Publishing in the Age of Information

We’re proud to host this guest post  from Simon Marshall-Jones.  Simon is the editor/publisher at Spectral Press, and also a writer, artist, columnist and blogger: born in Wales in the early sixties, to parents who absolutely loved and cherished books – needless to say, HIS love of books was instilled by such a positive influence. Simon attended art college, where he nurtured dreams of being the next HR Giger. After a space of seven years, mostly spent travelling, he then went back to university in Plymouth, to study computer multimedia, the only reward for which was managing to have a stroke. Since then, he has had a much better time of it: Simon now has one wife, one stepson, seven cats, a dog, and two guinea-pigs, lives somewhere in the East Midlands and doesn’t have enough tattoos.

Links: http://spectralpress.wordpress.com/

Email: spectralpress@gmail.com

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If you ask the average person what the phrase ‘small publishing company’ means to them, invariably you’ll get something along the lines of “someone who publishes cheap books of their mates’ stories and then tries to sell them”. That may have been very true at one time, back in the days of the mimeograph and primitive Xerox copier, when small publishing company personnel (ie a single dedicated person) stayed up half the night collating pages and stapling them together, hopefully in the right order. Certainly, there was a thriving little scene back in the day around the 80s and 90s, when this was exactly how small-press publishers went about producing ‘product’.

Since then, of course, the revolution in digital technology has changed all that – small-press imprints like the one I run, Spectral Press, can now produce professional-looking books that wouldn’t look out of place in a High Street bookshop. And the same revolution has meant that, in real terms, the price of being able to do so has finally brought it into the realm of affordability for a great swathe of ordinary folk out there. Theoretically at least, this is a massive step forward as it implies a democratisation of both process and creativity, meaning that anyone and everyone can get in on the act – but in practise, this is where all the trouble starts.

One has only to go to somewhere like Amazon’s Kindle Store to get an idea of what I mean. Daily, hundreds of self-published books get uploaded, all vying for your dollar. The problem is one of knowing which title out of that deluge is actually worth you spending your hard-earned dollar on. For every good book there are numerous others on offer which are anything but, making that one amazing book harder to find. And just because Amazon is a globally-recognised brand does not automatically certificate the product as being something of good quality – they’re in the business of making money not vetting what makes that money for them. Granted there are dedicated forums and groups on social networking sites to help guide you to those which are worth investing in, saving you time and money, but people have to be made aware of the existence of such sites in the first place. In this Age of Information there is, ironically, just too much of it.

Many people see this democracy as one of the greatest aspects of the e-book revolution – that somehow it has freed writers from the tyranny of the traditional path to publishing, allowing everyone to bypass the ‘restrictive’ major and midlist publishers and still get their work out there. On paper that sounds like an admirably idealist and laudable notion, but that path was there for a reason – traditional publishers served as gatekeepers, filtering out those ‘writers’ who they knew, through long experience, were unlikely to cut the mustard. This makes eminent sense from the perspective of economics – publishers are unlikely to stump up money for a writer they feel won’t provide any return for their investment. Even the debut writers they occasionally published were taken on because they had that certain intangible ‘something’ that went beyond the usual, whatever that may be. Naturally, this having to keep an eye on profitability tends to make publishers (and any other type of company) veer toward a species of conservatism, which inevitably means that some writers who deserve a chance at the big time miss out.

This is where small publishers come in – okay, so in essence they do exactly the same as the majors, albeit on a much smaller scale. However, they’re run with just as much, if not more, passion than the larger outfits. But they serve as gatekeepers, too, bringing to peoples’ attentions the very best of writing in their favourite field, often those writers who perhaps would normally escape the notice of the bigger concerns who have their eyes firmly fixed on the bottom line. A good small-press outfit also serve as a rigorous proving ground for new writers, helping them sharpen and hone their art, aided and abetted by people who are more than willing to pass on their knowledge and expertise. Think that your favourite genre author achieved overnight success? Hardly – much more likely is that they’ve spent a good many years knocking around on the small-press scene, submitting stories here, there and everywhere before generating enough of a buzz for the mainstream publishers to sit up and take notice. And by the time they are noticed, they’re hopefully at the peak of their literary powers, and able to satisfy both the reader and accountant.

In addition, mainstream publishing is often a hostage to whatever latest trend is popular with the book-buying public – in the wake of Dan Brown’s occult mystery potboilers and Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight series, for instance, there was seemingly a rush to emulate their bestselling successes from both authors and the big publishers. That, in itself, isn’t necessarily a bad thing – if there’s a wave, catch it and enjoy the ride. However, in the madness that follows it appears that some basic things are forgotten. Just because it’s popular with the public it doesn’t mean they’ll settle for any old thing. Quality and originality still count. I can only speak for myself here, but what I look for in a story isn’t dictated by what’s popular or what’s in at the moment. Quality of writing and originality of premise are what I go for. And Spectral Press isn’t the only one who operates along these lines – there are hundreds of others out there, too, all attempting to push the limits of both genre and fiction, and simultaneously putting out the work of some of the very best authors working in the field today. Moreover, fad and fashion are rejected as insufficient markers of what constitutes criteria for profitability and good sales.

For me, it all comes down to two watchwords: quality and consistency. Without wishing to deride the mainstream publishers (a practise which appears to be a popular sport for some people) I have found some of my favourite writers from reading within the small press. If I hadn’t taken the plunge, I would never have discovered their existence. And this, perhaps, is one of the paramount reasons why small publishers are important. The most popular writing comes from the mainstream, yes, but not necessarily the best. If the latter’s what you’re looking for, then it could be that you will discover a wealth of surprises by taking a look at some of the smaller publishing concerns out there – as noted above, with the advent of digital means of printing and reproduction, the difference between small-press and ‘professionally’-produced books is so slim as to be utterly negligible.

So, if your friendly neighbourhood bookstore’s horror section is seemingly filled with nothing but tomes of paranormal romance or dark fantasy, all of which sound depressingly similar from the blurb and appear to be designed for reading by prepubescent teenagers, then worry not – take some time to have a look around the internet for some of the smaller publishers in your favourite genre and check out what they have to offer. You never know, you may very well be pleasantly surprised….

Is Small Press the Cavalry This Time?

GUEST POST BY:   Del Howison, Owner of Dark Delicacies

Dark Continents Publishing is introducing a new forum this month — we present the same question to 10-15 people, and give them an open opportunity to answer the question based on their own interpretations and beliefs. Over the next few weeks, these views will be posted as part of our ongoing series. We encourage everyone to read and react to our questions, and all comments are welcome.

Visit here to support Dark Continents Publishing in our quest to compete with the “Big Boys” in the publishing world

For our inaugural March 2012 forum, the question is:

Why are small publishing companies important?

Dark Continents is pleased to welcome Del Howison to our forum today. Del is a journalist, writer and Bram Stoker Award-winning editor. He is  also the co-founder and owner of Dark Delicacies “The Home of Horror” Bookstore in Burbank, CA.

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There was a time in the early nineties when horror had been relegated back to the bargain basement bins of books. It happened not long after publishers like Zebra, Paladin, Jove and others realized the sales figures Stephen King and Anne Rice and Dean Koontz were racking up and figured they’d make a little of that money for themselves. Read “Greed” here. So in the 1980′s we (the reader) were given an over abundance of horror. An over abundance of bad horror. Garish covers of children with bloody weapons and clowns with pointed teeth grinning through die-cut holes assaulted us from the book racks.

By the 1990′s horror was dying on the shelves since people could not discern the wheat from the chaff. They quit trying and the dust of neglect collected over the evil tales. Conventions were packed with panels of Is Horror Dead? and Will Horror Survive? But Horror wasn’t finished, it was over-exposed. It needed to mutate. Only the names known by people who did not even like Horror were surviving on one book a year mega-sales while the fans crept for their fix to the low budget horror films being offered. They were mostly made up of a lot remakes and chapters of series that used to be good. Everything was wrong. Any new writer who had talent found that there was almost no place to go except the magazine market if you wanted to be read.

The small press began to claw its way out of the cemetery where horror went to rot and slowly ever so slowly published a book here and a book there. Copy edition runs of 300 to 1000 collectible signed hardback books brought the horror fan back into the market. New names, new approaches and new cover artists enticed the reader to drop big bucks for a chance at something a little different. It worked and by the end of the decade horror panels switched their topics to Where Will Horror Go from Here? The cycle began again.

Here we are ten years later and horror is repeating the problems of the past. Ebooks give us an over abundance of horror. An over abundance of bad horror. Like the last time, there are plenty of fine writers hiding in the forest but nobody has the time to look at every tree. There is no way to discern between a quality writer and monkey computer operator. No way to find them. No way to sort the wheat from the chaff because anybody with a laptop can write, or steal, anything they want and post it up online as their own book. Payment rates are forcing otherwise fine writers who would have been discovered in the past to look elsewhere for a creative outlet and a living. Everybody jumped into the pool and nobody took the time to think any of this through first. Panic led way to greed which led way to panic.

There is a place now, more than ever, for competent genre editors and inkslingers of the highest caliber to make horror in the small press work. Hope still clings to the inside of the horror box.

Will the small press have the professionalism and knowledge to find those writers and editors and artists needed to make things work again? Will they be able to bring a crap weary reading public back to quality horror with the enticement of good product? Time will tell. But it is the Wild West out there and Boot Hill is going to be crowded before the final showdown. Were I a betting man, and I am, I would never count out the small press.

Biography:

Del Howison is a journalist, writer and Bram Stoker Award-winning editor. He is  also the co-founder and owner of Dark Delicacies “The Home of Horror” in Burbank, CA. He can be reached at Del@darkdel.com

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The Worlds In Which We Live

By David Youngquist

I was at an event last Thursday with Matt Nord, another writer of dark speculative fiction. I was hoping for a better turn out than we got. The event was well advertised. The gentleman conducting it had been on the radio talking about it. Fliers were up all over town. It was all about zombies and vampires and werewolves (oh my!) and I figured we’d have a good turn out this close to Halloween.

We got six people. Two cousins of Matt. One of his old teachers, and the rest were people in the library who wandered in for hot cider and a soft chair. One gentleman proceeded to take off his shoes and rub his feet the rest of the evening. Ah well. Literary events in small towns. Gotta love ‘em.

We did, however, have a good discussion between two writers. You know, those kind of talks you don’t get to have with people you work with daily. You can’t really talk about how a character in your book gives you trouble because he wants to do something you don’t want him to. Or you have to kill this other character even though you really like her. Tell that to someone in your day job, and most likely, the least you’ll get is a weird look and “Well, you’re the writer, do what you want.”

One thing we talked about was the worlds we live in. Our real, everyday worlds where the kids get sick, the wife needs help with the dishes, and you forget to pick up milk on the way home from work. And the world we create where we decide who gets sick, the houses never seem to get cleaned, but are never dirty, and what’s milk  anyway?

It was interesting to talk about this weird little way we live our lives with another writer and a scattering of fans. The discussion evolved out of talk of how some people lose themselves in the world you create. Sometimes literally. People who become your characters. Granted, I’m not big enough to have that happen yet, but we discussed some of the Star Wars and Star Trek fanboys for a bit.

Some people seem to have an internal glitch somewhere, some need, that gets filled by living that fantasy life. People who become that Jedi, that space explorer. People like that tend to worry me. I loved Archon, and loved being arrested by the 501 Storm Trooper Brigade. My bail went to a good cause, and the folks running it were a blast to talk with and be around. Folks who can keep their realities separate generally are fun people with great imaginations. I worry about the ones who wear their Jedi robes around the house.

I’ve met two writers who became lost in the worlds they created. Both fantasy writers. Both had been working on these books since high school, which is to say ten and fifteen years respectively. Same book, same world. Just immersed in the world they preferred to live in. Where they call the shots. Where they rule. Where they can kill off the people who antagonize them if they want with no repercussions.

I had offered to help both of them work on their stories. To clean it up, you know. After fifteen years of work, it might need some editing. Nope. No thanks. Appreciate it, but don’t need your help. One guy actually got nervous to the point of stuttering and sweating at the thought of me offering changes to his book.

That’s when I realized that for all their talk about being the next Tolkien, the books would never see an editor.

I’ll let you in on a secret: I’m ready to move away from Snareville. As much as I love Dan, Pepper, Cindy, Jinks and the whole crew, I’m ready to go. Adrian Chamberlin and I are working on the third book in the series together, and having a ball doing it, but after living in that dark world for the better part of three years, I’m ready to move on.

I’ve said before that we’re not all horror writers all the time. As much a triumph the folks of Danny’s world have pulled off, it’s too dark a place to live all the time. I’m looking forward to getting back to Gwennolin. I haven’t talked with Black Jack or Tabby or Mau-Pang for awhile. I enjoy the people of Felis, even the weaselly ones.

I’ll grant Jack’s not always a pleasant guy. Matter of fact, he starts out as a rather suicidal drunk, but he was fun to mature on the page. Gwennolin itself is a place of magic. It’s really not a typical fantasy book, but I’ve concluded that none of my work is typical anything. It’s a fun place, and as many troubles Jack gets into, I’m looking forward to spending some time there. Maybe someday at Archon I’ll see a couple people dressed as Jack and Tabby.

Julia’s memories of Archon…

BY: Julia Messina

I didn’t know what to expect at Archon in Collinsville, Illinois.

I’d been to tradeshows and book fairs throughout the US and Europe, but never had I attended a fantasy/horror tradeshow, so this was going to be interesting. Like everything else I do, I went into it with an open mind and a relatively open wallet–and that’s a good thing, because there was a lot to buy! From character costumes to game cards and books and souvenirs, all the way to the sexiest corsets I’ve ever seen (probably because I haven’t really seen that many…)–it was fun, fun, fun to watch the constant parade of costumed attendees roaming the warehouse-sized trade floor. One minute I’d be chatting up the Dark Continents book line with a sophisticated gent dressed in an expensive woolen blazer, while the next minute would bring a group of buxom corset-clad zombies to the table, looking for a good read.

Everybody loved our zombie ducks. Sylvia brought them and made a game of “Pick a Duck” as an extra-added attraction for our table—and it was a smashing success! Buy a book, pick a duck—the number on its butt corresponded to a prize that could be had with the purchase of a book! Ah, yes…gimmicks. Well, they drew attention and were definitely crowd pleasers (we had to hide them at night so that folks didn’t walk away with them when we weren’t looking).

At the artists’ exhibit, David and I found some extraordinarily good artists to pass on to our Art Director, John. David made some good connections with other small publishing houses as well. By attending in three, each of us was able to participate in some of the workshops and author talks, while the others manned the table during our absence.

One thing I noticed was that cover art is the real draw when dealing with an audience that is unfamiliar with the authors’ works. Hot covers of sexy women really do draw the attention of passersby, as does the big, beautiful Dark Continents Banner that we were able to hang behind the table, thanks to the serendipitous positioning of another vendor’s back wall. Another important aspect of making a success of a tradeshow sales opportunity is that you really have to talk up the line, asking potential readers what interests them and then guiding them to what we have that may suit their tastes. Hand selling is definitely the way to a reader’s heart—and it’s a great way to find out what’s hot and what’s not…all of which brings me back to the corsets…

As a modest-yet-buxom, kind of geeky Italian-American from the Midwest, I hadn’t had a lot of experience with super-sexy garments…but I was curious, so I made my way over to the vendor (who was doing a bang-up business, by the way) and tried on my first “bar wench” corset. It was OK but nothing special, so I decided to pass on it until… the vendor offered up a beautifully brocaded underbust version that—once laced up, made me look amaaaazzzzing—so much so that I could vividly imagine my husband’s reaction to it, and pulled out my handy-dandy credit card.

So, yes, the tradeshow, the book sales and the events that surround it are well worth our time and effort as a publishing company, and I’m looking forward to future cons, particularly the DragonCon in Atlanta next year—who knows what fanciful treasures I’ll find there…

All New Stuff

by: S.L. Schmitz
Dark Continents Publishing is proud to announce that over the next 4 months, we will be launching the following novels. Here are some sneak peeks of what is coming:

Launching September 28, 2011:

Quiet Houses by Simon Kurt-Unsworth:
a deeply disturbing collection of stories, with one common link: a paranormal investigator who understands the difference between what is seen and unseen. And why are all haunted houses so vacant, so devoid of human understanding?

Campfire Chillers by Dave Jeffery: gather round the fire, if you dare. So many new stories to tell, so little time… Jeffrey has created a whole world of frightening creatures that haunt the wood we camp in and hike in… if you think you’re ready for the next generation of scary campfire stories, then this the book for you!

Let It Bleed by S.L. Schmitz: the soft cover, while not launching at the fabulous FantasyCon in Brighton Beach, will transition to Dark Continents from its current wonderful placement at Dead Tree Comics. Soft cover will be available via the Dark Continents catalog as of September 2011.

Launching Black Friday, November 25, 2001

HELL by John Prescott:
The second novel in his memorizing trilogy about the eternal fight between good evil. But who will win? The continuation of the Revelation Chronicles. Journey with Trez and the rest of the core group of believers as the world goes through drastic changes and as HELL itself brings forth damnation and death to the people of Earth.

Phobophobia:
we don’t have a book cover yet, but that doesn’t mean that this anthology of over 25 writers from around the world doesn’t have bite. Dean M. Drinkel is the editor of this intensely disturbing group of stories of what is fearful and what is feared.

Snareville II by D.M. Younquist:
The sequel to the original breakneck novel; face-paced and merciless. Can humans survive the zombie attack, or will the world surrender itself to the living dead?

Monster’s Ink by Scott Nicholson: the highly anticipated collection of stories from Horror Master Scott Nicholson, including the never-before-published, terrifying, post-apocalyptic zombie tale ‘Darker With the Day.’

In 2012, Dark Continents has over a dozen new novels coming out. Stay tuned as Sylvia Shults, Nerine Dorman, S.L. Schmitz, and many, many more publish their newest offerings. We cannot wait to be a part of your new year and your new reading!