Recently, I’ve started working my way through the (sometimes extensive) backlists of indie presses I love. This isn’t as common a practice (as far as I know) as reading the backlists of favorite authors, but it brings me a lot of the same satisfaction. Indie presses often have a personality. Some focus on specific kinds of books (poetry, books in translation, etc.), but even small presses that publish a wide variety of genres often have a particular angle, an affinity for certain books. Finding a press you love is a bit like finding an author you love. You’re not guaranteed to love everything they publish, but there’s a good chance you will. And while there are some tiny presses that only publish a few books a year, most small-to-midsize presses put out 15–30 or thereabouts. In other words, small presses have more extensive backlists than all but the most prolific authors. If you’ve never taken a deep dive into the catalogue of an indie press, you’re in for a treat! I thought it would be fun to highlight some of my favorite presses and the books I’ve used as jumping-off points to get to know them. First up: Arsenal Pulp Press. Arsenal Pulp Press is a small press based in Vancouver, BC, in Canada. Founded in 1971, they’ve got about 400 titles currently in print. They publish widely across genre, including fiction and nonfiction, poetry, cookbooks, regional history, graphic novels and nonfiction, and more. They focus on books by BPIOC and LGBTQ2S+ authors, as well as books that address social issues and current events. “We are interested in literature that engages and challenges readers, and which asks probing questions about the world around us,” they say on their website. Arsenal Pulp was the first press I fell in love with. Queer literature is my wheelhouse, and I stumbled upon Arsenal Pulp accidentally. Browsing through my reading spreadsheet one year, I noticed I was reading a ton of books by this little Canadian press. It didn’t take me long to realize I was reading so many of their books because they publish the kind of stories I crave: complicated queer books, books by BIPOC queer and trans authors, experimental work that reflects the lived experiences of people from diverse backgrounds. So far, I’ve only read about 30 books out of Arsenal Pulp’s catalogue of 400+ titles, so this list is just a drop in the bucket. But if you’re ready to get to know this fantastic indie publisher, here are 14 books I wholeheartedly recommend.
If You Love Contemporary Fiction, Start With:
If You Love Short Story Collections, Start With:
If You Love Speculative Fiction, Start With:
If You Love Memoir, Start With:
If You Love Graphic Novels and Memoirs, Start With:
If You Love Nonfiction, Start With:
If You Love Poetry, Start With:
Looking for more great books from indie presses? 100 Must-Read Indie Press Books is a great place to start, and you can also take a deep dive into our indie press archive.
