In 1999, Amy Rogers and two fellow Charlotte, North Carolina writers felt their city needed a publishing house to capitalize on the region’s literary talent. Charlotte already had a reputation for its commitment to the literary arts – in 1989, the progressive Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County helped start the Novello Festival of Reading, a national- caliber literary event that has featured such prestigious authors as Pat Conroy, Toni Morrison, and Tom Wolfe. Like many libraries, the library also budgeted for occasional publications. “The light bulb went off,” Rogers said. “Our library was already functioning as a de facto publisher.”
Rogers now serves as Executive Editor for Novello Festival Press – the country’s only library-sponsored literary publisher. “The ideal is to make the library a launch pad for the community’s literary wealth,” Rogers said. “A library does not have to just be a place where you store your literary legacy. A library can foster, seek out, and enhance that legacy.”
Since being founded in 2000, Novello has published 20 titles at a pace of 3-4 per year. They offer advances, typically around $1,000. Generally hardback, Novello’s first print-runs run between 2,500-3,500 copies. The titles have strong ties to the Carolinas, where Rogers has worked hard to build a regional following.
Novello’s titles have received national attention in the NY Times, Vanity Fair, Kirkus and Publishers Weekly, and three have sold paperback rights. Ron Rash’s Appalachian novel One Foot in Eden was rejected by larger publishers for lacking national appeal. Novello picked it up however and it became their #1 bestseller selling 6,500 hardback copies. Outstanding reviews led Picador to buy the paperback rights.
Novello’s share of their standard 50/50 paperback rights split and other income goes to the library’s general fund. Rogers emphasized that the press does not use funds earmarked for library programs or materials. Their approximate $100,000 budget comes from grants and discretionary monies – in good years, gross income has topped $70,000. The library management feels the program is well worth the expense. “After all, we have put thousands of books into readers’ hands,” said Rogers. “We break deserving authors. We offer countless readings and free public programs on writing and getting published. And we help establish our region’s reputation as a growing presence on the national literary landscape.”
Other institutions have approached Rogers about starting similar ventures. She is open to being contacted and offers her experience. “Something like this takes a long time to germinate,” she said. “You have to have somebody willing to do the leg work of getting things established. You have to have the literary work there. You have to have the pipeline to an umbrella organization that can give you your rudimentary infrastructure. Then you have to have the willingness to see where it takes you.”
