Financial Transparency

Quibble is an independent lit mag dedicated to celebrating the art of inquiry, the thrill of creative risk, and the joy of a well-crafted story. We publish prose, poetry, and original art in print and online, offering a space for voices that challenge, inspire, and linger.

Small Press, Big Heart

Quibble Lit began in 2022 with a simple idea — to build a space where art, authenticity, and community meet, in the goal to make writing mean more.

Like many small presses, we’ve learned by doing: designing, editing, web-building, and business-running all at once.

Our journey has been a mix of creativity, spreadsheets, and late-night formatting — and we’re proud of how far it’s come.

This page is our way of opening the books and sharing what we’ve learned — because we believe that when we’re transparent, others can learn and build right alongside us.

Three-year Snapshot

Over three years, Quibble has invested roughly $5,500 in getting the press off the ground — covering everything from printing and web tools to artist payments and events.

Our yearly income and expenses since launch.

Where The Money Goes

  • Print + Delivery Cost = ~$7.50 Per Issue

    • Multipied Per Issue by # of artists

    • Average 35-40 Contributor copies = ~ 250-300 Cost Per Issue

  • CLMP Membership — $480/year

  • Squarespace — $36/month

  • Canva — $15/month

  • QuickBooks — $38/month

  • Rocket Money — $6/month

Our core yearly costs production costs (printing + delivery), publishing tools, web hosting CLMP-membership, and business software:

Spending by Catagory since 2024- Oct 2025

Paying Artists First - And Finding Balance

From the start, Quibble wanted to pay artists — even when it meant running at a loss.

  • Volume I: $20 per contributor

  • Volume II: $10 per contributor

Those early payments came straight from our pockets, and while they weren’t sustainable long-term, they represented what we value most: giving back to the people who make Quibble possible.

Now, as we stabilize and plan for 2026, our goal is to build a dedicated contributor fund so that paying artists isn’t an exception — it’s our norm.

Why Share This?

We’re sharing our finances not for praise, but for perspective. Transparency helps:

  • Demystify how small literary presses operate,

  • Encourage others to start their own creative projects, and

  • Model how honesty and growth can go hand in hand.

If this helps even one other writer, editor, or artist feel braver or better informed about starting something — then it’s worth it.

2025–2026 — Growing Together

2025 has been a turning point. Our income is rising, our systems are improving, and our vision for Quibble’s future is clearer than ever.

What’s Next

  1. Adjust Retail & Subscription Pricing — to align with fair production margins

  2. Deepen Community Engagement — through giveaways, workshops, and live readings

  3. Launch a Crowdfund (2026) — to create an artist payment reserve, offer scholarships, and develop new services like editorial feedback and indie-lit ad space

How We’ll Share Future Profits

How We’ll Share Future Profit -once we overcome our ~$761 deficit

Our Philoshopy

We believe a literary magazine should give back — to its artists, its editors, and its readers. By being open about how we operate, we hope to show that small presses can be both generous and sustainable, one story at a time

Quibble is built on curiosity, kindness, and creative exchange.