Six days in the past, Fieldmouse Press launched its GoFundMe marketing campaign “Assist Fieldmouse Press Keep Alive.” The emergency marketing campaign cites current Trump Administration “commerce bulletins,” e.g., the tariff warfare between america and China, which at present has each international locations reciprocally elevating tariffs on imported items to 125%. For the small press writer, this “sudden and sharp enhance in tariffs” signifies that their China-based printer has requested them to pay an “further 54% p.c tariff” on its Winter Season 2025.
Whereas evidently the brand new tariffs might not apply to books, Fieldmouse’s scenario is much less clear. “Our explicit scenario is much less clear,” wrote Alex Hoffman, Writer at Fieldmouse Press, in an addendum to the GoFundMe marketing campaign. “The printer we’re working with, positioned in Shanghai, China, is working underneath the idea that, for now, the tariffs are very a lot in place. Furthermore, this stays a unstable scenario total, as threats of additional US tariffs and worldwide retaliatory actions stay an actual chance.”
After receiving assist from different small press publishers like Glacier Bay Books and Silver Sprocket, Fieldmouse has stopped accepting donations on its GoFundMe. For the reason that writer is “unsure” whether or not it’ll want the cash raised from the marketing campaign “till the boat with our books arrives” in three to 4 weeks, it has stopped taking donations, as a substitute directing folks to assist Fieldmouse by supporting its Winter Season 2025 crowdfunding marketing campaign.
“If the printer agrees with us that no additional tariff needs to be levied,” continues the addendum, “and no tariffs are literally levied on the border, our present plan is to refund this GoFundMe.”
The Beat spoke with Fieldmouse Press’s Alex Hoffman concerning the trade’s confusion over whether or not the tariffs will apply to books, how small press publishers are working collectively, and what you are able to do to assist these firms throughout this time, when you have capability to take action.
This interview has been edited for readability and size.
OLLIE KAPLAN: I feel there may be some confusion over the present tariff scenario. Are you able to clarify to our readers extra about what’s happening along with your Chinese language printer? (Does the Chinese language response to the US tariffs impression this?)
ALEX HOFFMAN: The tariff scenario could be very complicated for each US-based firms and China-based firms. As of 4/9/2025, the USA has levied tariffs towards Chinese language imports at 125%. When you take this at face worth, which means each single product popping out of China faces a 125% tax when it reaches the US border. Nevertheless, there are some exemptions, and that is the place it will get tough. Based mostly on information from Annex II and Annex III of the Tariff bulletins, books and written supplies look like exempt from tariffs. That is seemingly as a consequence of skittishness about showing to restrict freedom of the press and freedom of speech, which have been targets for the US courts prior to now when tariffs have been concerned. That will usually imply that ebook publishers are okay – however our printer in particular didn’t consider that there can be tariff exemptions due to the data they have been receiving from their port forwarding company, and wished us to cowl a tariff cost of an extra 34%, after already paying a 20% tariff price on high of our unique whole value.
The rationale we launched the GoFundMe was as a result of, frankly, we have been being requested to pay an extra massive sum of cash up entrance after already paying for our whole Winter season, and we didn’t have the obtainable money. As a nonprofit, we’ve made the acutely aware effort to keep away from loaning cash to fund operations, and we didn’t have the money readily available to deal with that type of cost. Underneath that type of stress, it was the choice that made probably the most sense, realizing that if we didn’t want to make use of the funds, we might refund the pledges.
Imports and exports are fairly sophisticated, and except a writer has a specific worker who handles this work, most imports are managed by a port forwarding company that works on the behalf of the printer, who coordinates the cargo on the writer’s behalf. What which means is that Fieldmouse Press owns the books and is enterprise on report with the cargo, and is technically importing them, however doing so with the assistance of an exterior enterprise contracted by the printer that handles the logistics of getting them from China to our distributor. So a variety of fingers are wanted to maneuver books from printer to dock to boat to dock to warehouse
KAPLAN: How can our readers at present assist small press and indie publishers?
HOFFMAN: Readers can assist small press operations by shopping for books already in inventory and by supporting crowdfunding efforts. Fieldmouse Press is doing a preorder marketing campaign on Crowdfundr, however we’ve got a fantastic backlist that we might love people to take a look at. Shopping for books already in inventory provides small publishers the capital wanted to face these kinds of challenges and keep solvent.
KAPLAN: You’ve been involved with CBLDF concerning your scenario. Any recommendation for others?
HOFFMAN: Once we put out our cry for assist, we had a ton of individuals come to our help. We additionally contacted all of the folks we might consider – CBLDF, CLMP (the Group of Literary Magazines and Presses, a nonprofit group of impartial presses and magazines), and different publishers. This kind of solutions questions 3 and 5, however usually, small press publishers in comics make books as a result of they love the artwork kind and are captivated with it. It’s so onerous to make a revenue on small-run books, however we’re doing it as a result of we predict it’s important work. Fieldmouse Press is a 3-person operation, and all of us volunteer our time. Bulgilhan Press is one individual. Glacier Bay is one individual. Strangers Press is one individual. Even the extremely revered Koyama Press (RIP) was solely two folks.
My recommendation is, for those who’re a small press or an individual eager about publishing a ebook, and also you’re struggling to determine one thing out, or for those who need assistance, e-mail me. E mail different publishers. Avi Ehrlich of Silver Sprocket has given us a lot course and help over the previous few years. Annie Koyama helped us design our rights contract. I feel all of us usually consider {that a} rising tide lifts all boats. Constructing that community and recognizing that all of us have expertise and will help one another is the way in which that this trade goes to outlive the tough financial setting that is perhaps coming over the following few years.
KAPLAN: Are you able to inform me just a little extra about your upcoming books?
HOFFMAN: We’re so excited to indicate off our newest season of books. Fieldmouse Press publishes books in “blocks” of titles as a result of it helps consolidate prices and transport charges, so we set up our books into two main seasons: Winter and Summer season. Our Winter 2025 season is one we’ve affectionately been calling “The Fieldmouse Competition of Nihilism” as a result of a variety of the books grapple with tough matters, together with habit, abuse, suicidal ideation, and disordered consuming, simply to call just a few. However these books are lovely as a result of they’re onerous. To not get too philosophical right here, however the human expertise is essentially a mixture of moments of nice love and struggling. We’re working with artists who reveal the human expertise by its struggling and present that even within the midst of ache and trauma, life remains to be price residing. You’ll find out extra about our books on the preorder marketing campaign on Crowdfundr right here.
Right here’s some basic data, nonetheless:
Soften the Blow by Bread Tarleton is a 380-page, Smyth-sewn paperback in full colour—our largest ebook up to now, and one which’s been in course of since 2021. Can an individual discover self-acceptance and neighborhood within the face of their very own trauma and habit?
The Ardent by Carl Antonowicz is our first panorama ebook. It’s a 172-page Smyth-sewn hardcover in full colour. What lengths would you go to for one thing you consider in?
Memento by Sara Jewell is an 84-page Smyth-sewn paperback in full colour—a mixed-media sunburst of a ebook. How are you going to come to simply accept who you’re whenever you’re caught making an attempt to remain prior to now?
Totality by Jeff Lok—124-page Smyth-sewn paperback in black and white—is an autobiography in its rawest kind. What occurs to an individual when all the things they thought they believed concerning the American Dream seems to be a lie?
Ambiguous Blu by Noah Schiatti is a 52-page, perfect-bound paperback in full colour, initially revealed within the ShortBox Comics Truthful with a brand new adaptation. What do you do when your self-image is fraying on the edges, and nobody appears to grasp?
KAPLAN: Many small presses appear involved concerning the financial system. Some, like Glacier Bay (which just lately posted concerning the tariffs) and Silver Sprocket (which has additionally been open concerning the wrestle), additionally supported your marketing campaign. Are all of the publishers working to assist one another? Are you able to stroll me by that ecosystem?
HOFFMAN: I feel, along with what I mentioned above, the ecosystem is certainly one of free mutual help. We’re all making an attempt to make good books and make artwork that issues. And to a sure diploma, we’re all making an attempt to earn the identical {dollars}. However I feel every of the assorted publishers within the indie comics house has its personal area of interest and its personal pursuits. And extra importantly, there’s a kind of DIY/neighborhood ethos that guides us. I wouldn’t essentially publish a few of the issues that Silver Sprocket publishes (for instance), and I feel that’s a fantastic factor, as a result of it means that there’s a larger range of voice and storytelling that extra folks can expertise.
KAPLAN: The rest you’d like so as to add?
HOFFMAN: We’re actually grateful for the entire assist we’ve obtained over the previous week. It’s meant lots to see folks combating for us and for Fieldmouse Press. It’s a reminder of the energy of this neighborhood. And we’ve bought much more work to do – we’ve got a fantastic Summer season 2025 season deliberate, with books releasing in time for SPX 2025, and some shock releases as nicely!
(Featured Picture: @fieldmousepress)
When you’d prefer to assist Fieldmouse Press, pledge to their Crowdfundr marketing campaign by April 23, 2025, or buy digital editions from the writer’s earlier seasons! As well as, preserve up-to-date with the entire newest bulletins from Fieldmouse Press through their Linktree!
