A Small Press Literary Gift Guide
It’s the most wonderful time of the year — cozy sweaters, candy canes, eggnog lattes, Christmas miracles galore. Just kidding. It’s December 2021, which means darkness spreads across the country by 4pm, Starbucks has canceled eggnog lattes, if you don’t have central heating (me) you are currently wearing 3 pairs of socks, and capitalism is being fully sustained by stress-shopping. If you’re reading this list, it also means you might have been late getting the memo that October is the new December (supply-chain, duh), so you’re more than a little behind on getting gifts for the bibliophile babes in your life.
Don’t despair though, writers and artists are here to save the day. Okay, maybe they won’t solve supply chain issues, climate disaster, and the malaise of late-stage capitalism, but they might just provide a much-needed reprieve from it all. This year, ditch kitsch lists of soon-to-be-landfill gifts and instead give the writers, bibliophiles, art lovers and cynics in your life some presents that last a lot longer. Shop this list of all things books brought to you by small presses, lit journals, and indie authors. It will make you feel good. It will make a writer in your life very happy. It might make you, and them, smarter. And hey, I heard reading is sexy (and it’s even sexier when you do it with a small press.).
Small Press Swag —
Books aren’t everything. Books with merch from the small presses that publish them are everything. These are some of our favorites this year.
Clash Books Vintage Shirts — These vintage t-shirts are a classic look for that reader with taste as elusive as existence itself. Looks just as good with a leather jacket as it does with track shorts, but everyone knows it pairs best with a mind-bending title from Clash Books and a dgaf attitude. Clash has published some heavy-hitters over the last couple of years and my favorites of their 2021 releases include Darryl by Jackie Ess and Charlene Elsby’s Psychros.
Daily Drunk Shop — Looking to get something for the writer who is totally pop-culture obsessed and always looking for a laugh, then look no further than The Daily Drunk. They specialize in all things pop culture and they’ve also published a handful of books. Their most recent title, Marvelous Verses, is a superhero inspired poetry anthology.
Rejection Letters Severed-Thumb Tee — Perfect for your loser writer friend who maybe needs a pick-me-up and a reminder that all writers are losers sometimes. Rejection Letters was founded with humor and despair in mind in 2020. It regularly serves up some much needed comic relief from the daily grind of writing life. These severed-thumb statement t-shirts let the world know that art is hard and rejection sucks, so the writers in your life don’t have to waste their precious words.
Taco Bell Quarterly “Crappy Gift Shop” — Okay, I am absolutely obsessed with Taco Bell Quarterly (Taco Bell was my favorite restaurant from 1995-2010 so you know, it hit a soft spot). I discovered the magazine over the summer via their hilarious twitter and then thoroughly fell in love after binge-reading (is that a thing?) their issues. Support this incredible beacon of literature by shopping the merch which includes a “I survived the poetry discourse” mug and “literary writer” t-shirts. A shop for writers who know that the only alternative to crying is laughing.
Write or Die Tribe Merch — It’s been a long time coming, but your very own Write or Die Tribe Community has FINALLY come out with merch to rep the tribe. There are cuts, colors, and styles for everyone, but my favorite is the classic crewneck sweater. Get one for a writer you love and another one for yourself.
Book Bundles, Subscriptions, and More —
Give the gift that keeps on giving with subscriptions and bundles!
Bottlecap Press Chapbook Bundle — This bountiful bundle offers bite-size books that pack a lot of punch. For only $50 you get the first ten chapbooks from Bottlecap Features! This is a perfect gift for writers who want a little taste of everything.
Malarkey Book Club — For readers who want something new each month, indie small press of books and zines, Malarkey Books, is offering a rad book club offering. For $20 a month you get a book each month, issues of King Ludd’s Rag (zine), and more. Forthcoming titles include Susan Triemert’s Guess What’s Different, Justin Bryant’s Thunder From a Clear Blue Sky, and Itoro Bassey’s Faith.
Santa Fe Writers Project Patreon — Looking to get yourself a gift? This just might be the one. I have never used a patreon BUT I just might start after seeing SFWP’s offerings! Santa Fe Writers Project is seriously committed to making the literary community a better place, and not only did they publish one of my favorite books of 2021 (Elizabeth Gonzalez James’ Mona at Sea), but they also exclusively accepted works by marginalized writers for their quarterly journal all of 2021. Their patreon ranges from $2 a month to $9 a month and each one includes a book a month and more!
Zyzzyva Magazine Gift Subscription — The gift to get for writers and readers who still enjoy the pleasure of holding a physical journal. Zyzzyva might be the print magazine I have read for the longest. Even when I was a young undergrad in Oakland I remember coughing up cash to buy it from the newsstand at Diesel Books (now East Bay Booksellers) and I’ve never been disappointed with an issue. The print journal exists in a very special category of literary magazines that somehow manages to marry highbrow and lowbrow art forms in the most satisfying ways. A perfect example of this was Troy Jollimore’s essay The Fixers in the recent tech issue. It was everything my inner cinephile and cultural critic yearns for. Zyzzyva gift subscriptions include 3 issues and start at $35.
Creative Classes and More —
Want to give a gift that won’t end up in a landfill and will definitely ignite a lot of creative energy in the life of a writer you love? This gift packs a double whammy because the classes are taught by writers for writers. Check out these virtual offerings.
Berkeley Writing Salon Classes — One surprising benefit of the pandemic is that geography is no longer a barrier to connecting with writers from different regions. That means student writers can even take a course with yours truly (hey, it’s the gift of me)! This January, to start 2022 off write, I will be teaching my Creative Practice Course where I work with students to develop and strengthen daily writing routines. The Berkeley Writing Salon is the recipient of many awards and has been hosting classes in the San Francisco bay area since 1999. Their hallmark course is the Daily Write Round Robin. Pandemic perk means now you don’t have to live in the most expensive part of the country to take inspiring classes.
Catapult Classes — Award winning creative writing classes taught by acclaimed, accomplished writers. Editing and publishing classes are led by industry professionals at the height of their careers. Prices range from $35-$1,100 and are as varied as their price tags. From practical industry seminars to full-blown novel generators, there is something for everyone (most likely) at Catapult.
Lit Reactor Classes — Lit Reactor is sort of a one-stop-shop for writers. They publish craft essays, host community forums, and offer classes for writers at all levels. Their classes bring in veteran authors and industry professionals to cover a wide range of topics in an online environment that’s interactive and flexible. Students get detailed feedback on their work and take part in discussions in a judgement-free zone. They also have an rockin’ t-shirt that didn’t make it to the merch section of this list (sorry, no double-dipping).
Write Together Coaching — From your very own Write or Die Tribe founder, Write Together is a unique coaching service designed to make writing a little less lonely and a lot more productive. They provide accountability and encouragement for writers looking to build a more consistent writing life and take their ideas for projects to completion. They are kicking 2022 with this writing-packed, 5-week intensive.
Pop-up Projects from Indie Authors We (I) Love —
Have you heard that you can’t make a living writing? Why do it then? FOR THE LOVE OF ART! DUH!!! These writers know a thing or two about the side hustle and I can’t get enough. Spread the love of art to those in your life.
I NEED GOD X WONDER — Full disclosure, I love Ben Fama’s poetry. Like a lot. Above my writing desk hangs a postcard quoting his work. It says, “prayer is whatever you say on your knees,” so yeah, I have to shout out this get-on-your-knees-and-thank-jesus worthy merch drop. My personal favorite design is (no surprise) the crewneck prayer sweater which is part of a collab with Witch Craft Magazine. This is a perfect gift for your writer friends who like to ask the big questions — great for the god-curious, god-hating, and god-denying friends alike.
Sour Humanoid Vinegar — A gift for literary foodies! Before I got sober I was a bartender and waitress in the bay area. It’s how I met my husband, a chef (of course), put myself through art school, and supplemented my teaching salary, so I have an affinity for all foodie related projects. Bonus points that this awesome project was started by Tawny Lara, sober babe and writer extraordinaire, and her partner. Sour Humanoid Vinegars come in a variety of flavors and the website includes recipes for how to incorporate them into your culinary experience.
Universal Error Etsy Shop (Chelsea Martin) — So this may be less official as far as lit products go, but isn’t that the point of this list? The more DIY the better, and Chelsea Martin is the queen of DIY. I first discovered her work while working as an intern in the Small Press Distribution warehouse. I came across Even Though I Don’t Miss You (SF/LD Books)while unpacking and shelving boxes of books and I have been a fan ever since. Her etsy shop includes out of print books, lol stickers, hilarious handbound books, and more. Chelsea Martin’s shop is full of humorous gifts for writers who don’t want to take life so seriously
Deals, Steals, and Thrills(?) —
ok, so that subheader doesn’t exactly rhyme, BUT isn’t supporting indies thrilling? I know making this list has been a ton of fun and it wouldn’t be possible without the badass writers that wrote them and the publishers that helped get them into people’s hands. Here are some great indie presses to buy books from for the purist who wants nothing more bookish than the book itself!
Future Tense Books — So I am a little late to the pick-up on this incredible press, but I just found out about Future Tense this year after reading Michael J. Siedlinger’s newest book Runaway’s: A Writer’s Dilemma and I have since begun to slowly make my way through the books currently available on their site. My only regret discovering it so late is that I didn’t know about them before some of their earlier titles went out of print. Future Tense Books has been around since 1990 and it is the true embodiment of DIY culture, perfect for anyone who still believes in the magic of art for art's sake.
Long Day Press — This small press is for those bibliomaniacs who love weird books. Long Day Press has been around since 2015 and publishes boundary-pushing work with an emphasis on emerging Midwestern writers. Some of their titles from this year include Shannon Mcleod’s beloved Whimsy and Bessie Flores Zaldívar’s Rain Revolutions.
Short Flight/Long Drive — Looking for a literary gift for someone who likes no-bullshit books that aren’t afraid to get honest about sex, death, and the body? Then any of the recent titles from Short Flight/Long Drive will surely satisfy. The press is affiliated with literary magazine Hobart. Founding editor and featured writer, Elizabeth Ellen, has an eye for writing and publishing work that gets at the visceral, and often uncomfortable, experience of physical existence. This year, SF/LD released five books including Elizabeth’s own collection of short stories, Her Lesser Work. Other publications from the press this year include works by Elle Nash, Garielle Lutz, and Mik Grantham. All the books are currently available at special holiday prices in the online store.
Split/Lip Press — For the reader that likes books that are a vibe. Split/Lip Press has been one of my favorites for a while. Their books tend to welcome experimentation and always straddle that fine line between darkness and light. Past books include Kara Vernor’s Because I Wanted to Write You a Pop Song and Mila Jaroniec’s Plastic Vodka Bottle Sleepover (which was the title that made me fall for the press). In 2020 they published Athena Dixon’s memoir-in-essays, The Incredible Shrinking Woman.
