Felice Newman has degrees in poetry, writing, and women's studies, and her academic bent has informed Cleis Press’s books from the beginning, creating literary erotica, which is ‘really hot’ books that are really well-written.” “Felice and Frédérique made that a requisite from the very beginnings of Cleis Press. “It is writing that ‘sings off the page’ that sets us apart,” says Associate Publisher, Brenda Knight. And within those parameters, we find a lot of freedom and creativity - there's a lot we can do without capital investment.”īeyond their tenacity and frugality, what really makes Cleis Press special is literary excellence. If we can't reasonably expect our cash flow to cover a new project or campaign, we simply do not do it. We have no debt beyond our printing bills, which we pay on time every month. “My strategy is to keep our growth in line with our cash flow,” she continues. The same goes with our time and energy - we want to be creative without overwhelming ourselves.”

“For starters, I think it means not doubling production from one year to the next! We are growing, adding a few titles each year (now approaching 40 new titles per year). “Of course, everyone has an opinion on what ‘growing the right way’ looks like,” says Newman. The survivor persona is reflected by its first published book, Fight Back: Feminist Resistance to Male Violence (1981), by Frédérique Delacoste, who says it “set the tone for work we published for many years-resistance was a strong theme for us.” She and co-founder Felice Newman have worked together ever since, blending that determined attitude with good business sense, growing the company slowly and steadily. One of the only houses still run by its founders, Cleis is now the largest independent queer publishing company in the United States. Celebrating 30 years in business this year, Cleis has survived while many of the lesbian, feminist, and gay presses that emerged in the 1970s and 1980s have gone under. Indie Groundbreaking Publisher Cleis Press Proving that (Really Good) Sex SellsĬleis Press is a publishing survivor.

Erotica Exotica by Richard Labonté