You are 1000% speaking my language! These were the stated (and unstated) goals and practices of Open Letter Books from our inception to the current moment. Especially the focus on the art and craft and production over simply generating product and evaluating it by sales alone. (Would you come on the Three Percent Podcast at some point to talk about this?)
Great list. And not unreasonable at all. Those all feel like what a literary pub should aim for. I was so so so the young artist who didn’t believe in the value of their work. Even though I simultaneously thought I was the shit.
it was surprisingly easy to write it down, i thought i was going to be screeding for at least 10x as long. feels like we all know this shit and still take it
and then each book with a new (tiny) press feels a little like a wrestling over which handful of these are you going to prioritize and which will you let go of
"Artist-first, bottom line last, and fuck the haters."
The microphone is in the core of the earth.
Love this list. Summarizes much of what we've discussed over these nearly 20 years. Thank you for putting it all down so clearly and directly.
yessir, and our talks influenced this greatly - thank you for lifting
You are 1000% speaking my language! These were the stated (and unstated) goals and practices of Open Letter Books from our inception to the current moment. Especially the focus on the art and craft and production over simply generating product and evaluating it by sales alone. (Would you come on the Three Percent Podcast at some point to talk about this?)
it shows in the work! yes would love to come on the pod, drop me a line anytime! ty chad
Excellent! Let's talk soon--I really think this could be an interesting conversation!
80/20 in favor of the author? What are you, a communist?
i think i'm becoming an anarchist so should probably be 0 publisher 0 author 100 fire
I go with 60 for the father, 30 for the son, and 10 for the holy ghost.
I lold
Great list. And not unreasonable at all. Those all feel like what a literary pub should aim for. I was so so so the young artist who didn’t believe in the value of their work. Even though I simultaneously thought I was the shit.
Who are your favorite publishers?
Well said
this all sounds familiar to shit I've thought & talked about + put into words I'm not sure I've quite ever done but believe
it was surprisingly easy to write it down, i thought i was going to be screeding for at least 10x as long. feels like we all know this shit and still take it
and then each book with a new (tiny) press feels a little like a wrestling over which handful of these are you going to prioritize and which will you let go of
ugh EXACTLY. and the ones you let go of are usually also the ones that come back to bite you
It’s such a seesaw! The shit I let go of with one book becomes what I (over)prioritize with the next, etc. etc., on and on…!