Dear Friend,

In what has proven to be both an arduous time for publishing and an opportunity for change, Four Way Books has met the challenge with grace and fortitude. This year we have succeeded not only in continuing to do what we do best, but we are also expanding our programs. Wise fiscal management and unique opportunities have helped, but our continued success and our ambitious expansion have been predicated, as always, on the support of our loyal donors. We depend upon you, lovers of literature, to assure that the “selectivity and care” that are the hallmarks of our work thrive in today’s uncertain climate. Please consider making a contribution to Four Way Books in support of our future.

It is essential to the mission of Four Way Books, in response to the current literary market, to provide a stable and supportive home for poets and fiction writers. We are therefore expanding our publishing program from 6–8 books per year to 8–11 annual publications. Our dynamic reading series continues not only to showcase our own authors but also to provide a forum for other writers to present their work. Four Way continues to send a writer each year to the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown, Massachusetts, for a month-long residency in support of new work.

Along with expansion comes the need for internal support. With this in mind, we are pleased to announce that we have invited Sarah Leslie Welsch to join our dedicated publicity team. Sarah is a seasoned salesperson, with 30 years experience in book publishing. From 2000-2008, she was the director of sales at the University Press of New England at Dartmouth College (our book distributor). Sarah will devote her attention to special sales and general publicity. Sarah’s expertise and energy will help us to increase each book’s exposure and sales opportunities.

While the good news is encouraging, the challenges remain and grow. As you know, government agencies and private foundations have been sorely tested, their available assets gravely minimized by the financial setbacks of the past year. While we continue to receive funding and to seek new funding, this has affected us with serious cuts. Our good fortune is to be able to rely on our individual donors who, though beset by the fiscal crisis themselves, recognize that the cultural and artistic future of our nation depends on them. Your acknowledgment of the invaluable work of Four Way Books goes a long way toward keeping us afloat.

I ask for your support and generosity. Our donors’ contributions have been well rewarded in the past. Our ambitious plans for the future require renewed dedication from our donors. Four Way Books will continue to dignify your confidence, respect, and support with excellent work.

All of us at Four Way Books thank you for your commitment. By making a donation to Four Way Books at this time, you forge a partnership with the press in a very real way. Your contribution is a concrete vote of confidence and a demonstration of your belief that the press is worthy of your attention. A gift to us today helps us tomorrow.

On behalf of the board, staff, and authors of Four Way Books, I wish you a happy Fall 2009 and a prosperous new year.

All best wishes,

Martha Rhodes