How to start a small press in a pandemic

Thinking of starting a small business venture in the midst of a world crisis? ArtsHub speaks with the founders of Aniko Press and Debut Books, who did just that.

In the face of lockdowns, border closures and global economic uncertainty due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the last thing on many people’s minds would be starting a new small business.

Not so for Emily Riches, who founded Aniko Press in 2020. With a background in editing and publishing, Riches began reassessing projects she wanted to pursue and found that lockdown allowed her the time to start the press.

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Andrea Simpson
About the Author
Andrea Simpson is a freelance contributor and former Feature Writer and the Reviews Editor for ArtsHub. Andrea is a Filipina-Australian writer, editor, and content creator with a love for diverse Australian stories. She is curious about all forms of art, though she has an especially keen interest in Australia's publishing sector. Her feature writing has appeared in Inside Small Business. Andrea is an Assoc. member of Editors Victoria (IPEd.). Her short stories have been published in Visible Ink Anthology 27: Petrichor (2015), and Frayed Anthology (2015). You can find Andrea’s poetry in What Emerges (2013) poetry selected by Ania Walwicz.