Small publishers are wonderful components of the national publishing ecosystem. They publish a lot of debut novels and keep many an emerging writer listed as “published author.” The only problem with small presses is if something happens to the owner or the publisher, the business may fail and close. If someone dies at one of the Big Five Publishers, no one cares. 

Small publishers are wonderful components of the national publishing ecosystem. They publish a lot of debut novels and keep many an emerging writer listed as “published author.” The only problem with small presses is if something happens to the owner or the publisher, the business may fail and close. If someone dies at one of the Big Five Publishers, no one cares. 
 
The publisher of my second historical novel at Fireship Press recently passed away. Her passing has led to the closing of the Press and that means my novel, The Fever Hut, is currently unavailable because there is no one to print and distribute the book. I have a novel, released in February of this year, that no one can buy at the moment.
 
I’m hoping another publisher will pick it up shortly. One is reading it right now. If not, I’ll have to start querying other agents and other small presses—a time-consuming effort. And when I do find a new publisher, I think I’ll ask for a full medical report. Blood work. A chest film. Labs. An EKG. The works. I don’t want another agent or publisher dropping dead on me. 
 
So, if you’re looking for a copy of The Fever Hut, I have a dozen copies left. Or you can wait a few months and maybe by then a new publisher will have picked it up. In the meantime, I’m sad to see the end of Fireship Press. They published some fine books, and they were an important component of what should be a healthy and dynamic publishing ecosystem.