Microcosm Publishing
| Founded | 1996 |
|---|---|
| Founder | Joe Biel |
| Country of origin |
 United States
|
| Headquarters location | Portland, Oregon |
| Publication types | books, zines |
| Official website | microcosmpublishing |
Microcosm Publishing is an independent publisher and distributor based in Portland, Oregon. Microcosm describes itself as having "a reputation for teaching self-empowerment, showing hidden histories, and fostering creativity through challenging conventional publishing wisdom, influencing other publishers large and small with books and bookettes about DIY skills, food, zines, and art."
Beginning in 1996 with only Joe Biel doing part-time mail order out of a bedroom in Cleveland, Ohio, Microcosm moved to Portland, Oregon in 1999. Microcosm Publishing was originally run partly as a record label, which informed its approach to bookselling, and released records by Flotation Walls, Bedford, Organic, Cripple Kid, The Unknown, The Roswells, Little Dipper, Rock, Star. The operation grew significantly over the next 10 years, and has been distributed by Independent Publisher's Group as of 2011 when they also shifted focus to primarily becoming a book publisher.
In 2006, the Utne Reader described Microcosm as an "esteemed Portland, Oregon-based publisher and distributor of zines, books, pamphlets, DVDs, and other fun stuff." Microcosm is known for works about DIY lifestyles, 1970s aesthetics of instructional books for self-empowerment, a tongue-in- cheek sense of humor, and images and artwork celebrating bicycles and radical politics. Many of the items offered are not available easily elsewhere on the web or otherwise.
Microcosm is also known for incorporating the tactics of early punk record labels, a DIY approach, and guerrilla-style tactics for promoting their titles. Advertising is rarely purchased. Microcosm continues to operate as a non-profit, dividing all money beyond production expenses into the wages of all staff. Microcosm claims to have double the industry standard in the number of authors who are women.
In September 2008, Microcosm opened a new retail store in the Buckman neighborhood of southeast Portland. There was a noticeable shift in the type of reading material offered, since most stock is "hurts" and "remainders" sold at half retail price or less. In January 2014 the store grew for a fourth time, moving to a new location on Williams Avenue in Portland, a few blocks from its former longtime location in Liberty Hall.
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