Happy news from McSweeney’s: Previously I’d noted that they were having a sale of very good things. I didn’t mention it, but the occasion of the sale was that they had had a distributor declare bankruptcy, which suddenly took from McSweeney’s about $130,000 dollars in revenue and put the independent publisher at risk.
UPDATE: If you’re interested in the details of the distributor’s backruptcy, which other publishers were affected, and who will survive, Salon has this article, The Struggle for Independents.
After a groundswell of support from everywhere, things are much brighter now. This is from a mass email they sent to subscribers and customers:
All the support has been inspiring, and also humbling; working as we do on this remote western coast, running the internet equivalent of a highway produce stand, it’s a big deal to see so many people swooping in. And we don’t want to let you down — we’re very aware that we survive because of your trust in us and pretty much nothing else. Even beyond distributor bankruptcies, independent publishing is always a dicey business; just this week the great magazine Punk Planet announced that their latest issue would be their last. (That it lived for eighty issues is a testament to the dedication of Dan Sinker and everyone else involved.) No one’s getting rich in this business, but your support can allow these labors of love to labor onwards.
The sale continues — get in on the fun at the McSweeney’s store.