Arrow Editions is a new imprint of the Concord Free Press, the generosity-based publishing house founded in 2008 by a cohort of visionary authors, designers, publishing ex-pats, and faithful friends.

The Concord Free Press is a non-profit, all-volunteer press that publishes original books and distributes them to readers for free, asking only that readers give to a cause they believe in or a person in need—then pass their book on so that other can give. It’s been called a grand experiment in subversive altruism, which we appreciate. We’ve published dozens of titles, given away tens of thousands of books, and inspired more than $5 million in generosity around the world—establishing a new publishing model and showing that readers tend to be empathetic and kind.

Primarily original fiction, plus multi-genre collections, documentary photography, and even an inspirational sermon. More than a hundred writers have published their work with us, including the late, great Russell Banks (one of our stalwart supporters), FreeMadison Smartt Bell, Melissa Broder, Wesley Brown, Charles Coe, Brian Evenson, Castle Freeman, Jr., Woody Haut, Gabino Iglesias, Yiyun Li, Alan Lightman, Gregory Maguire, Joyce Carol Oates, Robert Pinsky, Elizabeth Spires, and Paul Tremblay. More about our books at the Concord Free Press site.

Yes, we’ll continue publishing great books for free, exactly as we have for the last fifteen years—and we have some fascinating collaborations ahead.

Concord Free Press books are free. Arrow Editions books are for sale. As the slightly more commercial sister-ship of the Concord Free Press, Arrow Editions will publish books in trade paperback and ebook editions, selling them online and via a select network of independent bookstores.

Our model is a self-funding circle, since the commercial editions published by Arrow Editions will help fund the free books published by the Concord Free Press. Half the proceeds from each book will go directly to the author and the other half will support the mission of the Concord Free Press, keeping the generosity going. By expanding our publishing empire (we’re located over a bakery, so much for empire), we hope to attract a different group of writers. After all, not all writers are in a position to donate their work to a press that gives away books.

We began Concord Free Press with Stona Fitch’s novel Give + Take, which proved that there was room for a new kind of publishing. When envisioning Arrow Editions, Stona decided to put his manuscript where his mouth was, again, and use Death Watch to test our new publishing model—Arrow Editions.

We’ll take what we learn from publishing Death Watch and use it to chart our course ahead. Ultimately, we hope to inspire, attract, and publish other writers who want to try something new and say something bold.

We want to serve as a catalyst and cheerleader in the burgeoning world of independent publishing, where more and more authors are founding their own presses (e.g., Sara Gran’s Dreamland Books)—and innovating in ways that seem impossible just a few years ago.