Featherproof Books is a small, independent

Independent business

In business, an independent business as a term of distinction generally refers to privately owned companies . Independent businesses most commonly take the form of sole-proprietorships...

 publisher working out of Chicago

Chicago

Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...

, Illinois

Illinois

Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...

. It was founded in 2005 by Jonathan Messinger

Jonathan Messinger

Jonathan Messinger is a writer and editor, born in Boston, Massachusetts and living in Chicago, Illinois, USA.He has contributed his fiction writing to the journal McSweeney's, among many other major and alternative publications. While at Clark University he was the editor of the student magazine...

 and Zach Dodson. They publish perfect bound novels, short story

Short story

A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...

 collections and other works, and provide "mini-books" containing short stories and novellas for free download. The publisher employs "a dose of humor" in their work, the founders stating that they are "dedicated to the small-press ideals of finding fresh, urban voices ignored by the conglomerates."

Featherproof books started in March, 2005 using funds raised from the sale of Zach Dodson’s car. Featherproof's first title was The Enchanters vs. Sprawlburg Springs by Brian Costello

Brian Costello

Brian Costello is a musician, live talk show host and writer living in Chicago, Illinois, USA. Born in Florida, he moved to Chicago in 1997 to pursue his interest in music...

, released in December, 2005, with the second, Sons of the Rapture by Todd Dills having been released in 2006.

Books

Publications have included:

• The Enchanters vs. Sprawlburg Springs by Brian Costello
  Brian Costello
  Brian Costello is a musician, live talk show host and writer living in Chicago, Illinois, USA. Born in Florida, he moved to Chicago in 1997 to pursue his interest in music...
  
  
• Degrees of Separation edited by Samia Saleem
• Hiding Out by Jonathan Messinger
  Jonathan Messinger
  Jonathan Messinger is a writer and editor, born in Boston, Massachusetts and living in Chicago, Illinois, USA.He has contributed his fiction writing to the journal McSweeney's, among many other major and alternative publications. While at Clark University he was the editor of the student magazine...
  
  
• This Will Go Down on Your Permanent Record by Susannah Felts
• boring boring boring boring boring boring boring by Zach Plague
• AM/PM by Amelia Gray
• The Karaoke Singer's Guide to Self-Defense by Tim Kinsella
  Tim Kinsella
  Tim Kinsella is a musician from Chicago, Illinois. He has been a part of many bands including Cap'n Jazz, The Sky Corvair, Joan of Arc, Owls, Friend/Enemy, Everyoned, and Make Believe...
  
  

Mini-Books

Mini-books are a series of self-contained short stories and novellas published periodically. These stories are available online, to be downloaded and printed on ordinary paper by the reader and folded into pocket-sized books. The small size makes them suitable for commuters

Commuting

Commuting is regular travel between one's place of residence and place of work or full time study. It sometimes refers to any regular or often repeated traveling between locations when not work related.- History :...

, and the editors aimed to combine both the "free and easy distribution" provided by the internet

Internet

The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...

 with their "love of paper" and the physicality of books.

The free mini-books are authored by writers from Chicago

Chicago

Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...

 and across the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

, allowing the publisher to work with authors outside of the books. Featured stories have "navigated such diverse topics as failed love, competitive familial golf games and vampires in graveyards".

Contributors

Brian Costello

Brian Costello

Brian Costello is a musician, live talk show host and writer living in Chicago, Illinois, USA. Born in Florida, he moved to Chicago in 1997 to pursue his interest in music...

, Samia Saleem, Jonathan Messinger

Jonathan Messinger

Jonathan Messinger is a writer and editor, born in Boston, Massachusetts and living in Chicago, Illinois, USA.He has contributed his fiction writing to the journal McSweeney's, among many other major and alternative publications. While at Clark University he was the editor of the student magazine...

, Patrick Somerville, Anne Elizabeth Moore, Kevin Sampsell, Fred Sasaki, Scott Stealey, Kyle Beachy, Jeb Gleason-Allured, Kerri Mullen, Elizabeth Crane, Ryan Markel, Pete Coco, Andrea Johnson, Ambrose Austin, Kate Axelrod, Tobias Carroll, Mary Cross, Paul Fatturoso, Abby Glogower, Laura Bramon Good, Amelia Gray, Mary Hamilton, Rana Kelly, Heidi Laus, Susan Petrone, Jay Ponteri, Fred Sasaki, Timothy Schaffert, Zach Stage

External links

• Featherproof Books
• Featherproof on Myspace