Word Count
Small Southern publishers bring untold stories into the light
by Abby Moore Keith
In a world that is increasingly digital and AI-generated, small-batch publishers are championing the written word. From memoirs to poetry collections, new novelists and underrepresented voices, these Carolina-based publishers know there’s nothing quite like turning that first page of a fresh-bound book.
“I started Loblolly Press to open a door for Southern writers who’ve had those doors shut on them more times than they should’ve.”
Loblolly Press
Asheville, NC
Championing marginalized Southern voices, Loblolly Press offers a unique collection of contemporary poetry, short fiction, and novels. When Hurricane Helene devastated the mountain communities of Western North Carolina, founder and managing editor Andrew Mack quickly united local artists and writers to create the Understory collection, a digital zine that benefits relief work.
The Computer Room, by Emma Ensley, from Loblolly Press
“I started Loblolly Press to open a door for Southern writers who’ve had those doors shut on them more times than they should’ve. We focus on queer, disabled, rural, elder, and BIPOC voices—folks making incredible work and building something real in their communities. We do it on a shoestring, but we make it work. Cheryl Whitehead’s Distant Relations is one of those books that stops you in your tracks—formally rich, full of range, and written in a voice as haunting as the history it carries. It’s exactly the kind of work this press was built to champion. We’re proud of what we put out, and proud to be part of the South’s long literary tradition.”
—Andrew Mack, founder and managing editor
Hub City Press
Spartanburg, SC
It may be small, but Hub City has set the bar for how a hometown press can make a big splash. Now in its 30th year, the Spartanburg-based house has curated some 90 works of poetry, fiction, memoirs, and short stories, some of which have had Best Book of the Year shoutouts from the likes of NPR and coverage from top publications like the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and more.
Hothouse Bloom, by Austyn Wohlers
“For three decades, Hub City has been a cultural engine in the American South, committed to cultivating thoughtful discourse while expanding the understanding of Southern literature. We’ve seen that small presses that are embedded in community can be essential in amplifying voices that have been underrepresented in the larger commercial publishing landscape and, in our case, shine a light on stories by and for the folks living within the South and showing all it has to offer.”
—Julie Jarema, marketing assistant
University of South Carolina Press
Columbia, SC
For more than 80 years, the University of South Carolina Press has published thoughtful works that center on education and encouraging community conversations. Their extensive collection includes biographies, cookbooks, historical works, children’s literature, field guides, and so much more. Many explore the rich, cultural heritage of South Carolina by highlighting historical moments through modern storytelling.
A Dream Deferred: The Art and Activism of Edwin Augustus Harleston by M. Akua McDaniel
“Small publishers, many of which are rooted to specific places, understand what is important and appealing to local communities. We small publishers also actively connect communities and readerships, and in the case of USC Press, we can join scholars with passionate non-academic subject area specialists to create rich and varied lists in areas like food studies, Jewish studies, and African American studies.”
—Michael J. McGandy, director of USC Press
Good Printed Things
Greenville, SC
What began as a side project when founder and designer Lib Ramos convinced a friend to write a book and let her design and publish it, Good Printed Things now has a host of happy titles to show for it—everything from a gardening zine to poetry collections on state parks. Lib, whose background is in graphic design, delights in connecting writers and illustrators to create beautiful books, many of which center on themes of community and curiosity.
A Field Guide to North American Trees, a chapbook collection by Garrett Ashley in collaboration with Loblolly Press
“I’ve realized what I love most about publishing isn’t the design or even the reading parts— it’s the fact that I get to create actual physical space for creative work to live in the world. These books take up room on a bookshelf or a coffee table. They exist and now get to be discovered in a little free library or shared between friends.”
—Lib Ramos, founder
This story appears in our Fall 2025 issue.
