Alice James Books
A place of belonging for poets who inspire.
Founded as a feminist press, Alice James Books is committed to collaborating with literary artists of excellence whose voices have been historically marginalized by producing, promoting, and distributing their work which often engages the public on important social issues.
Alice James provides a platform from which to elevate exceptional literary artists and is dedicated to helping its writers achieve purposeful engagement with broad audiences and communities nationwide. We help writers tell their stories and connect with readers. We envision this work making continued contributions that sustain American literary and artistic culture and to growing a more understanding, equitable, and just community through literature.
Hello Friends, Alices, and Supporters:
First, I want to thank everyone who has reached out to check on our team. We appreciate your care and kindness during this challenging time.
As many of you are aware, our artistic ecosystem was dealt a devastating blow recently with the sudden termination of 2025 grants from the National Endowment for the Arts. In addition to this, the NEA is on the chopping block for the federal budget, and all of the literary arts staff AJB has worked with (Amy Stolls, as long as I've been at the press) will be leaving the agency at the end of the month.
We are heartbroken. We are feeling uncertain. Nevertheless, we are resolved to continue the press's important work, despite being unsure how to do that without funding from key sources like the NEA, especially while costs continue to skyrocket year after year with no relief in sight. We are assuming we will not receive any more funding from the government, and we're uncertain about whether other sources of funding will step up.
The stability of set grant funding allows the press to do its work without worrying about the future, without deciding which books to take based on what we think is going to sell. It allows us to focus on the art and the artists themselves–something AJB has always prided itself on. We want to remain mission-driven and a place that elevates all voices.
We are committed to the work. Please help us stay strong and viable.
We're so grateful for all the ways in which you show up for us. If you can do more to help, here are some ideas:
1) You can GIVE again, more generously, and/or more frequently (i.e., monthly).
2) You can ask your circle of friends to support the press.
3) You can share a call to give over social media or email.
4) You can lift up AJB authors and their books by buying directly from our website.
5) You can connect us with individuals who might be strong board candidates.
AJB and independent presses like ours are the bedrock of our literary ecosystem. Shrinking should not be an option. We don’t want to have to publish fewer books, host fewer events, or scale back our promotional efforts. We raise up the voices of writers who would otherwise have no platform. That's a service we all need, and we cannot allow it to disappear. Please help us keep protecting this precious resource.
Yours with gratitude and in poetry,
Carey, EDP & Anne Marie, AJB Board President
Contribute To The Alice Fund
The mission of The Alice Fund is to ensure the long-term financial stability and further the long-term strategic goals of Alice James Books.
The Alice Fund maintains a conservative management and investment policy. Fund assets are managed by Western Mountain Financial in Farmington, ME. Each year, up to 5% may be approved by the board to be used as income for ordinary expenses or other special projects.
Your endowment gift ensures a future for poetry and a future for the collaborative publishing process. When you give to preserve our future, you will be ensuring the publication and readership of Alice James books for years and generations to come.
Your gift to the Alice Fund may come in many forms. You may give a one-time gift, set up annual contributions, make a gift on a loved one’s or friend’s behalf, or write a plan for Alice James Books right into your estate. Gifts may be even be made in stocks or bonds, or you may also consider individual or corporate sponsorship and matching opportunities. However you choose to give, poetry salutes and appreciates your conscious efforts to preserve and share literary art, and Alice James Books comes closer to securing a future for books that matter.
To find out more about opportunities to aid the press’s endowment or to make a donation, please use the form below or call us at 207.926.8283.