Over at Boing Boing (http://www.boingboing.net), Cory Doctorow has a link and essay on Clay Shirkey's analysis of the past and future of bookselling.

It nails a great deal of what we feel to be true over here at the press.

It's not about being all things to all people anymore. We keep saying it and we're going to keep saying it. It's about being local and at the same time, worldwide. It's about relationships. It's about having that one book at the one time when that one person needs it so bad and doesn't know that they do, but you connect them with that one book and who knows? Maybe change their life.

That's the power of books.

That's the power of publishing.

That's why we're in it for the long haul.

Not for the Glamour and the Fame. For that moment when we can say, "Here. We made this for you."

Tags: boing boing, bookselling, cory doctorow, the war of publishing
Current Mood: working

So, the accomplished Nathan Bransford has a good post over here:

http://blog.nathanbransford.com/2009/11/economics-of-publishing.html

It's pretty close. But of course, focused on the realities of a big publisher, it doesn't entirely apply for a micropress like us.

But here's the deal. Why POD? Why no advance? This is why. Right here. Because it costs too damn much to do things the old broken way. Because it's too stupid to do things the old broken way.

For instance, we also pay for distribution. Yes, you read that right, we *pay* to get distributed. And right now, all the lovely distribution that we've paid for? It's not entirely working. Libraries can't order Deschooling Gently from Baker & Taylor for some strange reason. No one knows why. We've been working on it for weeks. They had it before. Now they're saying it's "Not Available."

Um, excuse me? It damn well *is*.

These sorts of things aren't unique to us. Every small press/micropress that we know of has some similar tale of woe. Booksellers not paying in a timely manner. Distributors going missing in action. *Authors* going missing in action and not responding to emails or phone calls or not hitting deadlines.

We're not getting rich here.

But here's the kicker: IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE THIS WAY.

And it's changing. It's not going to be this way for much longer. And that is *wonderful*.

Old pub world is built on a debt model and they're finally getting a damn clue that you can't survive on a debt model.

Thank the gods.

So here it is again. This is why we're POD. This is why we're firmly against advances. Because we're not going to give you fake money. The money you get from us? You will have actually earned it. Work your butt off and make your commitment to your work? You will earn a living.

Believe it or not, that's enough.

*hops off soap box*

- Madam Publisher

Tags: the reality of publishing, the war of publishing
Current Mood: working

I don't know.

I'll be the first to tell you so. I don't have a lock on what the future holds for publishing. But I know this. Pissing and moaning about how OMGZ, it is the Death of Publishing, because things are changing? You are in trouble, my friend. Big, big trouble. And not for the reasons that you think.

The days of sitting in a garret and writing? Over. The days of getting to tell other people what to read because you are OMGZ, a New York Publisher/Agent/Critic? Over. The days of only writing novels and nothing else? Over. The days of getting to have a stranglehold on what the Audience sees and hears? Over. The days of expecting a publisher to foot the whole bill, send you on a whirlwind tour? Over. The days of not having to get your precious lily white hands dirty with actually talking about and promoting your own work? Over.

I've said it before and I'm saying it again. If you don't care enough to talk about your work to everyone, why should I? I'm in it to win it. I'm in it to talk books and change the parts of the world that I can. I'm in it to Be In It. Not apart from the world, but part of it. It's not enough to just make art anymore, whatever that art may be. If you're not working on connecting with the Audience? If you can't tell everyone what you have been doing? Your doing has been worthless. And I'm not the first to say that, Erwin Schrodinger said it first.

There's a lot of noise on the Internetz right now about all that's going on. The epic stupidity of Harlequin Horizons. The rise of POD and self-publishing. The Death of the Midlist Author. The fear that we will be swamped under an ocean of mediocrity and plain Bad Writing because OMGZ, all those sweaty new writers can get past the Gods of Publishing in New York.

And y'know what?

It's all horse hockey, to quote my dead father.

What these people are really screaming about is that they plain don't trust the Audience. They don't like that the Audience has gone crazy for Twilight and its ilk. That the Audience ate up Transformers II with a shovel. "It's not Art! It's not sophisticated! How could they!?"

Yo.

It's Entertainment.

The Audience didn't come here to get schooled, folks. It came to be Entertained. Michael Bay gets that. Stephanie Meyer gets that. Have you actually paid attention to the plot of Singing in the Rain? The little of it that exists?

Entertainment.

That's the future. It's on the Internet. It's out in the world. It's about making connections and letting the Audience participate. It's about *not sneering at your Audience* for the love all that's holy.

So quit lamenting about the Past. Quit moaning about how hard the Present is. Set your sights on the horizon and figure out what you want out of the Future. And get off the stick and go for it.

That's where we're going.

To feed the Beast.

Tags: feed the beast, the war of art, the war of publishing, what is the future of publishing?
Current Location: in front of the computer
Current Mood: working
Current Music: COD: MWII on the TV

Hunt Press is currently open for submissions.

We are specifically looking for genre. Science fiction. Fantasy. Horror.

A note about the horror, fyi. We're not really in to horror for horror's sake. If you're into Saw and Hostel and all the other torture porn knock offs, we are not your publisher. We're looking for Biblical. Mythic. Psychological. Stephen King type. Stuff that makes you leave the light on, because the monster under the bed will get you, even though you're 40 and know better.

Because here's the reality.

The Audience is out there. And they are a million hungry eyeballs all looking for the New. They want to be entertained. That's what they came here for. They want visions of the future. They want to feel the magick in the city streets. They know that Yog Shoggoth is eating customers at the Pinch and Penny Bar on the corner.

Come on.

You've got a story in you.

Feed the Beast.

http://www.huntpress.com

Tags: call for submissions
Current Mood: working

Not to be confused with the full monty.

So here is the upcoming slate of Hunt Press pre-orders all in one spot. Please note that the Firenze/Florence book will be live very, very soon, just in time for holiday shopping, full of beautiful pictures for the photography lover near you!

Just in time for Yule, Angela N. Hunt's collection of work on Florence, Italy, is now available for pre-order!

Containing images of the Duomo and stunning depictions of the Arno in winter, this will be a large format coffee table book perfect for your own home or as a gift to lovers of photography.

Books will ship in November/December.

To pre-order yours, make with the clicky!

Florence/Firenze by Angela N. Hunt
$29.95

Zenschooling: Living a Fabulous & Fulfilling Life Without School by Tammy Takahashi, is now open for pre-orders! We'll be publishing this in June of 2010.

Zen is the practice of choosing peace over drama, balance over dogma, and compassion over judgment.

Homeschooling is an extraordinary experience, but it can also be stressful and overwhelming. Bring a little Zen into your education at home, and use the power of experience, mindfulness, and acceptance to create an amazing homeschooling life.

Bring out the best in your children, and in yourselves, with Zenschooling.

Zenschooling - Pre-order $19.95 + Shipping

Not Finished Yet: One Family's Quest For A Most Excellent Adventure, by Laureen Hudson, is now open for pre-orders! We'll be publishing this in July of 2010.

Once you have children, your traveling days are over. Right?

One night, after the kids had gone to bed, Laureen & Jason Hudson had a long talk. They realized that they had become that which they never wanted to be; people having abandoned the big picture in preference for the paycheck. They realized that if they stayed in the groove they were in for one moment longer, they were going to explode. But how were they going to manage, with children?

There's always an answer, if you're open to it.

They kept talking. And within the week, they'd put the house on the market, and contacted a broker about buying a boat, a 1991 Lagoon '47. They named her s/v Excellent Adventure.

Disconnecting from The System is harder than it sounds; two full years later, they were still crash landing bits of the “suburban dream.” Between getting rid of shoreside social, legal, and political entanglements, and getting rid of stuff, it's a big job to completely change the lifestyle of a family of five.

So come along and join them on their quest for a most excellent adventure!

 

Tags: angela n. hunt, florence/firenze, laureen hudson, not finished yet, tammy takahashi, zenschooling
Current Mood: working

Most of you probably already know about National Novel Writing Month, aka NaNoWriMo or just NaNo.  What you might not know is that we all participate here at the press. 

Yep. 

All of us.

Because we're crazy like that.

And because it's an incredible tool.

That being said, posting's going to be pretty thin on the ground for this month.  But don't worry.  We'll be on from time to time, also to post progress on the new books and other things coming up this holiday season.

In the meantime, please keep Madam Editor, Laureen Hudson, in your thoughts.  Her step-father is dying and her family is on death watch right now.  Three of the family are small children and this is their grandpa.  It's very hard for them right now.

Tags: death, laureen hudson, madam editor, nanowrimo
Current Location: out in the world
Current Mood: working

Make no mistake, we're big believers in derivative art, here at Hunt Press. Some fabulous work has come out of derivative works and even that bastard child known as fan fiction.   We are supporters of Creative Commons and adore collaboration that comes from shared work.

But it's one thing to take direct inspiration from a great work, such as Throne of Blood and have that turn into Star Wars.

It's another thing when you slavishly copy someone's original work, slap your name on it, and say that it's *yours*.

That's theft. Flat out. We don't care how you justify it. It's theft.

John Unger makes art/fire bowls. He's environmentally aware and works with reclaimed materials to make work that we here at the press drool over often. Our dream is to have one of his fire bowls in a communal garden some day when we have real offices and not a closet. His work has life and vitality and soul. We're not just blowing smoke out our butts. We mean this.

He also personally has done a great deal for other artists and has a level of personal integrity that has impressed us over and over in following his career and work.

And an imitator is suing *him* to rob him of his copyrights.  From John's blog:

I need your help. My original art has been copied by a manufacturer who is now suing me in federal court to overturn my existing copyrights and continue making knockoffs. I have a strong case, a great lawyer and believe that if I can continue to defend myself, the case will be resolved in my favor. If I run out of funds before we reach trial, a default judgment would be issued against me and could put me out of business. I don't believe my opponent can win this case in court and I don't believe he really intends to try. I believe his goal is to use strong-arm litigation tactics to force me to keep spending money or risk losing my copyrights — not by true adjudication, but by default if he is able to outspend me.

This is so wrong that we hardly have words.

John needs help in raising legal defense to defend his art.  Hunt Press will be donating money and also books towards an auction to support him, because if he loses this, *we all lose with him*. 

Again, this isn't about derivative work.  Or the equivalent of fan art versions of his work.  This is the equivalent of someone taking your novel or story, erasing your name and putting theirs in its place. 

If you can help, please do.  If you can spread the word, please do.  Let it not be said that art no longer has defenders.

We will. 

Defend Art.

www.johntunger.com/legal-defense-fund.html

Tags: artisanal fire bowls, copyfight, defend art, john t. unger
Current Mood: angry

Just in time for Yule, Angela N. Hunt's collection of work on Florence, Italy, is now available for pre-order!

Containing images of the Duomo and stunning depictions of the Arno in winter, this will be a large format coffee table book perfect for your own home or as a gift to lovers of photography.

Books will ship in November.

To pre-order yours, make with the clicky!

Florence/Firenze by Angela N. Hunt
$29.95

Tags: angela n. hunt, florence/firenze, photography, pre-orders
Current Mood: working

It's been a wee bit crazed around here, with everything hurtling towards the annual Book & Art party. As you can imagine, there are a lot of details in need of nailing down and plans to plan.

We wouldn't have it any other way though. The annual book & art party are actually one of our favorite times of the year. It's an opportunity for us to talk to all of you and hear what you have to say, as well as thank you for all of the support you have given us.

That being said, we really hope that you can come on by! It's looking to be quite the thing this year!

* * *

Delays happen. All sorts of things are delayed. But they're coming.

In news, we're pleased to announce the next photography book from Angela N. Hunt, which we'll be publishing in the very near future, titled Florence/Firenze, containing Angela's travel photography from Italy. This will be another beautiful coffee table book and we'll be making it available in both hardcover and softcover, simultaneously. Be on the lookout for the pre-order announcement in the near future.

Yule chapbook from Angela this year may be a slim volume of photographs, rather than stories this year. More information as it comes up. You'll be the first to hear it here.

* * *

There's far more, but no bandwidth or time. Gotta get back to it!

Tags: angela n. hunt, book & art party, florence/firenze, photography
Current Mood: busy!

You! Yes, you!

Saturday, November 7, 2009 at 6:00pm at

The Magician's Pool House
4618 Saloma Avenue
Sherman Oaks, CA

310.890.8617
ahunt@huntpress.com

You are invited to the 4th Annual Hunt Press Book & Art Party, now with pool!

Come help us celebrate another year of books and new art, new authors and new community.

We'll be taking pre-orders for Tammy Takahashi's book, Zenschooling, and Laureen Hudson's book, Not Finished Yet, along with having copies of our current titles on hand for you to buy, if you have somehow managed to not snag copies for yourself.

Pre-orders can also be made on line at http://www.huntpress.com

In addition, Angela Hunt's art will be on sale this year, with all proceeds going to cover Hunt Press's Art Director's medical fees. Barrie Rosen, our intrepid Art Director (and author) took a bad tumble recently, badly injuring herself and incurring a trip to the Emergency Room. Being an artist and freelance, she doesn't have health insurance, so we're doing all we can to help off set the expense.

We hope to see you there!

Tags: 4th annual book & art party, angela n. hunt, barrie j. rosen, book & art party, laureen hudson, tammy takahashi
Current Location: home
Current Mood: working
Current Music: So You Think You Can Dance opening credits