Direct sales aren't just a recipe for small press success; they're a recipe for survival, said Ryan Rivas, Burrow's publisher. "The main challenge in reaching the retail market is the terms of sale with bookstores and online stores, which, in the era of Amazon, usually entail taking 55 percent off the retail price," said Rivas. "Add even a reasonable distribution fee and the [profit] margin is best viewed through a microscope." In the small-press world, authors take the reins of marketing, a process that relies heavily on local connections.