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duckprintspress[Video ID: a white person in glasses with short, dark hair talking while sitting in front of a bookshelf. /end ID]
Transcript: So I got this question as part of an ask me anything. The question is: What’s something that surprised you about owning an indie press?
How much work it would be. I know that, maybe, like, obviously it was always going to be a lot of work to open and run a business, any business, and especially an indie press. I don’t… I don’t wanna make it sound like I’m upset with anybody cause I’m not, but I’ve ended up surprised how much is on me. I had hoped that certain aspects would be more collaborative and I understand completely why they’re not. It’s a really tough. Everything costs the sky. Like, it… yeah. I picked, like, the world’s worst time to open a business, and sometimes I think how much money I might be making if I’d opened it, like, 15 years ago. But whatever.
I think the thing that surprised me is sort of… just how much rests on my shoulders, while at the same time so many people help so much. Like I don’t wanna make it sound like I’m, “oh, I’m the lone warrior facing all the difficulty by myself. It’s so awful. Feel bad for me.” No, no, I have wonderful people who help me a lot. But there’s just so much in owning a business like this, and so much of it isn’t delegateable in any useful way.
That was a surprise.
On the pro side, just how amazing and supportive people are. I mean, you know – it actually ties in with the other. People who I didn’t know at all now help me with stuff every single day. People who I go, I can’t afford to pay for that right now. I appreciate the offer. And they go, “no, no, I can see that you need this help, I will do it for free.” Which I always am uncomfortable accepting. I – you know, people who do work deserve to get paid for that work. I mean, I sort of moaned and groaned in the beginning part about how more of it’s on my shoulders than I thought.
Less of it is on my shoulders than could be.
An enormous number of people – I mean, everything from the people who are like “we’ve never bought a single thing, but we always share your posts” all the way through, you know, the people who I hadn’t met when this started who are now some of my closest friends. The community that has developed – and we start with a community – but the community that has grown and developed since I opened this press amaze me and wow me and inspired me every single day. And I wouldn’t still be shouldering as much as I do if it wasn’t worth it, because I’ve made all these amazing friends, you know, people who are incredibly skilled at what they do, very passionate, and share my values and goals, and we all just want to get more queer works out in the world. And we’re doing it together.
So thank you, everyone. You make it worth it every single day.
I’m Claire, I own and operate an independent publisher Duck Prints Press. If you’ve got any questions for me in March, hit me up. It’s independent publisher’s month and I’m asking for your questions and I’m answering all comers. Bye!
