In traditional publishing, writers and artists entrust editors, designers, printers, and many others with making decisions about how to produce and distribute their work. In exchange for financing the process and applying their expertise, publishers assume most of the risks and rewards. Self-publishing puts more control in the creators’ hands, whether they’re paying to have their work printed, producing it entirely themselves, or something in between.
While the digital era has brought an explosion of new avenues for self-publishing, the practice is a much broader and more enduring phenomenon. This exhibition brings together material from the eighteenth century to the present day that illuminates reasons why people self-publish and some of the tools they use to do so. Household names rub elbows with the obscure; sumptuous bindings sit next to staples; the silly and serious mingle. The different motivations and methods on display animate a tradition of self-publishing that today is as strong as ever.
Mon - Fri 10am - 5pm
Sat & Sun CLOSED
Free & open to the public
Edison & Newman Room, Floor 1
Houghton Library
Harvard Yard
2 Kirkland Street
Cambridge, MA
42.374286721013, -71.11670835
Do It Yourself! Self-Publishing from Letterpress to LaserJet
