Community of Literary Magazines and Presses

Name

Community of Literary Magazines and Presses

Legal name

Community of Literary Magazines and Presses

Website

https://clmp.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1967

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: CLMP generates revenue through annual membership dues from publishers, with fees structured based on organizational budget size, ranging from $125 to $1,800 annually for full members, plus $50 for associate membership.
2. Government Grants: CLMP receives funding from government arts agencies including the National Endowment for the Arts, New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, and New York State Council on the Arts.
3. Corporate Sponsorship: Corporate support from organizations such as Amazon Literary Partnerships, with sponsorship tiers including Premier Literary Sponsors, Literary Heroes, Literary Champions, Literary Supporters, and Literary Friends.
4. Individual Donations: CLMP accepts donations from individual supporters, including a Friends of CLMP program for individuals committed to supporting literary publishing.
5. Event Revenue: Revenue generated from CLMP events including the annual benefit and sponsored programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

CLMP is a nonprofit membership organization that supports independent literary publishers through technical assistance (workshops and one-on-one consultations), a members-only Resource Library, grant administration programs, the Directory of Publishers, awards programs (Firecracker Awards and Constellation Award), networking events, and educational initiatives such as Lit Mag Adoption. Membership is offered on a sliding scale based on the publisher's annual budget, ranging from $125 to $1,800 per year.

Product overview

CLMP is a membership organization serving independent literary publishers, offering a unified platform of programs and services rather than a commercial software product. Core offerings include direct technical assistance through workshops and one-on-one consultations, access to a Resource Library with monographs and training recordings, the Directory of Publishers for community discovery, and funding programs (Literary Magazine Fund, NYSCA NYTAP, Small Press Future Fund). Awards programs include the Firecracker Awards and Constellation Award. Additional services encompass the Lit Mag Adoption educational program, Student/Intern Group professional development, networking sessions, and the bimonthly Indie Lit Update newsletter. Software tools include the CLMP Member Submittable Plan (partner product), Magazine Circulation Database Template (FileMaker Pro-based), and Submission Manager (One Story).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Firecracker Awards: Annual awards celebrating the best of independently published literature in fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, and magazines
• Constellation Award
• Indie Lit Update
• Lit Mag Adoption
• Indie Lit Fair

Products and services

• Technical Assistance Programs Direct technical assistance to independent literary publishers through workshops, one-on-one consultations, and phone and email support covering marketing, audience development, business management, and fundraising.
• CLMP Resource Library Password-protected digital library of monographs, transcripts, tip sheets, and audio and video recordings of technical assistance events, available to member publishers.
• Directory of Publishers Free online directory of independent literary publishers searchable by name, location, type, genre, and category, helping readers, writers, booksellers, and librarians discover indie literary publishers.
• The Firecracker Awards Annual awards recognizing independently published literature across Fiction, Creative Nonfiction, Poetry, Magazines/General Excellence, and Magazines/Best Debut, including prize money and a national publicity campaign distributed through the American Booksellers Association partnership.
• The Constellation Award Annual $10,000 award honoring an independent literary press that champions the writing of people of color, including Black, Indigenous, Latinx, and Asian American & Pacific Islander individuals, underwritten by Penguin Random House.
• Lit Mag Adoption Educational program enabling teachers to integrate literary magazines into course curricula through discounted student subscriptions and virtual visits from publishers and editors.
• Student/Intern Group Semester-long initiative providing networking, mentorship, skill-building sessions, and professional development for interns and student workers at CLMP member publishers.
• Literary Magazine Fund Capacity-building grant program that strengthens the operations and distribution efforts of literary magazine publishers.
• NYSCA NYTAP Regrant Program Technical assistance and regrant program for New York State independent literary publishers providing outreach and organizational development services, serving more than 150 publishers annually since 1997.
• Small Press Future Fund Emergency grant program for presses formerly distributed by Small Press Distribution (SPD) that ceased operations on March 28, 2024; offers $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000 grants for operational strengthening and distribution recovery projects.
• CLMP Professional Development Consulting Program One-on-one professional development consulting for member publishers covering funding strategies, marketing, distribution, and financial matters.
• Magazine Circulation Database Template FileMaker Pro-based template that helps literary magazines manage subscriber records, customer service, marketing campaigns, and accounting, available to publishers at no additional cost.
• CLMP Member Submittable Plan Low-cost, flexible submissions management plan developed in partnership with Submittable, available exclusively to Full CLMP members at $39/month or $290/year.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 150 publishers served annually through NYSCA NYTAP
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• PEN America / PEN World Voices FestivalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCLMP co-presents the annual Indie Lit Fair with the PEN World Voices Festival, combining literary publishing community with international literary programming
• American Booksellers AssociationmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership with ABA to distribute Firecracker Award winner promotional materials including press releases and shelf talkers to over 750 independent booksellers
• Bookshop.orgminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of the Firecracker Awards program
• SubmittablemajorTechnology or IntegrationCLMP partners with Submittable to offer members a low-cost, flexible submissions management plan for $39/month or $290/year, deeply discounted from regular pricing
• LitNetminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLitNet is available to Full CLMP members, providing additional networking and resource sharing within the literary publishing community

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Poets & Writers, Inc. The leading nonprofit organization serving creative writers and the literary community, publishing Poets & Writers Magazine and pw.org. Directly comparable to CLMP as a mission-driven literary nonprofit providing information, networking, and resources — though Poets & Writers targets writers themselves rather than publishers.
• Academy of American Poets: Major literary nonprofit that promotes poets and poetry through Poets.org, Poem-a-Day, and the Poets Prize. Comparable to CLMP as a literary advocacy nonprofit with similar scale, federal arts funding ties, and overlapping leadership networks (CLMP's ED Mary Gannon previously led content there).
• PEN America: Literary and free-expression nonprofit that co-presents the Indie Lit Fair with CLMP through the PEN World Voices Festival. Both organizations serve the literary ecosystem, advocate for writers, and rely on foundation and member support — making PEN America a natural peer and active partner.
• Association of Writers & Writing Programs (AWP): The largest nonprofit serving writers, writing programs, and literary organizations, hosting the annual AWP Conference that CLMP attends. Both organizations provide professional infrastructure for the literary community and engage overlapping member bases.
• National Book Foundation: Nonprofit that administers the National Book Awards and runs literacy programs. Comparable as a literary awards-presenting nonprofit with foundation funding and similar public-facing mission to elevate literature.
• Council of Literary Magazines and Presses (CLMP itself historic name): Note: this is the prior name of CLMP itself. Comparable reference points in the broader space include the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), which serves independent book publishers more broadly.
• Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA): The largest nonprofit trade association for independent book publishers, offering membership, education, and advocacy. The closest direct competitor/peer to CLMP, though IBPA focuses on book publishers more broadly while CLMP specializes in literary magazines and small literary presses.

Broad incumbents

• American Booksellers Association: The national trade association for independent bookstores, distributing Firecracker Awards materials to 750+ indie booksellers in partnership with CLMP. A broader incumbent in the literary ecosystem with overlapping membership but serving retailers rather than publishers.

Emerging players

• Cave Canem Foundation: A nonprofit literary organization supporting Black poets through residencies, retreats, and publications. Operates in an adjacent niche to CLMP's Constellation Award and DEI programming — addressing similar equity and capacity challenges in literary publishing.
• Lambda Literary: Nonprofit celebrating LGBTQ+ literature through the Lambda Literary Awards and writer programs. Adjacent to CLMP's DEI-focused work and Constellation Award, with overlapping funder relationships and literary advocacy mission.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CLMPorg
• Facebookfacebook.com/CLMPorg
• Instagraminstagram.com/clmporg

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Community of Literary Magazines and Presses