Ig Publishing
Corporate brand
UnclaimedAn independent New York publishing press focused on literary fiction and political and cultural nonfiction.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Ig Publishing is an independent American press based in New York City. Founded in 2002 by writer Robert Lasner, the company began with the publication of Lasner's novel For Fucks Sake and initially combined literary books with a distinctive series of city-oriented Dive Bar guides covering New York, Chicago, and San Francisco. The early list also included literary fiction such as Grant Bailie's Cloud 8 and Richard Madelin's Careful!. As the progressive political blogosphere expanded in the years leading up to the 2008 United States presidential election, Ig broadened its program into political and cultural nonfiction. This direction produced books examining electoral politics, media, propaganda, surveillance, and the operation of state power. Among the press's nonfiction projects were reissues of influential works including Edward Bernays's Propaganda, Vance Packard's The Hidden Persuaders, and William Appleman Williams's Empire As a Way of Life. The political list also included Loser Take All: Election Fraud and The Subversion of Democracy, 2000–2008, edited by Mark Crispin Miller, and Trevor Aaronson's The Terror Factory: Inside the FBI's Manufactured War on Terrorism, published in 2013. Although its nonfiction program has given the press a recognizable political and cultural profile, Ig is particularly associated with literary fiction. Its fiction list has included novels, short-story collections, and formally ambitious works by emerging and established authors. Diana Wagman's The Care and Feeding of Exotic Pets became a Barnes & Noble Discover selection, while Rachel Weaver's Point of Direction was selected for the Indie Next list. Jasmine Beach-Ferrara's story collection Damn Love received a PEN/Hemingway Honorable Mention, and Tracy O'Neill's The Hopeful was selected for the National Book Foundation's 5 Under 35 program. Other Ig titles have received attention from literary institutions and professional review outlets. The press's books have been reviewed by The New York Times, NPR, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, Booklist, Library Journal, The Los Angeles Times, The Wall Street Journal, Oprah Magazine, and the Chicago Tribune. Recognition associated with the list has included an ALA Notable Books selection for Ron Tanner's Missile Paradise, a Sydney Taylor Honor designation for Lila Perl's Isabel's War, a Montana Book Award Honorable Mention for A Bloom of Bones, and various shortlist, longlist, and reading-list appearances. Celeste Mohammed's Pleasantview, a novel-in-stories set in Trinidad, won the 2022 CLMP Firecracker Award for Fiction. The press is led editorially by Robert Lasner, with Elizabeth Clementson identified as publisher. Its overall positioning is that of a small, selective independent press combining literary ambition with socially engaged nonfiction. The company is not publicly listed, and publicly available reference material does not establish a parent corporation, ownership group, revenue figures, or a detailed current distribution structure.
History
Ig Publishing was established in New York in 2002 by writer Robert Lasner. Its first publication was Lasner's novel For Fucks Sake, a launch that signaled the press's initial commitment to independent literary work. In its first years, Ig also developed a more popular and place-based publishing strand through Dive Bar guides to New York, Chicago, and San Francisco, issued between 2002 and 2004. The early catalog included literary fiction by authors such as Grant Bailie and Richard Madelin. The press later developed a stronger political and cultural identity. Its expansion coincided with the growth of progressive political commentary on the internet and with heightened public debate about the 2000, 2002, 2004, and 2006 United States elections. Ig published political nonfiction that challenged conventional accounts of electoral administration, democracy, state power, and national security. A notable example was Loser Take All: Election Fraud and The Subversion of Democracy, 2000–2008, edited by Mark Crispin Miller, which appeared in the run-up to the 2008 election. Alongside new political writing, Ig revived nonfiction classics. Its catalog included new editions of Edward Bernays's Propaganda, Vance Packard's The Hidden Persuaders, and William Appleman Williams's Empire As a Way of Life. These books complemented the press's contemporary political publishing by connecting current arguments about media, persuasion, and American power with earlier critical works. In 2013, Ig published investigative journalist Trevor Aaronson's The Terror Factory: Inside the FBI's Manufactured War on Terrorism. The book grew out of Aaronson's reporting for Mother Jones and examined the FBI's post-September 11 informant program, particularly its use in Muslim communities and in the development of terrorism prosecutions. The title reinforced Ig's reputation for publishing politically contentious nonfiction grounded in investigative reporting. Literary fiction remained central to the press's identity. Diana Wagman's The Care and Feeding of Exotic Pets was selected as a Barnes & Noble Discover title. Rachel Weaver's Point of Direction became an Indie Next selection, and Jasmine Beach-Ferrara's Damn Love received a PEN/Hemingway Honorable Mention in 2014. Tracy O'Neill's The Hopeful was included in the National Book Foundation's 5 Under 35 program in 2015. Other books associated with the list received recognition from organizations and review publications, including the American Library Association, the Jewish literary community's Sydney Taylor program, the Montana Book Award, the Center for Fiction, and CLMP. The later fiction list continued to emphasize emerging voices and formally distinctive work. Recognition included an ALA Notable selection for Ron Tanner's Missile Paradise, a Sydney Taylor Honor designation for Lila Perl's Isabel's War, shortlist or longlist attention for titles such as Empire of Glass and Restless Souls, and a Great Group Reads selection for Unfurled. In 2022, Celeste Mohammed's Pleasantview won the CLMP Firecracker Award for Fiction, marking a major recognition for the press's literary program. Public reference material identifies Lasner as editor and Elizabeth Clementson as publisher. Ig's catalog has been reviewed by major newspapers, magazines, trade publications, and public-radio outlets, including The New York Times, NPR, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, Booklist, Library Journal, The Los Angeles Times, The Wall Street Journal, Oprah Magazine, and the Chicago Tribune. The available sources do not provide reliable information about revenue, employee count, ownership structure, distribution contracts, or a complete current staff roster.
- 2022
Pleasantview wins the CLMP Firecracker Award
[1]Celeste Mohammed's Pleasantview wins the Community of Literary Magazines and Presses Firecracker Award for Fiction.
- 2015
The Hopeful is selected for 5 Under 35
[1]Tracy O'Neill's The Hopeful is recognized by the National Book Foundation's 5 Under 35 program.
- 2014
Damn Love receives literary recognition
[1]Jasmine Beach-Ferrara's Damn Love receives a PEN/Hemingway Honorable Mention.
- 2013
The Terror Factory is published
[1]Trevor Aaronson's investigative account of FBI informants and terrorism cases becomes a notable political nonfiction title for the press.
- 2008
Election-focused nonfiction published
[1]Ig releases Loser Take All, edited by Mark Crispin Miller, in the context of debate surrounding election fraud and democratic accountability.
- 2004
Initial Dive Bar guide run concludes
[1]The documented publication period for the first series of city Dive Bar guides ends.
- 2002
Ig Publishing is founded
[1]Robert Lasner establishes the New York press, which begins with the publication of his novel For Fucks Sake.
- 2002
Dive Bar guide series begins
[1]Ig starts publishing city-focused Dive Bar guides, later covering New York, Chicago, and San Francisco.
Political and cultural nonfiction becomes a major program
[1]The press expands from its early literary and guidebook list into progressive political nonfiction and reissues of critical classics.
Products and positioning
An independent literary and political press that publishes distinctive fiction alongside progressive political, cultural, and investigative nonfiction.
Literary fiction · 2002
For Fucks Sake
Robert Lasner's novel was the first book published by Ig Publishing and served as the press's initial statement as an independent literary publisher.
City guidebooks · 2002
Dive Bar guides
A series of guides to selected nightlife venues and bar scenes in New York, Chicago, and San Francisco. The documented first series appeared between 2002 and 2004 and represented an early, more place-oriented strand of Ig's catalog.
Political nonfiction reissue
Propaganda
Ig's edition of Edward Bernays's classic work on public relations, mass persuasion, and the shaping of public opinion. It forms part of the press's effort to connect contemporary political debates with foundational texts about media and influence.
Investigative nonfiction · 2013
The Terror Factory
Trevor Aaronson's investigation of the FBI's post-September 11 informant network and its role in counterterrorism cases. The book helped define Ig's profile as a publisher of critical political and national-security reporting.
Short-story collection
Damn Love
Jasmine Beach-Ferrara's collection of short fiction, recognized with a PEN/Hemingway Honorable Mention. It exemplifies Ig's literary-fiction list and its support for distinctive contemporary voices.
Literary fiction · 2014
Point of Direction
Rachel Weaver's novel, which received an Indie Next selection. The title is among the books that strengthened Ig's reputation for publishing critically noticed literary fiction.
Literary fiction
The Hopeful
Tracy O'Neill's novel, selected for the National Book Foundation's 5 Under 35 program in 2015. It represents Ig's emphasis on emerging writers and literary work with institutional recognition.
Novel-in-stories
Pleasantview
Celeste Mohammed's interconnected fiction set in Trinidad. The book won the 2022 CLMP Firecracker Award for Fiction and became one of the most prominently recognized titles in Ig's later literary catalog.
Brand decisions
- Expand from literary fiction into political nonfictionStrategy
Background
Following its early fiction and city-guide publications, Ig responded to growing interest in progressive political commentary and debates over elections, media, and government power.
Action taken
The press added contemporary political and cultural nonfiction and republished influential critical works such as Propaganda, The Hidden Persuaders, and Empire As a Way of Life.
Aftermath
This expansion gave Ig a dual identity as both a literary-fiction press and a publisher of politically engaged nonfiction.
Sources2 sources
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