AWP was saddened to learn of the closure of Small Press Distribution (SPD) on March 28. SPD served hundreds of independent literary publishers—a key part of our literary community, and many of whom have exhibited at our bookfair over the years. A list of presses previously distributed by SPD, as of January 2024, can be found on CLMP’s website. We encourage everyone in the AWP community to follow CLMP’s request to “support [these presses] in their vital work by purchasing books directly from their websites, making donations to those that are nonprofits, and following them on social media.”

CLMP’s FAQ page will continue to be updated with information as the situation progresses. They held several sessions discussing next steps and has recordings available for CLMP members. Follow their Events page for upcoming events, such as their roundtable on distribution/fulfillment options and a webinar with Kickstarter for publishers to learn how to create engaging crowdfunding campaigns. We encourage any publishers previously distributed by SPD to take CLMP’s survey if they haven’t already.

Our hearts are with the presses affected by this closure, and we will continue to share resources and updates as they become available.