Funding 101 for Independent Publishers: Grants, Fellowships, and Other Creative Ways to Raise Money

Funding 101 for Independent Publishers: Grants, Fellowships, and Other Creative Ways to Raise Money

From Inside Independent Publishing (with IBPA) by Christopher Locke

January 29, 2026 · 37 min · Episode 120

About this episode

This episode discusses various funding opportunities for independent publishers, featuring insights from Shequeta Smith of Shero Comics.

Running an independent press on a tight budget? You’re not alone — and you’re not out of options. This episode of Inside Independent Publishing (with IBPA) explores funding opportunities many indie publishers miss. Shero Comics founder Shequeta Smith shares practical advice on finding and securing grants, fellowships, paid creative opportunities, and other nontraditional funding sources to help sustain and grow your publishing program. She also discusses how Substack can boost visibility and become an additional revenue stream for your brand. If you’re looking for smarter ways to fund your publishing goals, this episode is full of actionable ideas you can start using now.

People in this episode

Host: Christopher Locke

Guest: Shequeta Smith

Topics covered

  • funding opportunities
  • independent publishing
  • grants
  • fellowships
  • creative funding
  • visibility
  • revenue streams

Keywords

  • independent press
  • budget
  • grants
  • fellowships
  • funding sources
  • Substack
  • publishing goals

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Shero Comics, Substack, Inside Independent Publishing, IBPA

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