Seventy-five years, four Pulitzer prizes and more than 3,000 books are all reasons scholars praise LSU Press, the University’s on-campus publishing house.LSU Press is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year, and it has achieved many successes since its founding in 1935, publishing widespread classics such as “A Confederacy of Dunces” and “Twelve Years a Slave.”The Press’ reputation for publishing critically acclaimed work in Southern history, literature and poetry makes it what English professor and LSU Press author John Lowe calls the “crown jewel” of the University.LSU Press is the only university press to win Pulitzer prizes in both fiction and poetry — notable in itself, but even more so when compared proportionally to other presses with a larger output, said Mary Katherine Callaway, LSU Press director.”The number is more impressive if you put it into context,” Callaway said. “We only do 60 to 70 books a year, but some other presses put out about 300 books per year.”John Kennedy Toole’s “A Confederacy of Dunces” is the Press’ winner for fiction, while three poetry volumes account for the other awards — “The Flying Change” by Henry Taylor, “Alive Together” by Lisel Mueller and “Late Wife” by Claudia Emerson.PUBLICATION PROCESSWhen a manuscript is submitted to the Press, it undergoes an intensive review process to ensure its quality and cohesion with LSU Press’ output that publishing season.Manuscripts are first peer-reviewed by a scholar with an authority on the subject in the work, then examined by an    in-house committee and a faculty committee comprised of eight University professors, Callaway said.The book enters the design stage once it has been thoroughly reviewed. Design and Production Manager Laura Gleason said the most important design concept is service to the reader. Every part of a book’s design must be tailored to the work’s tone, and every aspect, including font, is important, Gleason said.LeeAnna Rhodes, graphic design senior and Press design intern, said design requires a critical eye tuned to the specific nature of each book.”It’s really nitpicky detail,” she said. “For books where the general feel might be more lyrical or something uplifting, designers might choose a typeface that is more delicate.” Gleason, who was once an LSU Press intern, said the University has a beneficial environment for both the Press and students because many universities’ presses are located off-campus.”It’s a unique thing we have on campus,” Gleason said. “We can take advantage of students, and we feel an internship should provide something to the students and not just for us.”Rhodes said the collaborative environment of the Press is beneficial.”It’s a friendly bunch, and LSU Press is a respected establishment, so having them on my resume will help me in the future to get a job,” she said.Once a book is designed, it is printed, marketed and distributed by LSU Press, Callaway said.FINANCIAL HARDSHIPThe Press has carried out this process for 75 years, but it hasn’t been without financial difficulty.”We had a budget cut last January and another in the summer, but so did a lot of people on campus,” Callaway said. “It’s very tough times for higher education, and university presses across the country are experiencing the same thing.”Lowe, who served on the Press’ Board of Directors, said cuts were severe enough that getting rid of the Press completely was discussed, but vocal supporters were able to prevent it.”There was a national outcry,” he said. “There were hundreds of letters of support for the Press, talking about what a travesty it would be [to eliminate it.] It’s such a treasure for LSU and for scholars all over the world.”The Press has persevered despite challenges, Lowe said.”The product is still good,” Lowe said. “The books are still excellent.”Callaway said budget problems make the Press’ popular titles, such as “A Confederacy of Dunces,” important to support the publisher.”We want to publish books like ‘A Confederacy of Dunces’ that sell a lot of copies and make money so they can support ones with a more narrow audience,” she said.”Dunces” has been an important success for LSU Press. It has been translated into 23 languages since its publication in 1980 and given people a popular reference point to the Press, Callaway said.Lowe said the book gives credibility to the Press as a publisher of Southern works.”It’s one of the greatest books published in the South,” he said. “It’s made a lot of money for them. It’s just a classic.”THE NEXT CHAPTERCallaway said she is looking to the future as the Press expands into new areas of publishing, rather than reflecting on financial hardships.LSU Press is venturing into e-books. The process began with scholarly e-book vendors, but “A Confederacy of Dunces” is already available on devices like the Amazon Kindle and Sony Reader, with more titles to be added soon, Callaway said.And there is another device on the horizon that could change the e-book atmosphere.”Everybody is excited about the Apple iPad,” she said. “In publishing, they’ve already nicknamed it the iWant.”Apple is starting with books from trade houses with a wider appeal, Callaway said. But LSU Press will be prepared with its books in the proper electronic format when Apple is ready to expand to scholarly work, Callaway said.Callaway said she hopes LSU Press will continue to grow as the publishing world changes and create a history for itself as rich as the literature it has published for the last 75 years.The Press’ continued presence on campus is one of the things that makes the University great, Lowe said.”It’s a great tradition, and people at LSU need to be more aware of how excellent the Press is,” he said.____Contact Ryan Buxton at [email protected]