“We want people to read our books,” says Another Sky Press, “even if they read them for free.” Touting a pro-artist, pro-audience system firmly planted in the roots of a user-centric new media paradigm (think something like Mixed Plate Special, for art and lit), the brainchild of writer and media ecologist Kristopher Young aims to connect artists directly to their audience, to spread culture not control it for profit, by releasing all books online for free.
While that alone may not subvert traditional publishing, what gets closer is Another Sky Press’s sliding scale for printing and sending customers a “real” book. They charge only their cost to deliver, taking nothing in profit or for labor recompense, asserting on their web site that “you set the final price by choosing what you’d like to contribute (if anything) to the creative team behind it (most of which goes to the author). You can’t ever be ripped off. We call this pro-artist, pro-audience system neo-patronage.” Like a painting in a gallery, you get to view before purchase, and decide how much to pay.
“Flow with technology, don’t fight it,” is very well one motto of Another Sky Press, a pure commerce endeavor that nonetheless puts out passionate, even lubricious, quite often raw and hermetic, always deeply felt prose. In the anthology Falling from the Sky, available in quick downloadable form, there’s everything from a Christmas Crack story by Tony O’Neill, 30s blues by All is Fiction blogger LeRoy K. May, to “Untitled” by Anonymous.
In a world where people fake fiction as memoir because it’s more ‘sellable’ and publishers want hot authors more than great writing, literary fiction, and art and writing that refuses to recognize boundaries (or bottom lines) is going to have to find a new home–there seems to be a good one waiting for them at Another Sky Press. Watch what happens.
Literary Lotus 
Through the neo-patronage of others, who donate based on assessment of worth, it would seem. It’s interesting, especially considering that many writers do write for free.
How does a writer who has spent an average of 3 – 5 years writing their book see any profit?
I wonder about that too, given that their labor and time come from love alone. Thanks WFW.
What a superb and generous concept! The worst case scenario is that people who generally just want something for nothing won’t be a drain on this fabulous resource as their interest is so limited. Genuine readership will embrace this warmly if like me they’re hungry for words. The donation scheme is to be applauded too – I hope their karma is rewarded. Thanks so much for the informative post!