It sure is an interesting time to be publishing books and giving them away for free. Out in idyllic Concord, Massachusetts (how right you are, gentle reader, in fact it is the breeding grounds of Transcendentalism, American democracy and the worst grape ever), the Concord Free Press is taking the publishing crisis by the scruff of its neck and spitting in its face! Or something along those lines.

The CFP’s model is: publish one book at a time in a short press run; give it to anyone who wants it; ask readers to give money to a worthy cause of their choosing. They say:

In short, we are freed from the burden of profitability. That said, though our books don’t generate traditional profits, they create real value […]

To keep themselves running, they rely on volunteerism and grants/donations, the tried and true toolkit of trying to do good stuff that’s hard to support in a market economy.

The website’s main page is occupied by a long list of readers and where their donations go. Most go to registered charities, but some stand out in their personal nature. Imagine the intimacy of these interactions: “Madeline B. of Lafayette, CO gave $30 to a friend’s uncle who has cancer and no insurance”; “Suzanne S. of Pullman, WA gave $20 to a stranger for gas.” Pretty cool, huh?

Just one word to the wise: don’t try to give these books as gifts. They say right there on the back cover, “$0.00” But thanks anyway to the cheap bastard who brought that to my attention—Jack, I’m talking to you.

Ok, one last thing. Speaking of free books and kindness to strangers, check out this piece of “installation art” I found while looking for pictures.

 
 
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