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Vibrant Margins


vibrant [adjective]: pulsing or throbbing with energy or activity

margin [noun]: an area, state, or condition excluded from or existing outside the mainstream

From late 2016 to late 2017, I worked on a project called Vibrant Margins, whose goal it was to locate and promote small presses and authors. I featured a single novel per month published by a small press (which I defined as publishing less than 10 books per year), promoting it via an in-depth interview with the author. I also sold each book I promoted, either as an individual sale or as part of a subscription.

From a business perspective, the venture was an abject failure. However, in all aspects besides monetary, the project was an incredible experience -- I got to meet and engage with so many publishers and authors whose passion for literature knew no bound, and got exposed to a lot of books that I may never have come across in a bookstore, let alone picked out among the infinite shelves of books to choose from. It also made me think critically about the books I do read -- does this topic/genre challenge my current worldview? Does the author's personal experiences (perhaps as a person of marginalized background, such as race, sexual preference, or gender identity) provide a newer and fuller viewpoint of a subject that I've not been exposed to?

I found the interviews with authors particularly enlightening, and have linked their content below (the original domain has been relegated to the dustbin of internet history). I heartily recommend all of the books and authors below; if you're interested in reading any of these books, but are having a hard time getting your hands on a copy, please reach out -- I should be able to hook you up!