Much chatter has been generated by the recent announcement that Penguin and Random House will soon be joining corporate forces. I don't know enough about the details or what will become of it to say anything other than it is another(big) symptom of the book industry being very ill. Another(smaller) point to illustrate this fact has popped up for us in the past month.
Sometimes a publisher will offer signed copies to stores if they pre-order in carton quantity. This works for the publisher because stores will order a larger number than they normally would and it works for stores in offering their customers a bonus of sorts. We've sold more copies of Michael Chabon's new novel because we participated in this type of offer. When we bought copies of Louise Erdrich's "Round House" we bought cartons of signed copies. When the release date came we didn't have our copies and had several customers in the store/calling us to purchase the book. We called HarperCollins, the publisher, and were told that they had over-sold the signed copies. Our order, in industry terms, had been cut. We weren't notified and were left with no copies the first few days the book was available.
Last week a customer inquired about a book entitled "The Where, The Why, and the How." Tom had bought seven copies of the book based on the catalog and what our sales rep told him about the book. It was well-priced and seemed like the type of book we could sell pretty well through the holidays and end of year. When Karen checked Ingram's Ipage all the warehouses were out of stock. I guessed, incorrectly, that the book had been delayed. That happens, from time to time, with books that have a lot of production and color and, frequently, come from Korea or China. The very next day I found myself at the Mall of America and wandered into Urban Outfitters. Among their great stacks of books were copies of the book. I resisted the urge to grab five copies and run. We, again, checked with our sales rep and the publisher and were told that the book had been over-sold.
Our seven copy order had been cut and, again, we were not told of this. Seven copies, for us as a small store, signifies some kind of optimism and support for a book. It means we will display it and, most likely, actively try to sell it. In the larger scheme of things it is a small order. Chronicle Books saw it in another way. They took orders from a lot of other places(Anthropologie? Urban Outfitters? Other gift-type stores) and had placed copies with places that ordered larger numbers.
The problems regarding this are numerous. First, we didn't have the copies we had ordered and potentially could have sold. The second is akin to airline seating--meaning things get sold not always in line with what is available. And I understand the need for publishers to sell as much as they can to whomever they can. More upsetting to me is the fact that, in both cases, they saw no need to notify us of this fact. Intended or not the effect is that our orders don't matter. The reality is that if they hadn't pre-sold books in huge numbers we would have gotten our expected orders.
It leaves me to wonder: how many other stores had orders cut? Why should we trust that orders from these publishers, in similar situations, will actually arrive? All too often small stores are told that the overall numbers of their sales are dropping. Part of that is the availability of books in other stores and in various(and often cheaper) formats. But how can we attempt to compete when we aren't given the opportunity to sell what we ordered? The simple fact is that many customers who don't find what they're looking for at a store will turn to Amazon(who, I've been told, is also out of stock on "The Where, the Why, and the How) to get a copy.
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Friday, October 19, 2012
Some questions and answers with the Revolver Mafia
Revolver is the newest of the new literary journal/mag kids on the block. Their electronic home is here
1) I know a little about the reasons behind starting Revolver but the question still must be asked: why start a literary magazine right now?
We started Revolver because we had a fire in our collective gut about writers and artists with a certain energy.
Why start now? Why not? Some of the best things in life come to those who recklessly pursue. It only took us a year of hard work to get it ready for the public.
2) How do you see the digital-you fitting together with the print-you?
The internet is a place that can be more open to experimentation, to failure, to surprise--we have a strong brand, but we don't let it get in the way of a good piece. The internet is a great place to do that flexing. The print publication will be a perfected version of that experimentation, failure, surprise.
3) You had 700+ people at the launch party--how do you try to continue to bring those people(and more) into the mix?
We won't do another blow-out party for a while, and our next event in the spring is going to be even better. More visceral, more intense, more story-focused--but smaller. We’re really excited. All we can say now is that we’re calling it Confess.
We're also looking to cultivate an online reading and writing community. Every two weeks, our home page will have entirely new content, and we want to create a space for people to participate, to write with Revolver, while we continue to publish high-quality work.
Two ways we are doing that: Shots with Strangers, which has already launched with a few pieces, and WANTED, our micro-writing contest, which launched last month. We have quite a few other experiments in the works. Think trust-falls into a bookstore moshpit.
4) Outside of the Twin Cities (with Paper Darts and thirty two doing similar--yet not the same--things) are there any journals you look to for inspiration? Or is this a totally new thing?
Both Paper Darts and 32 are great, as well as the amazing small presses in town. There is a groundswell around the lit scene here in the Twin Cities. The music scene hit its stride a while ago, and now the lit scene is becoming bolder, too.
In terms of publications we enjoy, Vice, A Public Space, N+1 are great. McSweeney's is obviously influential. The New Inquiry and Thought Catalog are two younger publications we enjoy.
But honestly, we didn't look too hard at any publication as a model. We didn’t want to end up copying something that already exists. New whiskey into new whiskey barrels, we say. We’re doing our damndest to retool the magazine for a new century.
5) Is there a clear division for Revolver in terms of poetry/fiction/non-fiction/reportage? Or will it change with every issue?
No. It's Short Range (under 1000 words) and Long Range (over 1000 words). Readers will be able to sort by genre, but we don't want that to be the focus. Revolver is gunning for the art and beauty of writing, and we're working hard to tear down the artificial distinctions that get in the way of that.
6) The demographic you seem to be aiming for is one that is accustomed to free content--how do you get these people to pay?
We'll have various options for different sorts of readers and writers: electronic and print subscriptions, events, T-shirts, journals, writing contests, etc. People will want to support the publication in different ways and we want to be ready for that.
We're also in discussion with a number of businesses who want to advertise on Revolver. Currently, the site is self-sustaining on Google Ads, thanks to our readers clicking on the weird stuff Google dumps into the slots we give them. We’re excited about moving toward advertising businesses we have a relationship with.
7) Publishing, in general, is in a great sea change. How do you guys fit into this sea of madness?
We want to blaze a new trail. We’re going to experiment and publish a lot of audacious writing. Some experiments will be wildly successful. Some will be soul-crushing failures. This is a good thing.
We hope our approach to the publishing elements--print, online, social media, etc.--will keep our readers at the edge of their seats (and/or continually refreshing www.around-around.com on their smartphones).
This ride is going to be wild, and part of the rush is that we don’t know where we’ll all end up.
8.) A boxing gym? How? Why? Will the relationship continue?
It had that special sort of energy we were looking for. Seemed right.
Maybe we'll return for our 10th Anniversary Party.
- Revolver Crew
Alexander Helmke, Ben Barnhart, Emilie Robinson, Esther Porter, Luke Finsaas, Marcus Anthony Downs, Ross Nervig, Thorwald Esbensen
1) I know a little about the reasons behind starting Revolver but the question still must be asked: why start a literary magazine right now?
We started Revolver because we had a fire in our collective gut about writers and artists with a certain energy.
Why start now? Why not? Some of the best things in life come to those who recklessly pursue. It only took us a year of hard work to get it ready for the public.
2) How do you see the digital-you fitting together with the print-you?
The internet is a place that can be more open to experimentation, to failure, to surprise--we have a strong brand, but we don't let it get in the way of a good piece. The internet is a great place to do that flexing. The print publication will be a perfected version of that experimentation, failure, surprise.
3) You had 700+ people at the launch party--how do you try to continue to bring those people(and more) into the mix?
We won't do another blow-out party for a while, and our next event in the spring is going to be even better. More visceral, more intense, more story-focused--but smaller. We’re really excited. All we can say now is that we’re calling it Confess.
We're also looking to cultivate an online reading and writing community. Every two weeks, our home page will have entirely new content, and we want to create a space for people to participate, to write with Revolver, while we continue to publish high-quality work.
Two ways we are doing that: Shots with Strangers, which has already launched with a few pieces, and WANTED, our micro-writing contest, which launched last month. We have quite a few other experiments in the works. Think trust-falls into a bookstore moshpit.
4) Outside of the Twin Cities (with Paper Darts and thirty two doing similar--yet not the same--things) are there any journals you look to for inspiration? Or is this a totally new thing?
Both Paper Darts and 32 are great, as well as the amazing small presses in town. There is a groundswell around the lit scene here in the Twin Cities. The music scene hit its stride a while ago, and now the lit scene is becoming bolder, too.
In terms of publications we enjoy, Vice, A Public Space, N+1 are great. McSweeney's is obviously influential. The New Inquiry and Thought Catalog are two younger publications we enjoy.
But honestly, we didn't look too hard at any publication as a model. We didn’t want to end up copying something that already exists. New whiskey into new whiskey barrels, we say. We’re doing our damndest to retool the magazine for a new century.
5) Is there a clear division for Revolver in terms of poetry/fiction/non-fiction/reportage? Or will it change with every issue?
No. It's Short Range (under 1000 words) and Long Range (over 1000 words). Readers will be able to sort by genre, but we don't want that to be the focus. Revolver is gunning for the art and beauty of writing, and we're working hard to tear down the artificial distinctions that get in the way of that.
6) The demographic you seem to be aiming for is one that is accustomed to free content--how do you get these people to pay?
We'll have various options for different sorts of readers and writers: electronic and print subscriptions, events, T-shirts, journals, writing contests, etc. People will want to support the publication in different ways and we want to be ready for that.
We're also in discussion with a number of businesses who want to advertise on Revolver. Currently, the site is self-sustaining on Google Ads, thanks to our readers clicking on the weird stuff Google dumps into the slots we give them. We’re excited about moving toward advertising businesses we have a relationship with.
7) Publishing, in general, is in a great sea change. How do you guys fit into this sea of madness?
We want to blaze a new trail. We’re going to experiment and publish a lot of audacious writing. Some experiments will be wildly successful. Some will be soul-crushing failures. This is a good thing.
We hope our approach to the publishing elements--print, online, social media, etc.--will keep our readers at the edge of their seats (and/or continually refreshing www.around-around.com on their smartphones).
This ride is going to be wild, and part of the rush is that we don’t know where we’ll all end up.
8.) A boxing gym? How? Why? Will the relationship continue?
It had that special sort of energy we were looking for. Seemed right.
Maybe we'll return for our 10th Anniversary Party.
- Revolver Crew
Alexander Helmke, Ben Barnhart, Emilie Robinson, Esther Porter, Luke Finsaas, Marcus Anthony Downs, Ross Nervig, Thorwald Esbensen
Monday, October 15, 2012
Go Your Own Way, or Createspace and the new Frontier
Micro. Artisanal. Indie. These have all become trendy names for beer or cheese or any number of other goods. They suggest something made with care in small batches. They suggest a back-to-the-land ethos or philosophy. Yet labels on food, and many other things, can be tricky.
And I guess I should start this by saying that this isn't meant to be an anti-Amazon screed or soapbox. It's more about an issue that is becoming more prevalent and is difficult for bookstores to deal with. Twice, in the past month, books published by authors via Createspace have popped up on our radar. Createspace is labeled as 'an Amazon company.'
The first time involved Lorna Landvik's new novel "Mayor of the Universe." Landvik is an author whose books, traditionally, had been published by Ballantine(an imprint of Random House). For whatever reasons, she decided to do this new one on her own. She has local ties and is quite popular throughout Minnesota. Despite the fact that the book comes to us with a lower discount than usual and is offered only as non-returnable we knew we wanted to offer it to our customers. By blindly avoiding an Amazon title we felt we would be doing a disservice to our customers and ourselves. So we have sold it and do currently have it in stock.
More recently, we received an e-mail from Jon Clinch regarding a new book he would be publishing. I loved his first novels, "Finn" and "Kings of the Earth",and very much look forward to reading the newest one entitled "The Thief of Auschwitz." He is masterful at taking real life characters(or fictional in the case of Huck's father) and weaving them into his own storylines. Ron Charles, who does great book stuff for The Washington Post, did a little story about some of the hows and whys.
Like I said, I'm not here to bash Clinch or Landvik in particular. But there are some specific issues I have regarding these books and some of the very real issues we must deal with regarding them.
Clinch talks about his first Createspace adventure in which he published a book under the name of Sam Winston and sold 10,000 copies. That is a solid showing regardless of who publishes it. But he also talks about creating a Twitter account for Winston and then re-tweeting various things under his own name. It seems, to me, to be very similar to writing anonymous reviews on Amazon. He would then ask Facebook fans to write reviews on Amazon. All of that is well and good, I suppose, but it does start to bring into question the validity of some of what is being said or 'reviewed.' All authors are required to do more self-promotion of their own work now regardless of whom publishes their work, but this makes me uneasy. He goes on to speak of himself as a version of micro-brewery(or publisher). That simply is as much the case as if Starbucks put together roadside coffee stands--under a different name--and called it locavore coffee. It's not true.
He also speaks of this being a time of possible revolution in the publishing industry. That's something I agree with. But Budweiser and Miller are not leading a beer revolution--small breweries are. M. Allen Cunningham is a novelist and short story writer whose previous work I have also liked. He recently decided to publish a collection of stories called "date of disappearance" under Atelier26 This, in spirit and actual fact, is micro-publishing. So far as I know, there is no corporate financial backing running the show.
Createspace might be doing more for its authors than lots of other self-publishing ventures in that they show prospective authors all(or most) of the facts up-front. Directly off of their mainpage an author can find details regarding royalties, editing, promo, distribution and much more. Here again, though, are some slippery facts. They have a calculator that shows royalties based on total pages and trim size. They claim to have professional editors at work yet all of the pricing is based on total word-count. For example, if your finished manuscript runs 75,000 words or less they promise edits within a month. The time is less for shorter works. This kind of rote pricing by page, word and physical book size goes against most of what is good about the world of book publishing. It's impossible, I'd say, to give an exact turnaround time for a manuscript solely based on total number of words written. It might make it seem more quick and clean and easy but that's not how good books are published. Each book is its own thing and necessitates different kinds of work.
Clinch himself states some his feelings about all of this when saying, “I hate that it’s part of Amazon because I love indie bookstores,” he says. “But there’s only one good way I can get books self-published now. And you know what? They do a great job. The books look good. They ship promptly.”
I've spoken with lots of other booksellers and stores about their feelings regarding these issues both specifically and in general. The answers, as one might guess, have quite a range. There are stores that strictly won't carry any Createspace titles and others who will carry as requested by customers, or on a limited basis, but won't do a lot of publicity or events for books that they see coming from a competitor who is actively trying to hurt them.
To borrow from common usage, many authors right now might "have to do what they have to do" to support their books and careers. Likewise, bookstores, have to do the same. Right now I'm just not sure what that is.
There very well could be a part 2 of this as I'm fairly certain I'll get some feedback from authors, publishers, booksellers and the general public. We shall see.
And I guess I should start this by saying that this isn't meant to be an anti-Amazon screed or soapbox. It's more about an issue that is becoming more prevalent and is difficult for bookstores to deal with. Twice, in the past month, books published by authors via Createspace have popped up on our radar. Createspace is labeled as 'an Amazon company.'
The first time involved Lorna Landvik's new novel "Mayor of the Universe." Landvik is an author whose books, traditionally, had been published by Ballantine(an imprint of Random House). For whatever reasons, she decided to do this new one on her own. She has local ties and is quite popular throughout Minnesota. Despite the fact that the book comes to us with a lower discount than usual and is offered only as non-returnable we knew we wanted to offer it to our customers. By blindly avoiding an Amazon title we felt we would be doing a disservice to our customers and ourselves. So we have sold it and do currently have it in stock.
More recently, we received an e-mail from Jon Clinch regarding a new book he would be publishing. I loved his first novels, "Finn" and "Kings of the Earth",and very much look forward to reading the newest one entitled "The Thief of Auschwitz." He is masterful at taking real life characters(or fictional in the case of Huck's father) and weaving them into his own storylines. Ron Charles, who does great book stuff for The Washington Post, did a little story about some of the hows and whys.
Like I said, I'm not here to bash Clinch or Landvik in particular. But there are some specific issues I have regarding these books and some of the very real issues we must deal with regarding them.
Clinch talks about his first Createspace adventure in which he published a book under the name of Sam Winston and sold 10,000 copies. That is a solid showing regardless of who publishes it. But he also talks about creating a Twitter account for Winston and then re-tweeting various things under his own name. It seems, to me, to be very similar to writing anonymous reviews on Amazon. He would then ask Facebook fans to write reviews on Amazon. All of that is well and good, I suppose, but it does start to bring into question the validity of some of what is being said or 'reviewed.' All authors are required to do more self-promotion of their own work now regardless of whom publishes their work, but this makes me uneasy. He goes on to speak of himself as a version of micro-brewery(or publisher). That simply is as much the case as if Starbucks put together roadside coffee stands--under a different name--and called it locavore coffee. It's not true.
He also speaks of this being a time of possible revolution in the publishing industry. That's something I agree with. But Budweiser and Miller are not leading a beer revolution--small breweries are. M. Allen Cunningham is a novelist and short story writer whose previous work I have also liked. He recently decided to publish a collection of stories called "date of disappearance" under Atelier26 This, in spirit and actual fact, is micro-publishing. So far as I know, there is no corporate financial backing running the show.
Createspace might be doing more for its authors than lots of other self-publishing ventures in that they show prospective authors all(or most) of the facts up-front. Directly off of their mainpage an author can find details regarding royalties, editing, promo, distribution and much more. Here again, though, are some slippery facts. They have a calculator that shows royalties based on total pages and trim size. They claim to have professional editors at work yet all of the pricing is based on total word-count. For example, if your finished manuscript runs 75,000 words or less they promise edits within a month. The time is less for shorter works. This kind of rote pricing by page, word and physical book size goes against most of what is good about the world of book publishing. It's impossible, I'd say, to give an exact turnaround time for a manuscript solely based on total number of words written. It might make it seem more quick and clean and easy but that's not how good books are published. Each book is its own thing and necessitates different kinds of work.
Clinch himself states some his feelings about all of this when saying, “I hate that it’s part of Amazon because I love indie bookstores,” he says. “But there’s only one good way I can get books self-published now. And you know what? They do a great job. The books look good. They ship promptly.”
I've spoken with lots of other booksellers and stores about their feelings regarding these issues both specifically and in general. The answers, as one might guess, have quite a range. There are stores that strictly won't carry any Createspace titles and others who will carry as requested by customers, or on a limited basis, but won't do a lot of publicity or events for books that they see coming from a competitor who is actively trying to hurt them.
To borrow from common usage, many authors right now might "have to do what they have to do" to support their books and careers. Likewise, bookstores, have to do the same. Right now I'm just not sure what that is.
There very well could be a part 2 of this as I'm fairly certain I'll get some feedback from authors, publishers, booksellers and the general public. We shall see.
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
A little Q+A with Caroline Casey and Michael Taeckens
Caroline and Michael(formerly of Sarabande and Algonquin) are two great additions to the local book scene--what follows includes a teaser about celebrity editing and proper usage of the word epiphanic.
So, the two of you have been in the book biz for some time: why the move to mn?
CC:I've pulled up stakes a lot of times (this is my fifteenth move), so moving to Minnesota seemed an eminently sensible thing to do: super job, big, cheerfully competitive literary community, and finally, a real winter again. There were so many reasons to come here, so while I loved Kentucky, and my last press, this was so obviously, if unexpectedly, a good thing. And it's proven me more right than I could have predicted.
MT: I worked at Algonquin Books, located in Chapel Hill, NC, for the past 11 1/2 years, and at Duke University Press and UNC Press the 4 years previous. Fiona McCrae, Graywolf's publisher and director, offered me the marketing director position at Graywolf and it was impossible to resist. Graywolf has been one of my favorite publishers since the late 80s, when I first read Linda Gregg's TOO BRIGHT TO SEE. And I've always heard such wonderful things about the Twin Cities. It was a win/win situation.
If there is such a thing as a 'normal' workday what does it entail?
CC: A normal workday is not something I have — there are always piles of email to answer, but my job concerns itself with so many different pats of the life of a book (from design, marketing, and publicity, to managing stock in our warehouses) that a routine is something that I can only superimpose on what I'd call pleasant unpredictability. It forces me to work ahead of the calendar, which I like.
Favorite book from old press/new press?
CC: Favorite books is too dangerous a road to go down! I will say that I'm very much looking forward to a couple of releases from Sarabande — Moth, by Thomas Heise, and October's Let Me Clear My Throat, by Elena Passarello. And I'm totally sweaty palms for Karen Tei Yamashita.
MT:Algonquin: An Arsonist's Guide to Writers' Homes in New England, by Brock Clarke
Graywolf: Since I already listed Linda Gregg's book, I'm going to go with Claudia Rankine's Don’t Let Me Be Lonely
Is the physical book dead?(trick question) and/or what is its future?
CC: The physical book isn't dead. I don't think that seeing an either/or future for books is helpful, or realistic, but so often people in this world are looking for a magic bullet, whether it's the platform or the marketing (Pinterest will save us all!), when really it's a matter of divorcing means from ends. That cliché that railroads got in trouble because they thought they were in the trains business, when really they were in the transportation business?
It's true of us too. People want to access writing in lots of different ways, and ebooks are another delivery mechanism. So are chapbooks. Look at how successful Ugly Duckling Presse is — some people want books that are even more objecty than your fancy Penguin Classics. And one could argue that someone like Kenneth Goldsmith is taking literature out of the realm or reading entirely, or that he's turning books into conceptual art not even meant to be read — all of that is exciting! It's not like Day functions like Mobile (a favorite of mine), nor should it. Those are both recordings in a way, but very different, and entirely different from say, Anna Karenina. Which is the book I always suggest to less than enthusiastic readers because it is such a ripping story and the chapters are so short (makes you feel like you're accomplishing something). All of that to say, it's fun to work at a press like Coffee House that comes from letterpress and embraces literature as a good that can be enjoyed in so many ways. We're of a more-is-more mindset, and I like that. Possibilities are fun; retooling out of desperation is not.
MT: The death of the physical book has been greatly exaggerated! It’s true that physical books (or p-books, as some people are starting to call them; sigh) are on the decline while ebooks are on the rise, but I don't see ebooks ever replacing physical books. And it’s important to note that there are no ebooks for poetry collections yet—and poetry titles comprise about one-third of Graywolf’s list each year. I do think that fewer and fewer hardback books will be printed, but we'll continue to see deluxe editions of hardbacks with fancier design and exclusive material.
Do you read reviews of books you edited/worked on? if so, which ones matter to you?
CC: I definitely read reviews, because it is my job to. And I think that anyone who does pay attention to criticism more generally knows where they're going to find opinions that interest them. So those are the reviews that matter to me as a reader. As a person in publishing, I would say that they all matter, because they all matter to the author. How much they make a difference in terms of sales is hard to quantify. I just want our books to find the audiences that will have a charged relationship with them — and the New York Times, as august a venue as that is, might not actually be the most direct route there. So we try to be thoughtful about the places we send our books (in addition to the Times, etcetera). What are the venues that this book's reader will trust?
MT: I read reviews from a wide variety of places--The New York Times Book Review, the New Yorker, the Star-Tribune, the Millions, etc. I believe that all reviews matter and I love reading as many as I can. It's interesting to see that sometimes a review from an online venue (e.g., BoingBoing) can have a great impact (i.e., sell more copies) than a review in the Gray Lady.
What is your favorite bookstore in the United States?
CC: Three Lives and Company. Hands down. I always walk out with a bunch of books, and none of them are things I ever knew I wanted. I also invariably gush at the counter and embarrass myself.
MT: I'd have to say Prairie Lights. I went to University of Iowa as an undergrad and grad student, and Prairie Lights was like a magical land of wonders. You can't go wrong with three stories of books and a great cafe to boot.
Best fiction/non-fiction read in last year?
CC: My favorite novel of the last year was Jenny Erpenbeck's Visitation. Just crazy gorgeous and brilliant and unexpected (I use that word a lot). It was recommended to me by Paul Yoon, and has sold me forever on his taste. As for nonfiction, I'm partial to the project of a friend of mine — T Fleischmann's Syzygy, Beauty. People don't even know what to call it, but I l call it sly and natural and epiphanic.
MT: Fiction: THE THIN PLACE, Kathryn Davis
Nonfiction: ORPHANS: ESSAYS, by Charles D'Ambrosio
Do local pubs compete or accentuate one another?
MT: Accentuate! I love that the Twin Cities have three nationally recognized presses that publish creative fiction and nonfiction, and I think there's more than enough room for all of us.
Is there one book for fall 2012 you are excited about?
MT: Graywolf: FAMILIAR, J. Robert Lennon
non-Graywolf: NW, by Zadie Smith
One thing/job you do that you would not have guessed you would do--
MT:Well, this is more of a one-of-a-kind thing, but I’m going to include it anyway: Read a manuscript by a famous celebrity. (Details to come!)
So, the two of you have been in the book biz for some time: why the move to mn?
CC:I've pulled up stakes a lot of times (this is my fifteenth move), so moving to Minnesota seemed an eminently sensible thing to do: super job, big, cheerfully competitive literary community, and finally, a real winter again. There were so many reasons to come here, so while I loved Kentucky, and my last press, this was so obviously, if unexpectedly, a good thing. And it's proven me more right than I could have predicted.
MT: I worked at Algonquin Books, located in Chapel Hill, NC, for the past 11 1/2 years, and at Duke University Press and UNC Press the 4 years previous. Fiona McCrae, Graywolf's publisher and director, offered me the marketing director position at Graywolf and it was impossible to resist. Graywolf has been one of my favorite publishers since the late 80s, when I first read Linda Gregg's TOO BRIGHT TO SEE. And I've always heard such wonderful things about the Twin Cities. It was a win/win situation.
If there is such a thing as a 'normal' workday what does it entail?
CC: A normal workday is not something I have — there are always piles of email to answer, but my job concerns itself with so many different pats of the life of a book (from design, marketing, and publicity, to managing stock in our warehouses) that a routine is something that I can only superimpose on what I'd call pleasant unpredictability. It forces me to work ahead of the calendar, which I like.
Favorite book from old press/new press?
CC: Favorite books is too dangerous a road to go down! I will say that I'm very much looking forward to a couple of releases from Sarabande — Moth, by Thomas Heise, and October's Let Me Clear My Throat, by Elena Passarello. And I'm totally sweaty palms for Karen Tei Yamashita.
MT:Algonquin: An Arsonist's Guide to Writers' Homes in New England, by Brock Clarke
Graywolf: Since I already listed Linda Gregg's book, I'm going to go with Claudia Rankine's Don’t Let Me Be Lonely
Is the physical book dead?(trick question) and/or what is its future?
CC: The physical book isn't dead. I don't think that seeing an either/or future for books is helpful, or realistic, but so often people in this world are looking for a magic bullet, whether it's the platform or the marketing (Pinterest will save us all!), when really it's a matter of divorcing means from ends. That cliché that railroads got in trouble because they thought they were in the trains business, when really they were in the transportation business?
It's true of us too. People want to access writing in lots of different ways, and ebooks are another delivery mechanism. So are chapbooks. Look at how successful Ugly Duckling Presse is — some people want books that are even more objecty than your fancy Penguin Classics. And one could argue that someone like Kenneth Goldsmith is taking literature out of the realm or reading entirely, or that he's turning books into conceptual art not even meant to be read — all of that is exciting! It's not like Day functions like Mobile (a favorite of mine), nor should it. Those are both recordings in a way, but very different, and entirely different from say, Anna Karenina. Which is the book I always suggest to less than enthusiastic readers because it is such a ripping story and the chapters are so short (makes you feel like you're accomplishing something). All of that to say, it's fun to work at a press like Coffee House that comes from letterpress and embraces literature as a good that can be enjoyed in so many ways. We're of a more-is-more mindset, and I like that. Possibilities are fun; retooling out of desperation is not.
MT: The death of the physical book has been greatly exaggerated! It’s true that physical books (or p-books, as some people are starting to call them; sigh) are on the decline while ebooks are on the rise, but I don't see ebooks ever replacing physical books. And it’s important to note that there are no ebooks for poetry collections yet—and poetry titles comprise about one-third of Graywolf’s list each year. I do think that fewer and fewer hardback books will be printed, but we'll continue to see deluxe editions of hardbacks with fancier design and exclusive material.
Do you read reviews of books you edited/worked on? if so, which ones matter to you?
CC: I definitely read reviews, because it is my job to. And I think that anyone who does pay attention to criticism more generally knows where they're going to find opinions that interest them. So those are the reviews that matter to me as a reader. As a person in publishing, I would say that they all matter, because they all matter to the author. How much they make a difference in terms of sales is hard to quantify. I just want our books to find the audiences that will have a charged relationship with them — and the New York Times, as august a venue as that is, might not actually be the most direct route there. So we try to be thoughtful about the places we send our books (in addition to the Times, etcetera). What are the venues that this book's reader will trust?
MT: I read reviews from a wide variety of places--The New York Times Book Review, the New Yorker, the Star-Tribune, the Millions, etc. I believe that all reviews matter and I love reading as many as I can. It's interesting to see that sometimes a review from an online venue (e.g., BoingBoing) can have a great impact (i.e., sell more copies) than a review in the Gray Lady.
What is your favorite bookstore in the United States?
CC: Three Lives and Company. Hands down. I always walk out with a bunch of books, and none of them are things I ever knew I wanted. I also invariably gush at the counter and embarrass myself.
MT: I'd have to say Prairie Lights. I went to University of Iowa as an undergrad and grad student, and Prairie Lights was like a magical land of wonders. You can't go wrong with three stories of books and a great cafe to boot.
Best fiction/non-fiction read in last year?
CC: My favorite novel of the last year was Jenny Erpenbeck's Visitation. Just crazy gorgeous and brilliant and unexpected (I use that word a lot). It was recommended to me by Paul Yoon, and has sold me forever on his taste. As for nonfiction, I'm partial to the project of a friend of mine — T Fleischmann's Syzygy, Beauty. People don't even know what to call it, but I l call it sly and natural and epiphanic.
MT: Fiction: THE THIN PLACE, Kathryn Davis
Nonfiction: ORPHANS: ESSAYS, by Charles D'Ambrosio
Do local pubs compete or accentuate one another?
MT: Accentuate! I love that the Twin Cities have three nationally recognized presses that publish creative fiction and nonfiction, and I think there's more than enough room for all of us.
Is there one book for fall 2012 you are excited about?
MT: Graywolf: FAMILIAR, J. Robert Lennon
non-Graywolf: NW, by Zadie Smith
One thing/job you do that you would not have guessed you would do--
MT:Well, this is more of a one-of-a-kind thing, but I’m going to include it anyway: Read a manuscript by a famous celebrity. (Details to come!)
Thursday, September 6, 2012
A little Q+A with Patrick Thomas: Milkweed Editions
Patrick is an editor and Program Manager at Milkweed Editions. This discussion specifically came from some questions I had regarding Amy Leach and working with her writing. Some thoughts I had about her reading(and calling it that rather than a performance seems rather flat and unfair) are here.
More importantly, Milkweed is currently having a contest to win a signed copy of "Things That Are."
Every time I've seen Amy Leach's book "Things That Are" mentioned or reviewed people use words like quirky or singular or odd. Most of that is meant as a compliment--but several questions come out of this: Was major-reworking of the book done? How long ago did Milkweed sign the book? How were decisions made to have illustrations accompany the text?
PT: The 'major work' I did on the book related almost entirely to ordering. As you and many have noted, these essays are different sorts of beasts than most are used to, so Amy and I worked together to ensure that the reader's entrance into the world of Things That Are wasn't too jarring. Thus the progression from the more immediate and tangible world in the first half of the book to the more fantastic and distant worlds of the universe and the mind in the second. The decision to illustrate the text was similar: We knew that once someone opened the book, they would be entranced and buy it without a second thought, but as you know, getting a reader to open a collection of essays by a debut author is close to impossible. So the illustrations and the construction of the book were an invitation to the reader to take a chance as much as they were a celebration of the beauty of the contents and Milkweed's love of bookmaking.
A random grouping of other thoughts/?'s follow. Feel free to answer as you wish. How was editing this book different(or similar) to others you've worked on? I imagine it might be easy to simply drift into reading mode rather than working on the text? Is that so?
PT: It was terrible. I'd reread pages again and again, reminding myself throughout I was supposed to be working, but it was so hard to resist falling into the essays and leaving the markings behind. And yet, at this point, the difference between reading and editing for me (whether I'm reading for enjoyment or for work) is hard to discern. So I know that if something is working so well that I'm not making marks, it's time to stop making marks and call it 'done.' And for the most part, Amy's work was done before I even considered the majority of these pieces.
You had mentioned that you fell in love with her writing after reading something in A Public Space(I think). Was that piece something that is in the book. Is it different in significant ways now?
PT: "Please Do Not Yell at the Sea Cucumber" was the piece, and no, it wasn't changed drastically.
A customer gave me a new comp. last night which was A.A. Milne with Mary Ruefle with Annie Dillard(thanks, Jennifer) Who are some of the writers you find comparable?
PT: Amy's style is so unique that I've resisted comparing the words and sentences themselves to other writers. For me it's the feeling I had upon first reading that I can relate to other writers. So, the first time I read Dillard, or Solnit, maybe David James Duncan--the way those writers called me to reconsider the world and my relationship to it without actually asking me to do anything, that's what I'd compare the experience of Amy's work to. Pick this book up if you'd like to alter your perception in an enriching way.
To a reader who might be scared by 'philosophical nature essays' what could you tell them?
PT: Don't be scared? Kidding, but seriously, this is why I hate labels: Readers are led to believe that if they haven't studied poetry/philosophy/nature they can't read books with those or other categories listed on the back. And yet they're all just narratives (unless you're talking about academic philosophy I suppose) about life as we know it; narratives meant to be reinterpreted and understood personally by every reader who comes to them. Sure there's some core of meaning there that most readers will see in something like the same light, but it's up to each reader to see it in their own way. What would I say to an intimidated reader? Don't think about meaning or the author's intent when you pick up the book. Don't think about anything. If you enjoy what happens in your brain as you read the first sentences, then buy the book and prepare to have your mind properly blown.
If there is one major difference in your thought process of editing fiction vs. non what is it?
PT: Not really. In nonfiction you're more beholden to reality, but you still need to tell stories that resonate emotionally.
Given your job at a small publisher--which means juggling several jobs--what kind of books do you gravitate towards on your own or in your free-time?
PT: I'm reading The Dog Stars right now, which brings my childhood love for My Side of the Mountain, my adult fascination with ecology, and my general grim interest with apocalypse together in a wonderful way. In general though, my reading is all over the place. I've got that novel going, but also some nonfiction on the evolution of religion over the past 40,000 or so years, William Souder's biography of Rachel Carson, which is amazing, and a few other books all in the mix. In general, I'm looking for books, whether for enjoyment or for acquisition, that make the world feel bigger, more full of possibility.
Finally, this book sent me towards other sources(dictionaries, the internet, assorted natural history books) to look up definitions and get some background on certain references or simply to find out which words were simply made up. How often were you scrambling for similar info?
PT: Almost every line. If you want to spark someone's interest in etymology and entomology at the same time (thus ensuring a lifelong battle to explain the difference between the two to others), sending them to the OED and Peterson Field guides simultaneously, this is the book for it.
More importantly, Milkweed is currently having a contest to win a signed copy of "Things That Are."
Every time I've seen Amy Leach's book "Things That Are" mentioned or reviewed people use words like quirky or singular or odd. Most of that is meant as a compliment--but several questions come out of this: Was major-reworking of the book done? How long ago did Milkweed sign the book? How were decisions made to have illustrations accompany the text?
PT: The 'major work' I did on the book related almost entirely to ordering. As you and many have noted, these essays are different sorts of beasts than most are used to, so Amy and I worked together to ensure that the reader's entrance into the world of Things That Are wasn't too jarring. Thus the progression from the more immediate and tangible world in the first half of the book to the more fantastic and distant worlds of the universe and the mind in the second. The decision to illustrate the text was similar: We knew that once someone opened the book, they would be entranced and buy it without a second thought, but as you know, getting a reader to open a collection of essays by a debut author is close to impossible. So the illustrations and the construction of the book were an invitation to the reader to take a chance as much as they were a celebration of the beauty of the contents and Milkweed's love of bookmaking.
A random grouping of other thoughts/?'s follow. Feel free to answer as you wish. How was editing this book different(or similar) to others you've worked on? I imagine it might be easy to simply drift into reading mode rather than working on the text? Is that so?
PT: It was terrible. I'd reread pages again and again, reminding myself throughout I was supposed to be working, but it was so hard to resist falling into the essays and leaving the markings behind. And yet, at this point, the difference between reading and editing for me (whether I'm reading for enjoyment or for work) is hard to discern. So I know that if something is working so well that I'm not making marks, it's time to stop making marks and call it 'done.' And for the most part, Amy's work was done before I even considered the majority of these pieces.
You had mentioned that you fell in love with her writing after reading something in A Public Space(I think). Was that piece something that is in the book. Is it different in significant ways now?
PT: "Please Do Not Yell at the Sea Cucumber" was the piece, and no, it wasn't changed drastically.
A customer gave me a new comp. last night which was A.A. Milne with Mary Ruefle with Annie Dillard(thanks, Jennifer) Who are some of the writers you find comparable?
PT: Amy's style is so unique that I've resisted comparing the words and sentences themselves to other writers. For me it's the feeling I had upon first reading that I can relate to other writers. So, the first time I read Dillard, or Solnit, maybe David James Duncan--the way those writers called me to reconsider the world and my relationship to it without actually asking me to do anything, that's what I'd compare the experience of Amy's work to. Pick this book up if you'd like to alter your perception in an enriching way.
To a reader who might be scared by 'philosophical nature essays' what could you tell them?
PT: Don't be scared? Kidding, but seriously, this is why I hate labels: Readers are led to believe that if they haven't studied poetry/philosophy/nature they can't read books with those or other categories listed on the back. And yet they're all just narratives (unless you're talking about academic philosophy I suppose) about life as we know it; narratives meant to be reinterpreted and understood personally by every reader who comes to them. Sure there's some core of meaning there that most readers will see in something like the same light, but it's up to each reader to see it in their own way. What would I say to an intimidated reader? Don't think about meaning or the author's intent when you pick up the book. Don't think about anything. If you enjoy what happens in your brain as you read the first sentences, then buy the book and prepare to have your mind properly blown.
If there is one major difference in your thought process of editing fiction vs. non what is it?
PT: Not really. In nonfiction you're more beholden to reality, but you still need to tell stories that resonate emotionally.
Given your job at a small publisher--which means juggling several jobs--what kind of books do you gravitate towards on your own or in your free-time?
PT: I'm reading The Dog Stars right now, which brings my childhood love for My Side of the Mountain, my adult fascination with ecology, and my general grim interest with apocalypse together in a wonderful way. In general though, my reading is all over the place. I've got that novel going, but also some nonfiction on the evolution of religion over the past 40,000 or so years, William Souder's biography of Rachel Carson, which is amazing, and a few other books all in the mix. In general, I'm looking for books, whether for enjoyment or for acquisition, that make the world feel bigger, more full of possibility.
Finally, this book sent me towards other sources(dictionaries, the internet, assorted natural history books) to look up definitions and get some background on certain references or simply to find out which words were simply made up. How often were you scrambling for similar info?
PT: Almost every line. If you want to spark someone's interest in etymology and entomology at the same time (thus ensuring a lifelong battle to explain the difference between the two to others), sending them to the OED and Peterson Field guides simultaneously, this is the book for it.
Friday, August 31, 2012
A Little Q+A with Nicole Baxter and Connie Kuhnz: BookMobile
Bookmobile does a little bit(or a lot) of a lot of different things related to books. Besides their current jobs, they both have covered numerous other parts of the book world.
How long have you worked at Bookmobile and what book world positions did you previously have?
NB: I'm Manager of Marketing & Publisher Services at BookMobile and I've worked here for 14 years. Previously, I was at Hungry Mind Press, an intern at Milkweed, a bookseller at the Borders in Uptown Minneapolis, and a bunch of academic press and bookstore part-part-part time jobs in Bloomington, IN, where I went to college.
CK: I'm a production coordinator for the Bookmobile's Design and Publishing Services department. I've worked here for 6 years; previously employed as a bookseller at six different bookstores including Hungry Mind, and Rag and Bone Books, which was my husband's store. I've also worked as a key-liner/typesetter and as a proofreader.
How many books are published yearly by Bookmobile?
NB: BookMobile works with over 500 publishers and we print A LOT of books. In short, BookMobile provides: short run digital printing; automatic replenishment programs; true print-on-demand; Direct-to-Consumer services; eBook conversion; app development; website development; design and typesetting; content management; and eBook and print distribution.
CK: My department handles production for a variety of publishers including Milkweed Editions and Graywolf Press. Each publisher uses our services a bit differently, but we have a wealth to offer: cover and interior design, layout, distribution... We also convert and distribute eBooks and the company is now offering app and web development services.
If there is such a thing as a normal workday what does it look like?
NB: Me sitting at my desk and emailing all day. I get a lot of email. I do quotes, answer questions, track jobs through production, write blog entries (www.bookmobile.com/about/blog1), and market our services. Oh and I look at Twitter a lot(@OkToPrint).
CK: On any given day I may be working on an interior text design for one book, laying out another, and entering corrections to the files for a third. I contact offset printers for pricing, send files back and forth between printers and publishers (lots of time on email), and try to keep schedules on track.
Are there times when, after working with books all day, relaxing with a book that night doesn't sound relaxing?
NB: Never, really! A long time ago I tried doing editorial work and I didn't like it. But I think I was born to do book production. I frequently forget my mother's birthday, but I'll remember a book title we printed three years ago.
CK: No, I always love reading; my work on laying out books doesn't allow for a beginning-to-end read, so often I'll get caught up in the drama of chapter 22, and have to go back and read the whole thing once the book is in print.
Technology is killing the book? Or helping more people have access to writing and publishing them?
NB: Absolutely not. I think it helps more people to have access to more books, and different books. I like all the small presses that have come about, because it's easier to get books out there. One of my favorite new presses is Atticus Books--they put out great fiction (and yes, we print them).
CK: It is definitely not killing the book, just adding more forms and more choice. So far book-as-object people have nothing to fear, and eBook readers can expect more selection. More writers are able to bypass traditional gatekeepers and have access to getting their work out there, for better or for worse. Print-on-demand may allow publishers to provide more and better content with their savings.
Silly dinner party question. Three writers, living or dead, that you get to dine with. Who are they?
NB:Lorrie Moore, Virginia Woolf, and Donald Barthelme. All at the same time please. Lorrie and Donald would cheer up Virginia.
CK: I have to skip this one, the idea is a bit overwhelming(maybe we could just do lunch?)
How long have you worked at Bookmobile and what book world positions did you previously have?
NB: I'm Manager of Marketing & Publisher Services at BookMobile and I've worked here for 14 years. Previously, I was at Hungry Mind Press, an intern at Milkweed, a bookseller at the Borders in Uptown Minneapolis, and a bunch of academic press and bookstore part-part-part time jobs in Bloomington, IN, where I went to college.
CK: I'm a production coordinator for the Bookmobile's Design and Publishing Services department. I've worked here for 6 years; previously employed as a bookseller at six different bookstores including Hungry Mind, and Rag and Bone Books, which was my husband's store. I've also worked as a key-liner/typesetter and as a proofreader.
How many books are published yearly by Bookmobile?
NB: BookMobile works with over 500 publishers and we print A LOT of books. In short, BookMobile provides: short run digital printing; automatic replenishment programs; true print-on-demand; Direct-to-Consumer services; eBook conversion; app development; website development; design and typesetting; content management; and eBook and print distribution.
CK: My department handles production for a variety of publishers including Milkweed Editions and Graywolf Press. Each publisher uses our services a bit differently, but we have a wealth to offer: cover and interior design, layout, distribution... We also convert and distribute eBooks and the company is now offering app and web development services.
If there is such a thing as a normal workday what does it look like?
NB: Me sitting at my desk and emailing all day. I get a lot of email. I do quotes, answer questions, track jobs through production, write blog entries (www.bookmobile.com/about/blog1), and market our services. Oh and I look at Twitter a lot(@OkToPrint).
CK: On any given day I may be working on an interior text design for one book, laying out another, and entering corrections to the files for a third. I contact offset printers for pricing, send files back and forth between printers and publishers (lots of time on email), and try to keep schedules on track.
Are there times when, after working with books all day, relaxing with a book that night doesn't sound relaxing?
NB: Never, really! A long time ago I tried doing editorial work and I didn't like it. But I think I was born to do book production. I frequently forget my mother's birthday, but I'll remember a book title we printed three years ago.
CK: No, I always love reading; my work on laying out books doesn't allow for a beginning-to-end read, so often I'll get caught up in the drama of chapter 22, and have to go back and read the whole thing once the book is in print.
Technology is killing the book? Or helping more people have access to writing and publishing them?
NB: Absolutely not. I think it helps more people to have access to more books, and different books. I like all the small presses that have come about, because it's easier to get books out there. One of my favorite new presses is Atticus Books--they put out great fiction (and yes, we print them).
CK: It is definitely not killing the book, just adding more forms and more choice. So far book-as-object people have nothing to fear, and eBook readers can expect more selection. More writers are able to bypass traditional gatekeepers and have access to getting their work out there, for better or for worse. Print-on-demand may allow publishers to provide more and better content with their savings.
Silly dinner party question. Three writers, living or dead, that you get to dine with. Who are they?
NB:Lorrie Moore, Virginia Woolf, and Donald Barthelme. All at the same time please. Lorrie and Donald would cheer up Virginia.
CK: I have to skip this one, the idea is a bit overwhelming(maybe we could just do lunch?)
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
A little Q+A with Katie Dublinski: Associate Publisher at Graywolf Press
This is the first in a little series of pretty informal electronic discussions I've had with some local people. Her answers are in italics below. All kinds of Graywolf Press info is here
When did you start working at Graywolf? What was your initial position?
I started working at Graywolf in September 1997, as a part-time administrative assistant.
Do you remember the first GW book you read?
I took a class on the contemporary American short story in college, and my professor recommended the old Graywolf annuals (which weren't so old then). I remember checking Graywolf Annual 2: Short Stories by Women out of the library and browsing through it. I think that was probably the first. The first book Graywolf book I remember reading after starting at Graywolf was our reissue of William Maxwell's lovely book of essays, The Outermost Dream.
Is it harder or easier to edit a book you really love?
I think this has become less difficult for me over time and with experience.I know that I made some missteps early on when I was trying to edit books I loved - it was hard to see beyond the love. Luckily I had expert editors and generous mentors like our publisher Fiona McCrae and former executive editor Anne Czarniecki to watch and learn from.
If there is such a thing as a typical workday what does it look like?
There isn't really a typical workday, which is part of what makes my job fun. Some days I spend huge swaths of time on production projects - cleaning up manuscripts or page proofs after they've been reviewed by a copyeditor or proofreader and the author. Other times I get to spend a whole day at home reading and editing. More often the days are filled with meetings with my colleagues and with managing a lot little tasks, mostly via email.
I know you are a big fiction reader--what are 2 or 3 of your favorite novels(not GW titles)
Two long-time favorites are The Great Gatsby and Crossing to Safety.
How often do people say to you, "I've got this idea for a book..."
Not that often, actually, unless I'm in a situation like a conference where I've invited that kind of conversation. I feel like that used to happen to me a lot more. Now when people find out that I work in publishing they want to know what I think about ebooks and the future.
You travel to lots of other places for book shows/fairs. What's your favorite place you've visited?
Good question. I love traveling anywhere new, and most places are pretty interesting to visit at least once. I don't know if it's a new favorite, exactly, and this probably isn't an answer you were expecting, but I went to Detroit for the first time last summer, for a conference, and was completely fascinated. The arts scene there is tight knit and energized (and energizing), and I found the streetscapes beautiful and haunting. The city surprised me. In some odd way, it reminded me of Berlin, which is probably my favorite place that I've been on Graywolf business. They're places that don't hide all their scars, and where interesting and unpredictable things seem to be happening. I'd like to go back to both.
And I always like visiting New York, for all of the obvious reasons related to books. And food.
Is most of your communication with authors now done over e-mail? How has that(or has not) changed the relationship?
A lot of the more day-to-day communication happens via email, but for me the primary editorial work usually happens via pencil on paper and editorial letters. I don't really know how email has changed the relationship, to be honest. I end up talking to most of our authors - even if I'm just managing production and art direction for their books, not actually their editor - on the phone at some point in the process.
What is one thing you do for work, with some regularity, that you never would have guessed you'd be doing?
I never in a million years would have pictured myself going to the book fairs in Frankfurt and London as a rights director and pitching books to foreign editors. And, not only that, actually preferring that role to being an editor on the receiving end of the pitch. I also never thought I'd read manuscripts on an e-reader.
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