In the spring of 2024, when the poet Mark Scroggins, having been impressed with the graphic design and layout of my self-published chapbook Island (2024), asked me if I would ever consider designing and publishing a chapbook for him, I never could have anticipated that I would, by mid-2026, be operating a full-blown independent literary press on my own. During those first 2 years operating my imprint, I managed to release 40 titles by 27 authors. The Bodily Press, having garnered what seems to be a positive reputation among my peers, has “arrived on the scene,” and for that I am extremely grateful.

However, while I would like to keep publishing at a pace of 20 books per year, I have decided it is time to slow down a bit, shore up, and focus on the business end of things. With only my website (bodilypress.com) by which to distribute my books, the moment has come to expand my model. By the end of October, 2026, my goal is to have applied for distribution with Asterism Books. With any luck, I will be able to stock my books with Asterism for distribution starting in the spring of 2027. With distribution in place, I can then begin forging relationships with independent booksellers and librarians across the United States in an effort to have them stock my books, and extend the reach of the press. In building such a network, slowly but surely as it may be (I plan to do this the old fashioned way, mailing postcards in addition to employing digital outreach methods), I hope to sustain a future of innovative publishing with The Bodily Press for many years to come. That’s where you come in.

The Bodily Press relies largely on individual donor support to continue running. At a time when overhead costs are rising, when state and private funding for artistic ventures in the United States is at an all-time low, when conglomerates such as Amazon and Ingram make it increasingly difficult by the year, to sell and distribute books sustainably, your support is more crucial than ever, not only for me, but for so many publishers, booksellers, and authors, to sustain independent literary endeavors into any future we might hope to share. I’m asking for your support right now.

On this page, you will find rewards listed for donations of various tiered amounts. As The Bodily Press is a 501(c)(3) operating under the fiscal sponsorship of Fractured Atlas, any amount you give beyond the market value of rewards received is tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law. 

Help me to reach my goal of $2,000 by August 30th in support of the aims detailed above and below. Without the support of dedicated readers like you, I cannot enact the vision of collaborative publishing and presentation that you’ve all come to know materially as The Bodily Press. Your support is appreciated beyond words, and any amount you give goes a long way, granted that this campaign is shared widely among like-minded readers and poets. Below are some further details about what I have accomplished with the press since our last fundraiser in December, and what I have planned for heading into next year.

Since December of 2025 I have published the following titles through The Bodily Press:

I also organized and/or participated in the following Bodily Press-related events:

Slated for release this fall are the following titles:

Publishing fewer titles this fall will help me leave space for completing the Asterism application, and will save funds to be used toward the following goals:

All in all, after a very productive year, I have some work yet to do. But I still need your support to make this vision a reality. 

Support by readers and writers like you helps keep this ship afloat in an era of looming shipwrecks. All funds will be used to enact my collaborative publishing vision for The Bodily Press and the authors I publish, be it for printing books, paying fees for tabling at various book fairs, purchasing ISBNs and barcodes, or acquiring shipping materials, and so much more. Your support is crucial, and again, very much appreciated. Thank you in advance for anything you can give. I hope you enjoy the poetry along the way.

Yours,

Eliot Cardinaux

Poet, Pianist, etc.

Founding Editor

The Bodily Press