Small Press Interviews: Meet ReddUp Press

Tell us a little bit about your press and what inspired you to start it up.

It's actually extremely flattering how ReddUp Press came to be. A  fine fellow named Eric Meisberger started it in my honor. Eric is a venerated zine publisher in the Pittsburgh punk scene. He is also an amazing librarian and a brilliant poet. We have a long relationship of sharing our works in progress. One day I sent him a draft of my weird werewolf story, "Some Kind of Wild Animal," and his response was basically, "Fuck it, I'm starting a press so I can publish this." Pretty much the best compliment any author can receive, right? Eric has very old-school, DIY sensibilities which paired well with my boss-level nonchalance. After we kicked out a few titles, most with my byline, I made myself a de facto partner, taking on more responsibilities, including art, layout, and project development with new writers. In the coming year ReddUp will continue to randomly publish short horror and poetry from a growing body of authors as well some very niche kids books, anthologies, and whatever else tickles our fancy.

Indie publishers have a distinct personality. How would you define the personality of your publishing house, as well as the core brand/vibe?

ReddUp is obstinately anti-AI and deliberately anti-commercial. But we don't platform on that. We are focused on the art and novelty of it all, whether we make money or not. If we happen to turn a small profit, it goes into the pot to fund another project. 

We all know the small publisher is a champion for marginalized voices. How does your press help uplift these voices? 

We are all about building relationships and being an outlet for new voices. We don't plan to take the world by storm, who in the hell has time for that? We just want to be a wholesome, albeit odd, presence in the world. That means supporting art wherever it comes from, either by publishing it ourselves, or encouraging and empowering creators to start their own publishing presence.

What advice do you have for authors?

Don't spend too much effort trying to break into established markets. Find your community, and if one doesn't exist, create one. 


Where can authors find you?

https://www.instagram.com/redduppress/

https://redduppress.wordpress.com/

https://www.instagram.com/joncarrollthomas/