The behind-the-scenes influencers of the literary world (and the ones who have to deal the most with annoying follow-up emails) are definitely the hard-working publicists, who have the singularly difficult task of figuring out how to make their books stand out in a crowded field. And while that job can be hard enough with all the money of a big imprint behind you, it could be particularly difficult for those publicists coming from small, independent presses. But the following publicists make that job look easy, and it’s worth noting that, despite having fewer resources than any of the big five publishing houses, their books have made huge critical splashes, sold-out first printings, and have proven that there absolutely is an audience for strange and beautiful books: people likeand, at Catapult/Soft Skull/Counterpoint, have helped the world learn about books like Fiona Alison Duncan’s Exquisite Mariposa , Lucy Ives’ Loudermilk , and the just-released Black Sunday , by Tola Rotimi Abraham. And, at Coffee House Press, helps get heaps of attention for books like Naja Marie Aidt’s When Death Takes Something from You Give It Back , Trisha Low’s Socialist Realism , and Temporary by Hilary Leichter. Those last two books were published with Coffee House via their Emily Books imprint, a just-ended feminist publishing project launched byandwho are responsible for being among the earliest, and certainly most ardent, advocates of work by writers like Barbara Browning, Samantha Irby, and Chelsea Hodson, author of that book Kendall Jenner was reading poolside in that fateful Instagram.