The AK FAQ
Q: How do you decide what books to publish?
A: We conduct an in-depth profit and loss statement and then have a private consultation with our Amazon rep. (Okay, so we filter out the off-topic submissions and have at least two collective members read through each manuscript. At that point we ALL sit down and discuss the strengths/weaknesses of the project, based on the report back offered. We also accept proposals from authors that demonstrate a clear grasp of their subject matter without seeing a complete manuscript, but this is usually reserved for folks we've worked with before or can vouch for their literary talents.)
Q: Hey, I'm thinking about publishing a book and am interested in having AK Press help distribute it. How can I learn more about the process?
A: Click HERE to go to our page outlining how to send distribution submissions.
Q: I wrote an amazing book that AK Press just has to publish. Who do I contact?
A: Click HERE for our submission guidelines, and thanks for writing such a great book!
Q: Will the Bookmobile come to my town?
A: Yes and No. The “Bookmobile” is not an automobile but an announcement, an opportunity, and a means toward an end. The Bookmobile is really just a series of events where AK books can be found. These include book fairs, lectures, concerts, gatherings, etc. You can't “request” that the Bookmobile come to your town but you can organize or attend an event, and sell books there. AK Press will sell books to individuals or groups at a discount, just as we would to a bookstore. Therefore the Bookmobile operates as a grassroots means of making literature available wherever people gather. And if you are organizing an event and making books available, send us an email and we'll include your event on our calendar.
Q: Do you send books into prisons and jails?
A: Everyday. In solidarity with any individual locked up by the State, we'll sell you, or your friends or family members, books at a 30% discount as long as it is being shipped to a “correctional facility.” It's always up to the person ordering to be aware of restrictions for the institution (specifically around shipping methods, explicit materials, hardcovers, etc.).
Q: Can I volunteer or intern at AK Press?
A: Indeed. We have a number of tasks that we could always use more help with. Depending on your level of experience, expertise, and willingness to get your hands dirty we've got work for you! Email us to learn more about plugging in with AK Press.
Q: I'm a distinguished professor that would like to request one of your publications to help indocrinate my students against capitalism and the State. How do I request a desk copy?
A: Great news. First, make sure the book was published by AK Press (if it was not, contact us and we'll help you get in touch with the publisher). Secondly, send a request on letterhead with complete contact information, course name, and enrollment to: Fax (510) 208-1701 or email to deskcopy@akpress.org.
Q: I write for the New York Times Review of Books and Drunk and Disorderly Quarterly, how do I request a review copy of one of your books?
A: Send your contact information along with publication name and expected date of review to either: Fax (510) 208-1701 or email us at publicity@akpress.org.
Q: I have a highly rarefied, comprehensible-only-to-me take on anarchism and I want to argue with you about it. Who shall I send my query to?
A: Don't bother.
Q: How cool is it to work at AK Press!?
A: It's the coolest thing in the world if you are aware of all it entails. Being a part of a collective means constant vigilance—both to grow as an individual and as one part of a greater whole, with common ideals. There's no clear blueprint for working with people on a libertarian political project (and anyone with prescriptions is a charlatan). So mix that with being a part of an anarchist project whose work is mostly extremely tedious (from packing boxes to proofreading) and blend it with having to exist within a capitalist economy—that we seek to transcend—and it can be a noxious cocktail. But, despite all the frustrations and limitations, what could be more exhilarating than distributing and publishing materials that encourage everyday people to rebuild society from the ground up?
