Publishers Weekly reported that small press magazines have found a new champion with an online publication, Shelf Unbound.
Launching in September, Shelf Unbound aims to be a journal for small presses and is available exclusively online for computer, iPhone or iPad using the Zinio platform (which also offers Publishers Weekly as an e-edition). Electronic editions make sense for small presses who don’t want to gamble their limited funds on a high printrun.
Shelf Unbound publisher Margaret Brown told Publishers Weekly that it’s about showcasing hard to find writing to a global audience. She says her motivation for founding the magazine is “an awareness of the breadth and depth and quality of books that do not make it onto the shelf of the big chain stores, and the delightful discovery of how mind-blowingly beautiful and exciting magazines are on the iPad.”
The first issue features US-based content with stories on California’s skateboarding scene and Detroit’s attempts to renew itself, which points to a move to get a North American readership before looking at an international audience.