About the New York Center for Independent Publishing (NYCIP)

ocated in the heart of what might be called "Literary Row," where the New Yorker once flourished, and where the Roundtable crew used to spike their drinks with wit, The New York Center for Independent Publishing, (formerly the Small Press Center), ticks to the rhythm of an important literary movement. A unique publishing and literary organization, the NYCIP has fostered its spirit of literary independence for over two decades, sponsoring year-round public programs that aim to place independent presses and their authors front and center.

Originally founded by Whitney North Seymour, Jr., as the Small Press Center in 1984, the organization quickly became a safe-haven for the booming alternative literary and publishing scene. However, the NYCIP’s historical seedbed as the home of independent publishing dates back even further, to 1831, when James Harper, one of the original four Harper Brothers, joined as an active member of the General Society of Mechanics and Tradesmen, which has housed the Center since its inception. Other distinguished 19th century printer and publisher members included Joseph B. Putnam, James J. Little and Benjamin Collins.

Now, as the NYCIP, in a publishing universe dominated by the economic clout of conglomerate publishing, the Center serves the nation's most innovative publishers and actively strives to cultivate freedom of the press. As such, the NYCIP provides access to education and expertise in the field of independent publishing, encouraging excellence and free expression in publishing through workshops, lectures, book fairs, exhibits and an extensive reference collection.

The NYCIP’s annual signature programs include: the Independent and Small Press Book Fair; National Small Press Month, and its host of reading marathons, lectures, and publishing workshops; the New York Round Table Writers’ Conference; and the series, Emerging Voices: Writers Published by Groundbreaking Independent Presses. In addition to such public programs, beginning in the fall of 2007, the Center will also be giving a yearly NYCIP Award to a publisher who has made an outstanding contribution to the field of independent publishing.

With its ever-expanding calendar of events, and by offering extensive publisher membership benefits, the NYCIP will continue to grow as the go-to place for independent publishers seeking to network with each other, as well as with industry insiders, while gaining a more competitive edge in today's marketplace. For more details on membership benefits, and to join, click here.

The NYCIP is an educational program of The General Society of the Mechanics and Tradesmen of the City of New York, located at 20 West 44th Street, between 5th and 6th Avenues in midtown Manhattan. Subways: B, D, F, or V to Bryant Park; 4, 5, or 6 to Grand Central. For more information call, 212.764.7021.