Two Dollar Radio, Dorothy, Black Ocean, Alice James, and Open Letter, just to name a few. Phew, there are so many I love! But these few feel like a solid start.

Many thanks to Joanna, and if you have an independent press you’d like to see profiled, please leave their name in the comments. The series “Meet an Indie Publisher” has previously featured Heyday Books, Belt, Blair, and Hub City Press.