Shawn Speakman, Katie Cord, Tim Marquitz, and Geoff Brown
Small and indie publishing is a rough, fast-paced (for publishers, anyway) game, that provides incredible highs, soul-crushing lows, general impoverishment, and introduces us to plenty of awesome people, like the editors running small publishing houses that agreed to drop by the GdM cyber-office for a bit of a chin wag.
DRAMATIS PERSONNAE
Tim Marquitz – Ragnarok Publications [TM]
Shawn Speakman – Grim Oak Press [SS]
Katie Cord – Evil Girlfriend Media [KC]
Geoff Brown – Cohesion Press [GB]
[GdM] What got you into publishing?
[SS] I originally had no interest in founding a publishing house. I had written two novels, they were represented and making the rounds with NYC publishers, and things were going better than I could ever expect.
Then I was diagnosed with cancer. That changed everything. Due to a pre-existing condition, I did not have health insurance. To combat the mounting costs of medical treatment, many of my writer friends donated short stories that would be compiled and eventually become the anthology Unfettered. I knew Unfettered would garner a great deal of publicity so I pulled my debut novel The Dark Thorn out of NYC and decided to self-publish it. I didn’t know it then, but Grim Oak Press was born in that moment.
Now I am expanding, producing projects that I’m passionate and interested in having on my own shelves. And thankfully, the things I like are liked by many!
[KC] I was intrigued by self-publishing as soon as I learned about it. I loved the idea of being in charge of the creative direction of not only the writing, but also marketing, cover design, and editing. When I published my first book, He Left Her at the Altar, She Left Him to the Zombies, I learned so much about the business and what not to do.
I decided after several years of learning about the business to take the themes for three short story collections I’d plan to write, and turned them into anthologies. It was a snowball effect. I’ve now been able to work with multiple authors on several anthologies and we are now adding more single author projects to our catalogue.
[GB] I never intended becoming a publisher. I am a writer, and never thought to go beyond that. Then, when I had finally finished two years of full-time study in Professional Writing and Editing, I had a many of the skills required for publishing. I started up an Author Services business, but somewhere it was nagging at me that I wanted to curate and edit a military horror anthology. I loved the genre, and couldn’t find enough in that area to satisfy my own reading urge. I kept talking about it, and then BANG, my wife told me to either do it or shut up about it. So I did it.
We didn’t start with SNAFU, but we put out the first anthology a year after starting Cohesion Press. The series is still our best-selling thing.
[TM] I’ve always viewed publishing like the stock market. Yes you can succeed by targeting one aspect of it but it’s always made sense for me to diversify and spread out my options. By doing so I believe I’m casting my net wider for opportunities, both for myself and especially for others. There are so many amazing authors out there who are locked into the system of trying to get past the gatekeepers that stand between them and a quality press that it only made sense to create a house that would offer them the perks of the bigger houses while maintaining the close relationship of an indie press. The ability to promote and push these authors is a huge part of why I formed Ragnarok Publications with Joe Martin.
[GdM] What is the most rewarding part of running a publishing house?
[SS] The response from the readers. The day to day running of Grim Oak Press is difficult. I have a lot of irons in the fire and sometimes I don’t get the chance to see the trees from the forest. But when I receive an email from someone who is holding one of my press’s books--it forces me to slow down and understand why I am doing this. It is always a special thing. And I always respond.
[KC] There are so many things that I love about the industry. I enjoy seeing the book go from a concept to a real thing, then in turn, meeting people who read and enjoy what was created. It is also a great feeling to see the excitement in an author’s face when they see the final product or receive praise from a fan about their work.
[GB] Definitely the random reader responses, and private messages and emails. I love to hear from our fans, and am surprised and delighted every time I get a message of support. Another great part of publishing is being in a position to put out stories by authors I hold in high esteem (Jonathan Maberry, Weston Ochse, James Moore for starters) and the flip side of that when we find a new author with great promise and we are privileged enough to be able to put their work out there for them.
[TM] I love helping authors find their audience and expand them. So many talented writers are stuck in the trenches of self-publishing or small presses and are being buried under lousy cover art and poor edits. It’s a great feeling to see our team create these amazing books and get them out there where readers can find them. That alone makes it worth it to me.
[GdM] What is the hardest part of running a publishing house?
[SS] Keeping the wheels of the publishing process moving. Whether it be communicating with authors, editors, artists, or book designers--it can be like herding cats at times. Thankfully, I work with very professional people who want Grim Oak Press to succeed and even when delivery of some publishing aspect is not on time, I know it will at least be done right. That is a great feeling to have.
[KC] I agree with Shawn. Making sure that everything is moving can be difficult. But, for me, finding enough time to fit everything into my life is tough. I have a full-time job, EGM, and occasionally like to have time to write.
[GB] All the work. Staying on top of everything, and making sure nothing falls through the cracks. Also, finding time for life outside of publishing, like family, relaxation, and buying haunted asylum buildings.
[TM] We all have pretty much the same answer. There is simply so much to do from scheduling to promotion to editing to art to the back and forth answering of questions from authors, reviewers, distributors, readers, etc, that there is no down time. Publishing is a full time job x10 and you’re stuck doing whatever it takes to get the books out on time and making them the best they can be.
[GdM] What is the single biggest mistake you ever made with your publishing house?
[SS] Grim Oak Press is too new to have made a big mistake yet. Let’s hope it doesn’t happen!
[KC] I don’t think we’ve made a big mistake. And, honestly, every little mistake has taught me how to do something better.
[GB] I don’t think I’ve made too big a mistake, but the one thing I do regret is trying to micro-manage everything. I now have a few trusted people helping out, and I leave them to their jobs, while I do mine. It makes life a lot easier.
[TM] The biggest mistake we’ve made is the desire to jump at each and every opportunity we’ve been provided. While that seems to be a good thing you need to learn your limits. For us, we got buried too deeply in what we wanted to create that we overloaded ourselves and made our job harder to do. We simply took on too much, too soon and it bit us in the backside a few times.
[GdM] What’s the best thing that’s happened to you as a publisher?
[SS] Two things have happened and I’d be remiss not to mention them. First, Grim Oak Press began as a way to eliminate the medical debt that had accrued from battling my cancer. That debt is gone and I consider that a “best thing” any day.
The other thing: Receiving numerous emails from people thankful that Unfettered has opened their eyes to new authors. Growing readerships is what a publisher should be all about and I know Unfettered did that for many people. I think that is the reason that Reddit’s /r/fantasy voted Unfettered best anthology for that year, giving Grim Oak Press a Stabby award.
[KC] Funding Women in Practical Armor via Kickstarter was huge. It was the first time EGM was able to get out of the red, it exposed us to a
new audience, and it showed me that what we are creating is wanted by readers.
Personally, publishing an author that I really enjoy (Rachel Caine) was a huge geek-out moment for me. I really enjoy reading her books because they are urban fantasy/sci-fi with female protagonists that are not centered on romance.
[TM] I agree with Katie. The joy of getting to publish authors you’re a fan of is an amazing feeling. You get to see the story come to life and get to be a part of it.
[GB] Yeah, that’s my favourite part, too.
Publishing someone who you’ve read and loved for years. It’s happened a few times for us, when we target specific authors for our SNAFU series.
Also, earlier this year (2015) we managed to somehow go slightly viral with one release, taking us into the top 2,000 Paid on US Amazon and toppling Stephen King from a few horror charts to make number one. That was awesome, even though it only lasted two days.
[GdM] How would you describe the current state of indie publishing in dark SF/F/H? Are we trending towards glory or ignominious defeat?
[SS] Somewhere in between. There will always be a place for dark stories with a grim bent but there will always be a need for stories that are lighter. The trick is embracing all types of SF/F/H and not call one better than another.
[KC] I think that indie publishers must have the mindset that this is a marathon, they should have short term and long term goals while keeping in mind that the business is constantly evolving. They must be willing to adapt. I think as publishers we will always work towards “glory” and want to see our books and the genre succeed.
[TM] All genres have their ups and downs and dark fiction is the same. I think it’s really up to us, the publishers and authors, who get to determine the future of the genre by creating one a kind books that work on more levels than simply dark. There has to be more to it than being gritty or grimdark or whatever. Powerful prose and storytelling and creative worlds will always have an audience.
[GB] I have a real hate for the current state of anyone being able to start a Facebook page and a free website and then call themselves a publisher. It’s not only dark writing this happens in, though. It’s spread across the entire writing and publishing industry.
I think once writers and readers begin to realise the difference between the bad and the good publishers, we’ll all be a bit better off.
[GdM] What’s involved in a typical week of running your publishing house?
[SS] I am a busy man. I write, I manage the affairs and website for bestselling authors Terry Brooks and Naomi Novik, and I freelance write for Random House at Suvudu.com. That leaves a small amount of time for Grim Oak Press. That means I must time manage correctly. Most of the work that I do for Grim Oak Press is effectively communicating with everyone--authors, artists, book designers, and customers. I do this all on my own and usually at night once my other duties are completed. Thankfully, I love what I do, so none of it feels like work.
[KC] I agree with Shawn, it is all about communication with everyone involved in the company. I’m really grateful to have a managing editor, Jennifer Brozek, who helps me get everything coordinated now. I now focus more on marketing, distribution, and connecting with fans. I also work full time as a nurse so besides making sure that I’m doing everything for the business, I have to balance my daytime career.
[TM] Well, I start my day with a nap, then I contemplate drinking coffee and possibly napping longer. :)
I wish that were true. The reality is that it’s hard to plan each day. There are emails to get to and contracts to create and send out and edits to do and promotion to contemplate. The business is fluid and each day brings new challenges and new deadlines and new all sorts of crap that force you to adjust on the fly all the time. We often spend all day whittling at projects and moving forward, hoping things get finished before something else rears its head.
[GB] Edit, message, layout, edit more, talk to the cover designer, email, answer a Facebook message, edit, promote, promote, pay for something, work out why the PC shut down, edit, promote, promote, promote, run competition to promote, edit, talk cover layout with artist.
Seriously, it’s all day, every day stuff. If you’re not paying attention, projects fall by the wayside and next thing you know you’re one of ‘those’ presses. The ones that fail.
[GdM] Many of us target the same author group. Do you see your fellow publishers as death or glory competition, companions in the fight to spread more fiction, or is this the first time you’ve heard of most of us?
[SS] When I launched Grim Oak Press, Bill Schafer at Subterranean Press helped me a great deal. He answered the major questions I had and without him I doubt my press would have started as smoothly as it did. It taught me that we are all in this together. Like many readers, I prefer holding a beautifully-wrought book but it doesn’t matter what press creates it--as long as someone does. I own books from most of the indie publishing presses and will continue to support others even as Grim Oak Press grows.
[KC] I don’t look at other presses as competition, but more as glorious companions in the fight. It is a tough market out there and any time I see a press doing great work, whether I know them personally or not, I try to share their posts, praise their work, and always want to connect with those who want to connect with us to reach common goals. I know the hard work involved. I do tend to shy away from people and presses that tear down others. I’ve found that people who behave that way do not have the same kind of mindset or goals that I have. The relationships are usually not productive or healthy. I’m always open to mutually beneficial think tanks where discussions are had that improve skills and business for all but not sitting around ripping others apart.
[TM] While we might all be competing for the same pool of money and readers it doesn’t break down into gladiatorial games between us. As long as you keep us out of the bars, that is. :) But no, a rising tide lifts all boats. While we’re independent we’re still connected. The success of any of the other companies means there are more eyes on publishing as a whole, more opportunities to take advantage of. By sharing the works of the other presses and promoting their authors we open the doors for ourselves. Besides, it’s always nice to see others succeed. We become friends in this business, partners, and allies. We’re often just as invested in how these other publishers are as we are in our own house.
[GB] There are millions of readers. I don’t see anyone as competition. I see us as fighting the good fight to get people reading.
[GdM] If you could name three authors to get a guaranteed, ‘yes, happy to provide an exclusive short story/novel’ reply from, who would they be and why?
[SS] Terry Brooks, because he’s my friend and mentor. Peter Orullian, because the man is prolific and a great friend. And Naomi Novik, because she’s my friend and has more ideas than she knows how to write. This business is all about building relationships and I’ve been fortunate to befriend a great many wonderful people who also happen to be writers.
[KC] Oh gosh, this is a difficult one because we’ve had several people do this for us some more advanced in their careers than others. I don’t want to isolate anyone by naming anyone in particular but I give credit to our editors for exciting authors they know to write exclusive pieces for our anthos. We have not had this happen with a book yet; however, I have faith it will some day.
[TM] Yeah, this is a tough one. We know so many fantastic authors that it’s often harder to say no than it is to say yes. Like Shawn said, “This business is all about building relationships…” Each and every author we work with becomes a part of that family and it wouldn’t be fair to them to say we’d choose someone over them just so we can fangirl a little.
[GdM] Who’s the one person in the publishing industry you’d love most to sit down and have a drink and a chat with face to face?
[SS] Stephen King. He has seen everything there is to see in the publishing industry. I have no doubt he has a wealth of insight and adv
ice that I’d love to mine.
[GB] Hard to say, really. It depends on each theme of each SNAFU or novel series. I’ve made my ‘to-do’ list with most of our books so far.
[KC] I’d love to discuss the industry with Betty Ballantine, Connie Willis, and Margaret Atwood as they all would have perspectives of the industry that I think I could learn from and relate to.
[GdM] What do you look for in an author?
[SS] Every writer I invite to Grim Oak Press has to have a unique voice, a beautiful turn of phrase that cannot be taught. And since Grim Oak Press works hard at raising money for various charity endeavors, the author must have an impeccable desire to make the world a better place.
[KC] In the end, a compelling, character rich, readable story trumps all for me. I lead a super busy life and if I pause to read a manuscript, then proceed to rearrange my life around it, I know it is a great read. I know it will do that for others as well. I won’t lie, I also look at the author as a whole: is the book for us, is this author for the brand, do they understand small press, are they a self-starter who wants to get their work out there, are they professional? I need those things for a great book and successful partnership.
[TM] There are lots of things. You want an author who has an understanding of their story and can write it without requiring us to go behind them and reshape it. You want one that understands characterization and pacing and visualization, one who can paint a picture in words rather than simply tell a story. You also want an author who’s willing to be different yet understands the tropes and concepts of the genre they’re writing in. Lastly, you want one that can be worked with. One who understands they don’t know everything and that their work can be improved. Divas need not apply.
Grimdark Magazine Issue #6 ePub Page 6
