The header at NewPages.com describes the site as: "News, information and guides to independent bookstores, independent publishers, literary periodicals, alternative periodicals, independent record labels, alternative newsweeklies and more." It's a fairly tall order to try and encompass the entirety of independent publishing, but NewPages does an admirable job of staying abreast of the ever-shifting landscape, and providing a clearinghouse of useful information for both writers and readers looking to explore quality journals and books from the independent and small-press world.
While the sheer breadth of material catalogued on the site can be daunting, it is well worth mulling through. They have an exhaustive list of independent bookstores, representing both big cities and small towns and organized by state, and links to independent and small-press book publishers. They even have interviews with authors and a blog detailing recent features and updates on the site.
Where Newpages really shines, though, is in their treatment of reputable literary magazines, offering a valuable resource for both readers and writers. Casey Hill, the publisher of Newpages, explains: "Our goal with the NewPages guides and directories of print and online literary magazines is to keep the lists up-to-date, and to focus on quality sites."
The site regularly reviews literary journals, a task which few, if any, other periodicals or websites consistently offer. Visitors can search the archive of past reviews, read an analysis of a journal's latest issue, or discover journals that might not be carried in the local bookstore, ones they might not find otherwise. For writers, the site's descriptions of journals, along with contact information and links, provides a useful place to begin researching places to submit work. For readers, the rare reviews of journals offer a sample and suggestion of journals to purchase and subscribe.