The International Costumers’ Guild Press is the publication arm of the International Costumers’ Guild (ICG). Its mission is to publish long-form content including books and monographs on topics related to costumes and costuming. The ICG Press was chartered by the ICG Board of Directors. Its operation falls under the ICG Publications Committee, which I chair, and its business and operational functions are overseen by an Editor in Chief who is appointed by the ICG Board.
In 2024, I began investigating small-press publishing options, and the time seemed right to begin work on getting the ICG Press running. I found that there have been a number of changes in the self-publishing and small-press publishing world that make it more feasible than in the past.
Several publishers have begun catering to these markets by providing turn-key solutions that include on-demand printing and distribution to major book sellers. The cost for self-publishing and small-press publishing has also decreased considerably to the point that there are few up-front costs to set up titles for publication.. There are also many online resources available to guide self-published authors and small-press publishers through the process.
In September 2024, I reported my findings and recommendations to the ICG Board, and they asked me to take on the role as the founding Editor in Chief to get the ICG Press running. Although I have been involved in editing and publishing for a number of years, starting up the ICG Press required learning about all the details of book publishing, evaluating and selecting a vendor to print and distribute the books, and identifying a few initial titles that can be used to work through the process.
After several months of work, I’m pleased to announce that the International Costumers’ Guild Press is up and running, with the first two titles just published at the end of January 2025. Visit the International Costumers’ Guild Press page for more details. These two titles are based on existing ICG assets, which enabled me to focus on the publishing process.
The first title is the 2021 Edition of the ICG Masquerade Guidelines. The Guidelines were created by the ICG to assist costume Masquerade Directors in writing and implementing rules to ensure fair competition in the Masquerades they run, and provide a resource for ensuring that all aspects of a successful Masquerade are covered. The Guidelines were first created by the ICG Guidelines Committee in 1992. There have been four revisions, in 1994, 2006, 2010, and the latest in 2021.
This edition of the ICG Masquerade Guidelines is available in trade paperback, hardcover, and ebook versions. Visit the ICG Masquerade Guidelines page for more information about this title, and to locate book sellers who offer the book. The ICG Press also sells the paperback and hardcover versions directly through our publication partner, IngramSpark.
The second title is Myrtle R Douglas: Mother of Convention Costuming.In 2016, the International Costumers’ Guild recognized Myrtle R Douglas as “The Mother of Convention Costuming” for creating the first costumes ever worn, at a sci-fi/fantasy convention in 1939. This full-color commemorative book, based on the video I made for my presentation at MidAmeriCon II, the 74th Worldcon, pays homage to the fan who forever influenced what we wear at sci-fi/ fantasy conventions.
This book is available in trade paperback and hardcover versions. Because of the graphic layout and color illustrations, it is not easily adaptable as an ebook. Visit the Myrtle R Douglas: Mother of Convention Costuming page for more information and to locate vendors who sell the book. The ICG Press also sells the paperback and hardcover versions directly through our publication partner, IngramSpark.
The ICG Press is also working on a new edition of The Masquerade Handbook, edited by Janet Wilson Anderson. This work was originally compiled and privately distributed by Janet in 1997, and has been out of print since then. In 2023, ICG Vice President Leslie L. Johnston, working with ICG members Jill Eastlake and Judy Mitchell, began a project to bring this long-out-of-print title back to life and put it in the hands of today’s costumers.
Preparing the title for publication involved scanning a printed copy of the original, extracting (and in some cases reconstructing) the text and images, and designing a new layout and cover.. Leslie turned over her work to the ICG Press in late fall of 2024. She also contacted Janet and the other authors or their representatives for permission to publish it. I am very grateful to Janet for her endorsement of the project, and for writing a preface to this new edition.
When it is published in the spring of 2025, the result will be a new edition of this classic work, with clean layout, text, and graphics, that retains the essential character of the original edition that Janet and her co-authors produced. I hope that you will enjoy reading this new edition and leaning from their experiences.
For those who would like a behind-the-scene look at what was involved in starting the ICG Press and the process of publishing these first three titles, I will be presenting a “Silicon Web Costumers’ Guild Presents” webinar on Sunday March 9 at 1pm PT, 4pm ET. Use this link to register for the webinar.
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