Modern technology, including the Internet, allows almost anyone to become a book publisher if they can get a business license, set up a website and buy a few word processing and graphics programs. The problem is keeping the business up and running. Book publishing is not a low-cost business to run if a publisher wants to stay successful. Publishers must deal with marketing costs, editorial expenses, cover art and design and staffing. There also are printing fees to create tangible paperback or hard-cover books, author advances and other fees.
Costs for editorial services, production and marketing come out of pocket for the publisher and must be offset by book sales. To sell books, publishers need to market their books and find a way to distribute them. The economic downturn has hit small publishers especially hard. Publishers' incomes are hurt when people don't buy books, but overhead expenses remain high. Upfront expenses and low sales have combined to drive many small publishers out of business.
Aphrodite’s Apples, which specialized in romance titles.
Avari Press, a fantasy publisher whose website is defunct.
All Romance Books, a former romance book publisher whose site now contains dating tips and MP3 downloads.
Americana Publishing Inc., an audiobook publisher that closed in December 2005.
Burnt Duck Publishing, a not-for-profit publisher that lost backing in 2009 and was forced to close.
Cambrian Publications, which is no longer publishing books but still lists its previous catalog of work at http://www.cambrianpubs.com.
Carnifex Press, a horror, fantasy and science-fiction publisher that closed in 2009.
Cavalier Press, a former LGBT publisher in the process of reopening but currently not publishing books.
Chippewa Publishing, an e-publisher that closed because of the owner's illness.
Dark Eden Press, an e-publisher of erotica that closed in 2008.
De Novo Publishing, a North Carolina publisher that closed in 2008.
Denlinger’s Publishers Ltd., now selling off everything associated with its name, including its domain and printing facilities.
Disc-Us Books Inc., a former publisher of new and reprinted books on disk.
Eggplant Literary Productions, which went on hiatus in December 2005 but closed completely soon after.
Electric eBook Publishing, an e-book publisher that closed because of the economy.
Fatcat Press, an e-publisher whose website says it is closed.
Fortitude Press Inc., an LGBT publisher that still sells titles from its previous catalog but is no longer publishing new titles.
JB Books, a publisher that is now only a book seller.
Lady Oracle ePublishers, a former romance e-book publisher.
Mathews Books, which moved from agency to publisher in 2004 but whose site is defunct.
Meisha-Merlin, a publisher that still sells from previous catalogs but does not publish new titles.
New Age Dimensions Inc., a publisher that has sold all rights and past titles.
NF Publishing, a publisher whose website is defunct and cannot be found online.
Promart Publishing, a small publisher that closed after its owner died.
Rain Publishing, which closed in 2008.
The Reader’s Retreat, a publisher that sold its domain to an actual retreat that does not publish books.
Red Engine Press, whose site now leads to a restaurant site.
RJ’s eBooks, which closed in 2009.
Shadowrose Publishing, which still has books circulating under its name but whose website is defunct.
Silver Dragon Books, which has not published titles since 2004.
Silver Lake Publishing, a once-speculative fiction publisher that was sold to a book seller.
Subatomic Books Publishing, whose domain name is for sale.
Tarseed Press, a children’s book imprint of H.J. Kramer Inc. no longer taking on new titles.
TreeSide Press, a Canadian publisher that closed in 2005.
Triskelion Publishing, a women's fiction site that closed in June 2007.
Whippoorwill Press, whose site now links to Amazon.
Winterwolf Publishing, now closed.
WriteWay Publishers, which went bankrupt in 2005.