Pressing through stormy financial times and evolving mediums, UNM Press’ ink hasn’t run dry.
Staff reductions have coincided with steadily declining book sales, but the press’ reputation as the go-to for scholarly writers, novelists and poets endures.
Editor-in-Chief Clark Whitehorn said that when the economy tanked in 2008, publishing became unstable, and about half the staff was lost because of layoffs or resignations. He said the press doesn’t get money from the University, so it has to publish more commercial books in order to stay afloat.
“Nonprofit publishing is not for the faint of heart,” he said. “… The book sales right now are flat. We all try to B.S. each other a bit about sales, but it’s flat.”
Book sales might not be climbing, but those with strong hearts keep the presses running.
Production Manager Maya Allen-Gallegos said having a press is a symbol of prestige. She said university presses typically publish works that fall into their niche.
“It’s probably related back to that thing where universities at some point needed a way to disseminate the knowledge their scholars were creating or producing,” she said. “It’s kind of just a tradition now. I mean, scholars are here to be producing knowledge to share with the rest of the world, so you have to have a way to send that out.”
Apart from its Latin American literature, which Whitehorn said is one of the country’s most respected, UNM Press publishes poetry, novels and children’s book.
That, Whitehorn said, is something that sets the press apart from other publishing companies.
“All the university presses started out as an arm of the institution to publish the scholarship from that institution, but over the years, presses have expanded beyond that,” he said. “That’s how you enhance your reputation.”
A reputation that has, more or less, stayed in tack with UNM faculty.
David Sklar, associate dean of Graduate Medical Education, worked with UNM Press to publish his book La Clinica- A Doctor’s Journey Across Borders, and he said the press gives authors a more involved role in the publication process.
“It really tries to work with the writers to make sure the spirit of what you’ve written stays true and doesn’t get altered in an effort to make a book more commercial,” he said.
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Commercial interests might not find their way to print, but that’s not to say the publishing company doesn’t face profit-making pressures.
Whitehorn said that an e-reader format does not threaten the industry because editing and designing are still necessary, but the press can’t ignore the growing digital demand. Meeting that demand, he said, will lead to increased profits.
“We don’t have to clear cut half of Oregon to create the product, and I think it’s important to remember it doesn’t change the nature of a book,” he said. “People just have to grow comfortable with that.”
Regardless of whether it eases UNM Press’ stressed bottom line, Whitehorn said, the company won’t alter its business practices because of financial constraints. He said it will continue to forge a connection between publishers and readers at any price.
“We try to create books that meet scholarly standards, meaning they’ve been researched, vetted, and so on,” he said. “But we want to stay true to the stories of this state like La Llorona, like chupacabra stories. They’re sort of part of our folklore and what we do.”
