Locus, May 2013 Read online

  Ultimately, the books we produce are niche and we value our relationship with our readers. We are constantly reaching out to specialised bookstores to build our relationships with those who understand our kind of product. A bookseller who appreciates the niche and content of our books is the most valuable tool we have to connect with readers who have yet to discover our press. And we also work on being available and interacting directly with our readers. Going forward, I see our press being successful through strengthening the personal relationships with readers.

  –Alisa Krasnostein

 

  EDGE BOOKS

  Who founded your press? When?

  EDGE was started in 1998; our first book was released in 2000. We are either 13 or 15 years young!

  Mission statement?

  Our mission statement is: To encourage, produce and promote thought-provoking and well written science fiction, fantasy, and horror literature.

  What’s happening with your press now?

  In the last dozen years we’ve published over 70 novels and anthologies (and we added 30-plus titles to our house when we purchased Tesseracts Books). We will publish 10 titles this year and are excited about them all. Although it’s early, the most buzz seems to be around The Urban Green Man: An Archetype of Renewal, edited by Adria Laycraft & Janice Blaine (introduction by Charles de Lint). We are also publishing the first book of the revised Clockwork Heart trilogy, Clockwork Heart by Dru Pagliassotti. In the fall we are releasing a unique dark fantasy anthology, Coins of Chaos edited by Jennifer Brozak, which deals with the the after-effects of The Hobo Nickel. (Yes there really are Hobo Nickels; fascinating).

  All forthcoming titles are listed on our website: .

  What’s next?

  We are currently working on a book by Suzanne Church (Elements, a collection of short stories); Outcome Free, a novel by Michael J. Martineck; The Braided Path, a novel by Donna Glee Williams; The Shadow Academy, a novel by Adrian Cole; and of course, the next volume of Tesseracts, an ongoing (and long running) anthology of Canadian short speculative fiction.

  Beyond these titles, look for more YA fantasy and non-YA horror.

  Thoughts or predictions about publishing?

  When it comes to predicting the future I opt for lessons learned in the past: ‘‘Who the hell wants to hear actors talk?’’ – H.M. Warner (1881-1958), founder of Warner Brothers, in 1927.

  We have entered the e-book market and expect it to bring additional readers to our authors’ titles. It will be interesting to see if social-books come to fruition. We are living in interesting times.

  – Brian Hades

 

  PRIME BOOKS

  Who founded your press? When?

  2001. Sean Wallace.

  Mission statement?

  We’ve never actually had a mission statement, beyond providing readers with books we enjoy, books that make you think, and that we think they’ll enjoy, and making a living at it at the same time… and as publishing conditions change, we try to adapt as quickly as possible. So, while we were once known for publishing novels, now we’re known for publishing short fiction in a variety of formats, including collections and anthologies. But that could all change down the road, again, of course.

  How are things going now?

  It’s a challenging time for publishers right now, but we’re meeting the challenges so far and hope to continue doing so.

  How many books are you publishing each year?

  Eighteen.

  Recent titles you’re excited about?

  We pretty much ended last year with three outstanding collections: At the Edge of Waking, Holly Phillips; Shoggoths in Bloom, Elizabeth Bear; and Moscow But Dreaming, Ekaterina Sedia. So far this year, we’ve been pleasantly surprised by the popularity of Yamada Monogatari: Demon Hunter by Richard Parks. Beyond that we’ve been equally pleased with the critical accolades for Yoon Ha Lee’s debut collection Conservation of Shadows, and later this year we’re looking forward to another upcoming debut collection, Kabu Kabu by Nnedi Okorafor. And for the first time in a long time, we’re debuting two all-original fiction anthologies in the fall, both edited by Paula Guran: Halloween: Magic, Mystery, and the Macabre, and Once Upon a Time: New Fairy Tales.

  What’s happening next?

  We’ve recently started a digital-first/digital-only imprint, Masque Books, . Our first digital releases begin in July, but we also have one science fiction novel debuting, first in e-book in August, and then later as trade paperback in December: Ascension: A Tangled Axon Novel by debut author Jacqueline Koyanagi. It will be the first trade paperback under the Masque Books imprint and should really showcase what we want to pull off with Masque Books.

  For 2014, Robert Reed’s The Memory of Sky: A Novel of the Great Ship, will be a special event: a trilogy of three original novels in one massive omnibus edition. We have that tentatively scheduled for March. Beyond that, we have the usual assortment of anthologies, collections, and novels, including Richard Parks’ To Break the Gate, the first full-length Yamada Monogatari novel.

  What kinds of material are you looking for in the future?

  For Masque Books we are actively looking for all types of science fiction/fantasy as well as SF/F romance from novella to novel lengths. Although most SF/F authors are unaccustomed to this new publishing model, it is one that has been successful for other genres. For Prime, right now we are looking for truly outstanding science fiction/fantasy/cross genre novels.

  Thoughts or predictions about publishing?

  Publishing as a whole is right in the middle of a revolution and in our own field things are swirling about with particular intensity. What we might have predicted a few months ago might be seen differently now… and change again by the time this piece is published. The big questions are somewhat complicated, unfortunately and, for us at least, have more to do with distribution with a sufficient number of brick-and-mortar stores than anything else right now. And for most independent presses, success or failure right now depends more than ever on getting lucky with a project or two each year (or more!) And luck is often exactly what it is: there’s not a lot of predictability as far as what will do well or won’t do well, at least on our level. Beyond that, e-books sales definitely have slowed down – but they still represent a significant chunk of total sales, and provide a complementary sales channel to the print side. I don’t see that as changing much in the foreseeable future, and while e-books may well eventually take more of the place of mass market paperbacks rather than that of other formats, there will still be mmpbs, too.

  –Sean Wallace

 

  AQUEDUCT PRESS

  Who founded your press? When?

  Aqueduct Press, founded by L. Timmel Duchamp, published its first book in April 2004. Although Timmi is the public face of the press, it’s actually a three-person collective and would never have come into existence without that three-person mix of skills and experience.

  Mission statement?

  Our mission statement begins: ‘‘Aqueduct Press dedicates itself to publishing challenging, feminist science fiction. We promise to bring our readers work that will stretch the imagination and stimulate thought.’’ (The entire statement can be found at .) Our notion of ‘‘feminist science fiction’’ is deliberately broad, covering a spectrum of feminisms. In fact, we also publish critical work addressing feminist science fiction as well as the occasional work that is not feminist but is conceivably of interest to our readership and not likely to be published elsewhere (for instance, Gheorghe Sasarman’s Squaring the Circle, which was translated by Ursula K. Le Guin).

  Observations about the state of women in publishing?

  This is an exciting time to be publishing feminist SF. The number of women writing and reading science fiction has reached a sort of critical mass, and new generations of feminists h
ave infused the old but still-present challenges with new life; perhaps most interestingly, the number of women of color writing SF/F, which has fairly exploded, is bringing us new stories and voices the rest of the field are learning to read and hear. And finally, although the Tiptree Award is not a feminist award, its insistent focus on exploring gender issues has generated greater awareness of the complexities of gender in the genre as a whole, making feminist work increasingly more accessible.

  What’s happening with your press now?

  Aqueduct is thriving, despite the enormous changes we’ve seen in the economics of publishing. We’re releasing about ten new books each year, in addition to e-book editions of out of print work by some of our authors (for instance Gwyneth Jones, Rebecca Ore, and Eleanor Arnason). Recent books of particular note are Deb Taber’s debut novel Necessary Ill, Kiini Ibura Salaam’s Ancient, Ancient (which was just awarded the Tiptree), Tanith Lee’s new collection of short fiction Space Is Just a Starry Night, and nonfiction collection Strange Matings: Science Fiction, Feminism, African American Voices, and Octavia E. Butler, edited by Rebecca J. Holden and Nisi Shawl, a tribute to Octavia Butler that includes both personal and critical essays on her life and work.

  Thoughts or predictions about publishing?

  Likely the industry will continue to change in unpredictable ways. But sometimes being small is an advantage. Our basic strategy is to pay close attention to technological and economic changes and preserve our flexibility so that we can adapt to them. We were hit hard when book sales to libraries plummeted in 2009 with the slashing of public budgets, but sales of our e-book editions began to take off around the same time, buffering us from the shock. Being small and flexible, we were able to cut the size of our print runs to reflect the new reality. E-books are, frankly, a boon for us, since our trade paperback editions are relatively expensive, something we’ve always regretted but felt helpless to change. E-book editions are relatively cheap – but still bring our authors a higher royalty rate per title than the print edition does, and e-book editions have made up for the cuts in sales to our print editions. This seems to be a great time for micro-publishers like us.

  –L. Timmel Duchamp

 

  TACHYON PUBLICATIONS

  Who founded your press? When?

  Tachyon Publications was started by Jacob Weisman in 1995. It began as a traditional science fiction small press focusing on classic works and limited editions. Our first breakout title was The Rhinoceros Who Quoted Nietzsche by Peter S. Beagle. The scope of the house was greatly increased in 2002 with the hiring of managing editor Jill Roberts. Tachyon added national distribution in 2003 through Independent Publishers Group, and our publishing schedule and print runs were greatly expanded. We have since added several additional staff members, both in house and across the country.

  Mission statement?

  Our mission at Tachyon is to publish entertaining books that have significant literary value. Our goal is to be a publisher of lasting books that are loved by readers and writers alike. We actually have two different mottoes, each of which differently illustrates what Tachyon does. ‘‘Smart Science Fiction and Fantasy’’ refers to the selectiveness of our line; ‘‘Saving the World One Good Book at a Time’’ is indicative of our commitment to our authors and readers. In the latter vein, since 2005 we’ve been sponsoring SF in SF, the science fiction in San Francisco reading series, moderated by Terry Bisson, as well as a science fiction movie series, all of which benefit the local chapter of Variety Children’s Charity.

  What’s happening with your press now?

  Tachyon had our best year ever in 2012, both in sales and in award recognition. Fortunately, that success has carried over into the current year.

  We currently publish 8-10 books a year. While it’s not a large number of titles, we pour a great deal of time and effort into them. Our series of original short novels and novellas have picked up a slew of recent award nominations: After the Fall, Before the Fall, During the Fall by Nancy Kress is nominated for the Hugo and Nebula awards and The Emperor’s Soul by Brandon Sanderson is also nominated for the Hugo Award. Patricia McKillip’s short story collection, Wonders of the Invisible World, published in October 2012, has already sold through a substantial portion of its second printing. It’s also gratifying to see our canonic anthologies, many of which were edited by the expert team of John Kessel and James Patrick Kelly, continue to be adopted for use in college courses after having significant runs in bookstores.

  We have a number of very exciting projects that we’re working on right now. This fall we’re very pleased to be putting out the original novel She Walks in Darkness by Evangeline Walton. It’s a beautifully executed gothic adventure, previously unpublished, and recently discovered among Walton’s papers by editor and scholar Douglas A. Anderson. The novel was likely written sometime in the late 1960s, at the height of Walton’s writing powers, but was never previously submitted for publication. Walton was an extremely significant fantasy writer in her era, and this book solidifies her contributions to the genre. Incidentally, we’ve also commissioned a gorgeous cover by Thomas Canty.

  Other books we’re particularly excited about are Hauntings, edited by Ellen Datlow, a star-studded anthology of chilling ghost stories; Super Stories of Heroes and Villains, edited by Claude Lalumière and inspired by the current superhero obsession; In the Company of Thieves by Kage Baker, a tribute to her iconic Company series of time-traveling immortals, and featuring new Company tales; and Beyond the Rift by Peter Watts, an edgy collection of some of the best science-focused science fiction in recent memory.

  What’s next?

  Tachyon has never really followed trends. The publishing schedule is too long and popular tastes are too fleeting. Instead, we’re working on a number of projects we hope to lead to fruition in the coming years, including a number of themed anthologies, more short novels, and a few, carefully selected, single author collections. In the end, we’ll be publishing books of the same high quality that we’ve always published, but always trying to improve what we do and how do it.

  Thoughts or predictions about publishing?

  Publishing has always been a volatile industry. The dramatic rise of e-books and self-publishing, Amazon’s predatory practices, the demise of Borders, and the decline – and then possible re-emergence – of independent bookstores are only the current crop of issues. As independent publishers, we are both more agile and more vulnerable than then Big Six (soon to be the Big 5) New York houses. Twenty years ago, more than half the small-press publishers in the country went out of business practically overnight when Tower Books went under. So we have to adapt, to figure out how to benefit by the shifting landscape. So far, we’ve done that very well and we’ll keep at it.

  –Jacob Weisman

 

  TICONDEROGA PUBLICATIONS

  Who founded your press? When?

  Ticonderoga Publications was founded in Jonathan Strahan’s lounge, over a couple of cups of coffee, in 1996. At the time, Jonathan was involved in Eidolon, and they were doing some really great work. Being a brash young punk with a background in fanzines and who loved books, I figured I could do it too. High on coffee and full of crazy ideas, I contacted Steven Utley and it started from there.

  It was an exciting time; there were only a handful of Australian small presses making books, including Bill Congreve’s Mirrordanse, and the late Peter MacNamara’s Aphelion, and I think we were all making it up as we went along (I certainly was). Books went from dream to reality in 6 months or less and we all produced some incredible work.

  Ticonderoga had a bit of a break around 2001-2003, when changes to Australia’s taxation laws saw books taxed for the first time, and everything looked to be a lot less fun. I never lost the urge to make beautiful books, and couldn’t stay away for long. And over the last five years my wonderful partner Liz Grzyb has become an official part of Ticonderoga, sharing the crazy adv
enture.

  What’s happening with your press now?

  We’re publishing about 10 books a year, a mix of genres, story collections, anthologies, and novels. Every title is an excuse to get excited, and we’ve had a lot to be happy about. We’ve just released Juliet Marillier’s first collection, Prickle Moon, and it really shows that Juliet has a talent for the short form (as well as wonderful cover art by Pia Ravenari). Last year the Lisa L. Hannett and Angela Slatter collaborative collection Midnight and Moonshine got a starred review in Publishers Weekly and a listing in the Locus Recommended Reading List; we had brilliant debut collections by Felicity Dowker (Bread and Circuses) and Greg Mellor (Wild Chrome); we brought Jane Routley’s stunning Chronicles of Dion trilogy back into print; and had some incredible anthologies edited by Liz Grzyb, Amanda Pillar, and Talie Helene.

  Tell us your thoughts about the uses of print-on-demand technology for smaller publishers.

  I was quite taken aback when reading the Locus Year in Review for 2012, where it was strongly implied that POD was the almost exclusive realm of vanity presses.

  While a lot of vanity/self publishers use POD, large trade publishers also use POD as part of their business model. POD is a tool: just as buying a set of MAC knives won’t make me cook like Thomas Keller; neither will it make Mr Keller cook like me. Using POD shouldn’t see Ticonderoga, Prime, or any other small or large press, put into the same basket as vanity presses. The years of editing, design, publishing and marketing experience, combined with a solid editorial process and focus on paying writers advances and royalties should set any publisher apart from vanity/self publishing.

  For Ticonderoga (and other publishers), POD is just a printing process. We could call it ‘‘short run digital printing’’ if that is what the cool kids are calling it. All it means is that we are able to produce a number of titles each year, and that copies of these can be printed when we need them, removing the need to physically warehouse thousands of books, which carries additional costs and risks.