Fonograf Editions

Mission

Established in 2016, Fonograf Editions exists to take risks that push the boundaries of sound, text, and genre. We value the interdisciplinary, experimental, and unclassifiable, and we strive to bring to life works that resist, bend, and break expectations. We prioritize public access by making a component of each of our releases available for free to the public (such as streaming audio online) and by hosting multiple free community events each year. 

We are volunteer-led and look at publishing as a vocation, not a job. Our editors work at Portland Community College and various AIDS and arts non-profits. All of the $ we make goes back into the press.

Places like The Paris Review Daily and Poets & Writers have previously written about Fonograf Ed's creation and development and our books and records have been featured, reviewed, and called best of the year at outlets such as The New York Times, Artforum, The New York Times Book Review, Frieze, Harper’s, and The London Review of Books, among others.

Bottom Line for Portland

Fonograf Editions is one of the only entities of its kind in the state and country. Based in Portland, we are writers who publish experimental books and records that bring together sound, text, and performance, continuing the city’s tradition of independent, artist-led experimentation. Through free community events and collaborative projects, we keep art personal, accessible, and in active conversation with the community that sustains it.

Quote

“Small, community-oriented presses like Fonograf Editions do vital work locally and nationally by hosting events, fostering community, and publishing innovative work that falls outside the mainstream. Supporting Fonograf Ed. supports art, artists, and readers alike!”

--Erika Stevents, editor, advocate and literary agent 

Incentives

$1,000+ — Rice Place Residency (1 available)

Enjoy a weeklong creative retreat at the Rice Place residency on the Clackamas River from July 5-12, 2026 — perfect for writers, artists, or anyone seeking quiet inspiration. Awarded to first highest donor at this level.

$300 — Manuscript Consultation (3 available)

Receive a one-hour manuscript consultation with local authors Jaydra Johnson, Jay Pontieri, and Emilly Prado. First 5 donors at this level will be entered into a raffle to win.

$250 — Fonograf Editions Book Package (2 available)

Receive a curated bundle of our prose and poetry titles. First 5 donors at this level will be entered into a raffle to win. 

$250 — Fonograf Editions Record Package (2 available)

A hand-selected set of limited-edition Fonograf Edition vinyls featuring writers, musicians, and sound artists. First 5 donors at this level will be entered into a raffle to win.

$100 — Small Book Bundle (5 available)

A surprise selection of small-press gems from our catalog. First 20 donors at this level will be entered into a raffle to win. 

$50 — Limited-Edition Broadside (75 available)

A letterpress art print from the IPRC featuring text from Fonograf Editions author Mark Leidner. Available while supplies last.

$25 — Bandcamp Album Download (100 available)

Instant access to one of our digital sound releases on Bandcamp. Available to the first 100 donors at this level.

Partner(s)

De-Canon is a literary social practice art project that centers the works and voices of writers and artists of color.        

Bishop & Wilde is a queer-owned bookshop located on the ground level of Tin House. 

Up Up Books is local bookstore in the Buckman neighborhood, with a special interest in small press publishers, social concerns, & the stories less told.

Beacon Sound is a Portland-based record label that primarily releases new music of an unpredictable nature, emphasizing physicality and deep collaboration while stirring in the occasional reissue.

A Portland institution, the Independent Publishing Resource Center (IPRC) is a community center and shared print studio. 

Named after the nefarious inner SE neighborhood in Portland, Oregon, Buckman Publishing makes a twice-a-year anthology, Buckman Journal, alongside books of all genres.

Located at 2732 NE MLK Jr Blvd in Portland, Lost Avenue Books focuses on curated offerings of translated, contemporary, and ambient literature.