Brooklyn Rail Announces 'Publishing-in-Transit' Zoom Panel on Future of Publishing

Why It Matters

The Publishing-in-Transit panel spotlights the intersection of literary creation and the business realities of small‑press publishing. By featuring practitioners who have built sustainable operations—such as rob mclennan’s above/ground press—the discussion offers a template for authors seeking alternatives to the dominant commercial publishing routes. Moreover, the event’s reliance on foundation support underscores a growing recognition that cultural philanthropy can play a pivotal role in preserving experimental literature and fostering innovative distribution models. In a market where major conglomerates dominate shelf space and digital algorithms dictate discoverability, conversations that foreground independent presses help maintain diversity in the literary ecosystem. The insights generated by this panel could inform future collaborations, funding strategies, and archival practices that collectively bolster the resilience of the books space.

Key Takeaways

• Brooklyn Rail is hosting a Zoom panel titled Publishing-in-Transit featuring poets Jennifer Baker, rob mclennan, Misha Solomon and contributor Cole Swensen
• The event is funded by the Marion Boulton Kippy Stroud Foundation and the Teiger Foundation
• rob mclennan founded above/ground press in July 1993 and serves as Artistic Director of Ottawa’s VERSeFest
• mclennan’s recent titles include On Beauty: stories (2024) and edgeless (2026)
• The conversation will be recorded and added to Brooklyn Rail’s growing literary archive

Pulse Analysis

The launch of Publishing-in-Transit reflects a broader pivot within the literary world toward hybrid, digitally mediated gatherings that can sustain niche communities. Historically, small presses have relied on physical festivals and print newsletters to circulate work; the pandemic accelerated a shift to virtual formats, which now appear to be cementing themselves as permanent fixtures. By aligning with philanthropic partners, Brooklyn Rail is not only securing the financial bandwidth to produce these events but also signaling to other cultural institutions that foundation support can be a viable revenue stream for literary programming.

From a market perspective, the panel’s emphasis on chapbooks and limited‑edition ephemera highlights a niche that remains profitable despite overall declines in print sales. Chapbooks have low production costs and can be sold directly to readers at events or via online storefronts, allowing presses to retain a higher margin. The presence of a seasoned press founder like mclennan provides a case study in leveraging such formats to build a brand that can weather the volatility of mainstream publishing.

Looking ahead, the success of Publishing-in-Transit could inspire a cascade of similar initiatives, each tackling a specific challenge—metadata standardization, rights management, or print‑on‑demand logistics. If these discussions translate into actionable frameworks, they could reshape how independent publishers negotiate distribution contracts, access funding, and engage with readers. The key will be whether the insights generated are captured in policy proposals or remain informal dialogue. In either scenario, the event marks a noteworthy experiment in democratizing the conversation around the future of books.