Birmingham Arts Journal Excerpts Israel Jones

A Publishing Surprise

A real perk of my novel Running from Mercy: The Psalms of Israel Jones winning the 2010 Hackney Award for the Novel was having an excerpt published in Birmingham Arts Journal (beginning on page 38 of the issue, or page 39 of the online PDF). Since the Hackney organization does not offer publication, I was pleased when contest spokesperson Myra Crawford informed me that BAJ would be contacting me in order to publish an excerpt. In my post-winning euphoria, I didn’t pay much attention and at first thought the periodical was a newspaper; therefore I was a bit wary.

No Downside

Even before publication, however, I knew I liked the folks at BAJ. Editor Jim Reed e-mailed a request to be allowed to review the novel in order to choose an excerpt. I confess to a bit of paranoia about sending a stranger an electronic version of my manuscript in order to surgically remove a slice for his uses. However, it didn’t last more than a microsecond. My agent, who’s shopping the book to publishers, reassured me: “There is no downside to publishing an excerpt.” So I closed my eyes and pushed the send button.

Within a week or two, Mr. Reed responded, saying he liked my book and wisely suggesting that he publish the first few pages, including the epigraphs from Bob Dylan’s Chronicles and St. Matthew. I instantly agreed, especially liking the place where he chose to end the excerpt: “And, like that, the journey began.”

Lit-Mag With a Mission

After acceptance, I decided to peruse the online version of BAJ to see what the magazine was like. (Yes, perusing before giving permission might’ve been a good idea; but don’t forget those were heady days following the announcement of my winning the award; also, publication almost anywhere is usually a good thing, plus I liked the tone of my correspondence with Editor Reed).

The first thing I noticed was how easily navigable the journal was—you can zoom from the table of contents to the selection itself. Next, I noticed the beautiful layout and artwork, as you can see from the cover above: “Beach Buds,” a pastel by Alabama native Libby Wright. And there’s much more art inside, ranging from acrylic to oil, photography to laser cut carbon steel. Finally, this note on the back cover caught my eye: “This journal is produced without profit by dedicated volunteers who believe that exceptional works by the famous, not-so-famous, and never-to-be-famous deserve to be published side by side in a beautiful and creative setting.” That’s a mission statement I can believe in.

The Process

Another huge perk of the process was receiving an electronic copy of my work (digital galleys) to proofread; I did note a couple of problems which were corrected before publication. Occasionally I’ve been thrilled to have my work accepted by a literary magazine I admire, only to be disappointed when it appears, months later. Once a well-respected journal omitted the final 3-4 lines of my poem. (And what do you do when that happens? Forgive immediately the editors, for whom this is a labor of love, more often costing rather than making them money; like BAJ, lit-mags are usually produced by dedicated volunteers, especially those not associated with a university).

The Product

When the excerpt appeared in Volume 8, Issue 2, I experienced only joy. I had to wait merely a couple of months to see my work; it was perfectly produced; and, best of all, it was surrounded by all the other Hackney winners from the state and national competitions (totaling $5,000, not counting the novel award) in poetry and short fiction. Israel Jones appeared in the excellent company of work that is vital, accessible and thoroughly entertaining—even familiar: Vivien Shipley, editor of Connecticut Review, to which I’ve submitted, had a fine poem included: “Digging Peonies.” And almost all of the work was southern-tinged, which suited me fine.

“We Are Proud of Your Story”

I’m a happy man to have received such an unexpected blessing from this fine small-press publication. Furthermore, I’m extremely grateful to the Morris Hackney family for generously endowing the novel part of the competition. The national stature and significant monetary prize make winning quite a thrill. But it was the personal contact with good folks like Myra Crawford and Jim Reed that made winning—and publishing an excerpt—such a pleasure. It meant quite a lot when, following publication, I received an e-mail from Jim saying “We are proud of your story.”

Giving It Back

All serious writers are readers looking for their next literary fix. If, like me, you’re picky and you also want to vote for the best, you might consider voting for the unpretentious, high-quality Birmingham Arts Journal with a donation of $25 or more for an individual membership; or $100 or more for a company membership (either of which earns you the gift of four issues). Or you might at least order a single copy for $5. I assume you can read it online for free, but a donation puts a hard copy in your mailbox and supports a very fine arts organization with real vision and a great mission. (And of course if you’re a writer, you should consider entering the annual competition. See www.hackneyliteraryawards.org for the next deadline.)

Shouldn’t we support those editors and sponsors of contests who support writers?

I’m writing my check right now.

P.S.—Jim Reed not only owns and operates a rare book loft, Reed Books and Museum of Fond Memories, in Birmingham but is also the author of several books, including Dad’s Tweed Coat.

The Virtues of Small Press: Live at Antioch Writers’ Workshop 2011

Dropping In

Last Wednesday, July 13, I had the good fortune of dropping in on Kevin Watson’s Editor’s Session at the 2011 Antioch Writers’ Workshop here in lovely Yellow Springs, Ohio. While it’s evolved through the years, AWW has always maintained its high-quality and insistence on great faculty-student relations. And while the study of craft is the centerpiece, there are always presentations by agents and editors. On this day, it was the editing I was interested in.

Editor in Sneakers

Having recently submitted a short story collection to Press 53, I was eager to hear its chief editor speak. After all, anyone with a first book whose title is You Can’t Meet Jesus Wearing Sneakers gets my attention. Kevin Watson was both heartening and realistic in his comments about the advantages of publishing with a small press in general and Press 53 in particular, the state of publishing and the increasing prevalence of technology in the process.

Press 53, founded in 2006, publishes poetry, literary short stories, novellas and novels, creative nonfiction and anthologies. At www.press53.com, I learned that the press has published over fifty books, such as Valerie Nieman’s Blood Clay, which I reviewed in my previous blog. That’s an impressive output for a mere five years! But why would one want to publish with a small press over a larger, commercial press such as, say St. Martins, Harper or Warner?

Family Affair

For one thing, Kevin said, the authors and editors at Press 53 are a family. Small can be better when it comes to writing, editing, publishing and promoting books. Personal connections are crucial; for example, Watson said he only accepts manuscripts that he personally likes. Big names don’t matter, though occasionally a big name, like Pinckney Benedict or John Ehle, does sign with the press just because of that personal touch.

Even with a major New York publisher, authors will have the full responsibility of promoting their books anyway; therefore, why not sign with a small press where you can have more control over the process, more fun hanging out with editors and writers that you know and respect? And less pressure. Writers who fail to earn back an advance from a big publisher are usually doomed when it comes to getting their next book deal. But smaller presses don’t need those kinds of numbers, only enough to keep the press alive and help an author gain and keep an audience.

Getting Out There

The first thing Watson does after receiving a submission is to Google the writer’s name to determine if the person is “out there,” meaning actively writing and promoting. So just as, if not more, important than fine writing is the literary activity writers are engaged in. This is similar to the New York publishers’ increasing insistence on the all-important “platform,” i.e., the writer’s “other” credentials besides good writing: expertise in a field, academic or other credentials, status as a celebrity, etc.

However, the difference is that mostly what Kevin is asking of his authors is hard work, interest in and dedication to one’s art. Having published two novels with small presses, I’m well aware that one is called upon to put together book tours, write news releases and perform a host of other activities. Hence, it’s crucial, he emphasized, to meet people and make contacts, “just like you’re doing here this week at Antioch.”

Also, he said, rather than sequestering oneself to write nothing but a novel for two or three years, one should publish articles, stories and poems in the meantime. Writers earn a reputation through awards and publications of all types.

The New Word of Mouth

To the surprise of no one in the auditorium at Antioch University Midwest, Watson said that the Internet is “the new word of mouth,” easily trumping the power of reviews. Therefore, his press and writers must take full advantage of social media to reach a global audience. He counseled us to use them appropriately, not posting a video of a reading in which the performer looks less than professional. One only has to look at the impressive Press 53 website to see that Watson and his authors practice what they preach.

Sobering Reality

By the end of the hour, I found myself liking Kevin Watson, his vision and his impressive results. But I am under no false illusion that what he and his authors do to find their audience is easy. Kevin has his feet planted firmly on the ground; he’s asking a lot of himself, his two fellow editors and those he publishes. And it’s a lot more than writing. He’s asking his authors to be marketers and publicists as well. Yes, we can be writers without doing all that. But these days we can’t be published writers without wearing a lot of other hats. Kevin makes me think, though, that this hard work could be more fun in his small press family than in a corporate publishing situation where I may feel lost.

Postscript

Why “Press 53,” someone asked Kevin during Q & A. He grinned and said, “It’s my lucky number.” Lucky, indeed, given the number of quality books he’s published as well as global relationships he maintains from his home in North Carolina.