10 Years of Publications -- the real boss!

 

For this 10th anniversary blogpost, we're going to take a sneak peek behind the scenes to meet N -- the real boss of V. Press!

Despite the ferocious face, N is in fact not that great at bossing/editing/publishing or anything except eating and sleeping!

In theory, this should make her easy to work for, except that, left to her, nothing much would happen, except for the occasional eethjregndsfjfjhgjfhgjhjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjj!

In reality, most of what happens at V. Press is down to editor and Managing Director*  Sarah Leavesley, but with some very very important help along the way. (* Yes, that title does sound way posher than the all unpaid actual work involved in the day-to-day running of this small press!)

Much gratitude goes to Ruth Stacey, who designed the V. Press logo, oversaw design generally and created the non-illustrated poetry pamphlet and collection covers up until the end of 2020. [In 2020, the loss of V. Press's local printer also led to the switch to the current chapbook (spined slim volumes) format for our pamphlets.] Ruth's beautiful work also includes the striking cover for A Woven Rope in 2021 -- yes, that is how far in advance, collections typically need to be prepared to allow their entry into the Forward Prize and for possible Poetry Book Society selection.

V. Press was very delighted to work with Kibriya Mehrban as a University of Birmingham Post-Graduate Cultural Intern in partnership with Writing West Midlands from October 2018 - March 2019. Thank you to all involved in making this happen.

And V. Press is also very lucky and grateful to have had a few poetry guest editors along the way: Carrie Etter for Natalie Linh Bolderston's The Protection of Ghosts (2019) and Miranda Lynn Barnes' Blue Dot Aubade (2020); Mary-Jane Holmes for Jinny Fisher's The Escapologist (2019); Ruth Stacey for Margaret Adkins' V. Press Prize for Poetry pamphlet Mingled Space (2019) and Charlotte Gann for Georgia Gildea's now sold-out bed (2023).

The mention of bed brings us back neatly and light-heartedly to N. A good-luck mascot she may be, but that does also sometimes include unhelpfully requestioning the editor's (very worn!) desk chair!

What does Sarah do in her editor's chair when she can get to it? Every title is individual, but a chapbook is typically around 30 hours of unpaid typesetting and editing work (across two editing read-throughs with comments) and then follow-up proofing checks and changes. Our V. Press Prize chapbooks, and full collections of around 50-60 pages, are about 50 hours of editing and longer full collections about 70 hours of editing work. This is partly at the desk (on a stool if relegated by N!) but she also prints hard copies for her read-throughs, on which she writes her initial comments and checks, ready to type up on the manuscript file that goes back to the writer. On top of this, about 10 hours goes into each cover design -- as writers do get a choice of possibilities to choose from. Then there's the marketing, sales, admin, accounting, submissions, post-office runs (though actually they're walks!) and all sorts of other jobs that have to be done. The list isn't  quite endless but it does sometimes feel like it!

So, what does the culmination of the past ten years of publishing look like at the front end: 73 poetry and flash fiction titles published between 2015 and 2024. 

As for 2025 onwards, a further six chapbooks have already been published this anniversary year, plus a full collection and V. Press Prize chapbook lined up for the start of next year. Behind the scenes, considering submissions, other plans and editing work continue. More news on various fronts soon...

At this point , V. Press's last very very important thanks: to everyone that makes the press -- all our authors, all our readers , our reviewers and everyone who has supported us over the past decade and moving onwards into the future. Without you, there wouldn't be a V. Press!

Within this, a special mention to the anonymous supporters that have lent a hand with advice, accounting, tech and solving software problems. Running a press is definitely one that calls on multiple different skill-sets and anything Sarah didn't know when she started, she's had to pick up along the way, with help!

To end this blogpost then, a special 10th anniversary celebratory picture created for Sarah and N by one of these kind supporters. (No prizes for guessing which one of these three photos doesn't really feature N but is an A.I. generated image. And no, V. Press's plans for the future don't include any A.I. writing or book covers!) 

Until the next post, happy reading!