Monday, December 14, 2009

No Updates Today

I'm sick. After exhausting three boxes of tissue and two hours of sleep, I have to report to work in an hour. Brain not working. Nostrils clogged. Vampires plaguing my "sleep".
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Friday, December 11, 2009

December 11, 2009 Links and Plugs

Rose Fox has an interesting discussion over at Genreville: Publishers Struggle to Wake Up from the E-Book Nightmare.

Interviews
Advice/Articles
News
You could always try this out for military/gritty fantasy fans:

Noonshade by James Barclay
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Thursday, December 10, 2009

December 10, 2009 Links and Plugs

Exhausted.

Interviews
Advice/Articles
News
Here's another Prime Books release:

Queen of Hearts by Daniel Homan
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Wednesday, December 09, 2009

Feature: Holiday Sales 2009

Every Wednesday, I have an essay or feature article on any topic that catches my fancy!

Last year, I suggested gift items that are tad bit expensive, so this year, let's do the opposite: sale, sale, sale!

Small Beer Press 2009 Christmas Franciscan Fundraiser Sale



Here's the deal: Small Beer Press books are on sale. For every book you buy, $1.00 goes to the the Franciscan Children’s Hospital. If you want to pay full price for the books, also not a problem! The difference goes to the Franciscan Children's Hospital as well. Not only are you getting books and helping an independent press, but you're donating to charity as well!

More info here.

Also consider: Purchasing all of Small Beer Press's 2009 titles. $59.00 bags you:
Greer Gilman, Cloud & Ashes: Three Winter’s Tales
Vincent McCaffrey, Hound
Poppy Z. Brite, Second Line
Delia Sherman & Christopher Barzak, Editors, Interfictions 2
A Working Writer’s Daily Planner 2010
Electric Velocipede Special Deals

The Hugo-award winning fanzine is on sale. There's a couple of special offers available. You get get Issue 17/18 for just $10.00.

If you want more, more, more, you can try this for $15.00. (Ezra Pines, Richard Bowes, William Shunn, and Robert Freeman Wexler are awesome writers.)

Issue 15/16 (or issue 12 or 13 after 15/16 runs out)

The Sense of Falling by Ezra Pines [Mark Rich; some stories written with Richard Bowes] (chapbook)

An Alternate History of the 21st Century by William Shunn (chapbook)

Psychological Methods to Sell Must Be Destroyed: Stories by Robert Freeman Wexler (chapbook)

Life's Simple Pleasures by John Klima (chapbook; only available through this offer!)

Lastly, you can also go on a Robert Freeman Wexler overdrive for just $5.00:

Psychological Methods to Sell Must Be Destroyed: Stories by Robert Freeman Wexler (chapbook)

The Circus of the Grand Design by Robert Freeman Wexler (novel)

Eos Books Holiday Discount

This one's simple: not only can you browse Eos Books at their website, but until 12/12/2009, just enter the following code in your shopping cart and you get a 20% discount: EOSHLDY09. (Source)

Tor.com's Cthulhu Month!

The stars have come right over at Tor.com with their Tor.com Store Sale. 30% off on the following books:
• H. P. Lovecraft, by H. P. Lovecraft and Peter Straub (Library of America)
• The Annotated H.P. Lovecraft, by H. P. Lovecraft and S. T. Joshi (Dell)
• More Annotated H.P. Lovecraft, by H. P. Lovecraft and S. T. Joshi (Dell)
• The Annotated Supernatural Horror in Literature, by H. P. Lovecraft and S. T. Joshi (Hippocampus Press)
• Lovecraft Unbound, edited by Ellen Datlow (Dark Horse)
• A Lovecraft Retrospective: Artists Inspired by H.P. Lovecraft , by Stuart Gordon, Harlan Ellison, and Thomas Ligotti (Centipede Press)
• The Strange Cases of Rudolph Pearson: Horriplicating Tales of the Cthulhu Mythos , by William Jones and Steven Gilberts (Chaosium)
• Graphic Classics: H. P. Lovecraft Volume 4 , by Simon Gane, Tom Pomplun, and Pedro Lopez (Eureka)
• H. P. Lovecraft: Collected Essays Volume 2: Literary Criticism , by H. P. Lovecraft edited by S. T. Joshi (Hippocampus Press)
• H. P. Lovecraft: Collected Essays Volume 5: Philosophy; Autobiography and Miscellany , by H. P. Lovecraft edited by S. T. Joshi (Hippocampus Press)
• Teatro Grottesco , by Thomas Ligotti (Virgin Books)
• The Imago Sequence and Other Stories , by Laird Barron (Night Shade Books)
• Haggopian and Other Stories , by Brian Lumley and Bob Eggleton (Subterranean Press)
• Necronomicon: The Wanderings of Alhazred , by Donald Tyson (Llewellyn Publications)
• Necronomicon , by Ed Simon (Avon Books)
• Threshold , by Caitlin R. Kiernan (Ace Roc)
• The Red Tree , by Caitlin R. Kiernan (Ace Roc)
PS Publishing Xmas Blowout

It's three for the price of two over at PS Publishing for all their current titles. No magic buttons to press, it's all automatic with the cheapest item becoming the freebie.

Twelfth Planet Press Silly Season Sale!

Have I mentioned that Twelfth Planet Press is an awesome Australian indie press? They also got a couple of Aurealis nominations. You can purchase their nominated works here. If you're in Aussie, it's free shipping while international orders split the shipping costs.

George R. R. Martin Christmas Special

Here's something for the George R. R. Martin fanboys. Tuf Voyaging, Windhaven, and Inside Straight all for just $57.00 and the author signs them to boot.

Happy holidays!
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December 9, 2009 Links and Plugs

Ruel S. De Vera has a book launch tonight for the anthology Connecting Flights: Filipinos Write From Elsewhere, an anthology of travel essays, fiction and poetry. It's at 7 pm, National Bookstore, Glorietta Makati.

Interviews
Advice/Articles
News
And from Prime Books:
Northwest Passages by Barbara Roden
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Tuesday, December 08, 2009

December 8, 2009 Links and Plugs

I just want to plug my book launch tomorrow, Wednesday, 9 December, 3:30 pm, at the Concourse of the New Rizal Library of the Ateneo at Loyola Heights. It's for a nonfiction story I wrote back in 2003.

Interviews
Advice/Articles
News
And a recent title from Small Beer Press:
Second Line by Poppy Z. Brite
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Interview: Tim Waggoner

Every Tuesday, I'll have an interview posted.

Tim Waggoner is a novelist and college professor. His original novels include the Nekropolis series,Cross County, Darkness Wakes, Pandora Drive, and Like Death. His tie-in novels include The Lady Ruin series and the Blade of the Flame trilogy, both for Wizards of the Coast. He’s also written fiction based on Stargate: SG-1, Doctor Who, A Nightmare on Elm Street, the videogame Defender, Xena the Warrior Princess, and others. He’s published over one hundred short stories, some of which are collected in Broken Shadows and All Too Surreal. His articles on writing have appeared in Writer’s Digest, Writers’ Journal and other publications.

Hi! Thanks for agreeing to do the interview. First off, let's start with your latest novel from Angry Robot Books, Nekropolis. How did Angry Robot Books end up publishing that series?

I’d worked with publisher Marc Gascoigne when I wrote A Nightmare on Elm Street: Protégé for Black Flame Books. When Marc moved on to create Angry Robot Books, he sent me an e-mail asking if I had any projects that I wanted to pitch for him. It so happened that I’d been looking for a mass-market publisher to bring out Nekropolis for a while, and the rest, as they say, is history. Marc loved the original book, but he asked me to add about 25,000 words of new material to flesh out the world more, which I did. The plot is essentially the same as the original novel, but hopefully it’s a more enjoyable reading experience now. I know I had a hell of lot of fun writing the new material!

What made you decide to fuse elements of the private investigator, humor, and horror into one book?

Like a lot of writers of my generation, I grew up in a cultural mix-master of different influences – comics, TV, movies, novels . . . I loved any kind of storytelling that fed my ever-ravenous imagination. In some ways, I’d say comics probably influenced me the most. You could read an issue of Spider-man and it would be a straight superhero story, but the next issue might feature a mystery, and the one after might be more like a horror tale. Seeing all these different elements came into play in the same series showed me the narrative possibilities of combining various genre elements.

Where there any challenges expanding the novella into a full-blown novel?

Since I wrote the original novella almost fifteen years ago, returning to the story to expand it meant that I needed to refamiliarize myself with both the world and the character’s voice, since it’s written in first person. I’ve grown as a writer over the years, so I needed to edit the original material which, while not terribly written, needed some polishing. Otherwise, it was a smooth revision. Nekropolis is my favorite of all the worlds I’ve created, and in many ways, I’ve never left it since writing the original version. The revision was like visiting an old friend you haven’t seen in a while.

Moving on to writing in general, what made you decide to write fantasy, science fiction, and horror?

There was no real decision to it. The kind of books and movies I’ve always sought out are those that stimulate my imagination. Mainstream stories – those that take place in the real world featuring realistic characters doing mundane things – bore me. I live in the real world. I know it. I want to read – and write – about places where the imaginative possibilities are broader than in our world.

What was the biggest hurdle you had to overcome before getting published?

Learning to write at a publishable level was the biggest hurdle because it takes a while to become good at anything. Writing is often done on your own, with minimal feedback, and it’s difficult to get feedback from publishing professionals because they’re busy doing their own writing. A lot of the teachers who teach writing classes aren’t writing at a professional level yet (and maybe never will), which is WHY they teach. So I slogged along on my own for years, taking a few classes here and there, submitting work and getting rejected by editors, until finally, in my late twenties I began to sell regularly. Pros often speak of persistence being the most important quality that new writers need, and if it’s not the most vital quality, it’s up there.

Since you teach Creative Writing at Sinclair Community College, how has the teaching aspect of your life affected you as a writer?

In my case, writing professionally informs my teaching, as you might imagine, but people are often surprised to learn that it works both ways. The act of trying to understand how I do what I do, and how I can help beginning writers do it too sharpens my own understanding of how fiction works and that awareness plugs back into my own writing. It’s a wonderful cyclical process that I hope will continue throughout my career. Though it can be a bit of a challenge to get writing done when I’m grading stacks of papers.

You also wrote some media tie-in novels. What are the challenges when it comes to writing in such a field? Which are you more comfortable with, original fiction or media tie-ins?

In generally, I’m equally comfortable writing original work and tie-in work, though truthfully I’m beginning to get a bit tired of the latter. The fun challenges of tie-in work are trying to capture the feel of the world you’re writing in, and to get the voices of the characters down, if you’re using already established characters, as I did in one of my latest tie-in projects, a Stargate novel. The not-so-fun challenge for me is that I’m hemmed in by already existing parameters of the property, so I can’t let my imagination have full reign. As the years go by, I’m finally this constriction to be more difficult to deal with, and I’m considering doing fewer tie-ins in the future. Right now I have two more tie-in novels left to do on a contract for Wizards of the Coast. After that, we’ll see.

A couple of your media tie-ins are gaming related. Are you a gamer? What games do you play?

I gamed some in high school and college, but I never was a dedicated gamer, and I haven’t gamed in years. I enjoy gaming properties because of the world-building involved in them, and the story possibilities they present.

When it came to the Dragonlance books you wrote, did you have to make any adjustments to your writing style to cater to a young adult audience?

I wrote shorter, simpler sentences, shorter paragraphs, shorter chapters. All normal things you do when writing for kids. I also had to keep the level of violence down and keep the plot a bit more simple. The hardest thing was that in the Dragonlance setting, dragons are like Godzilla, and the editor insisted I have my young protagonists deal with a dragon during the story. I had to come up with a good reason why the dragon didn’t just kill my heroes with a single swipe of its claws! I managed to do it, but it wasn’t easy.

Considering you've written tons of short stories and novels, in your opinion, how have you gotten better compared to, say, five years ago? What do you think is your strongest asset these days?

My narrative voice is more assured, I think, and my prose smoother. I’ve become more versatile, too, since I’ve written fantasy, horror, science fiction, spy fiction, media tie-ins, etc. This versatility is probably my greatest asset. In general, the more versatile a writer can be, the greater the chances of his or her success. If you’re a one-trick pony you can be a success if you’re really, really good at the thing you do. Otherwise, the more tricks you know, the better.

You also have a couple of e-Books available. How is the Internet changing the life of a writer and the publishing industry?

There’s a lot of flux right now when it comes to e-publishing, with writers and publishers trying to figure out how to reach audience and make a living electronically. I think at the moment the biggest impact is the climate of uncertainty writers live in – as if this is anything new! Michael Stackpole is an example of a writer who’s been pioneering ways to create income streams from the Internet, and Douglas Clegg has used free e-serials to great advantage. Brian Keene uses his message board and general Internet presence to stay in contact with readers and draw new fans. Those are three great examples to look to in terms of the possibilities authors have when it comes to e-commerce.

Did you ever feel there's a stigma against your writing, whether it's because you're writing genre, or you're writing media tie-in books?

Sure, though there are plenty of people who think it’s cool that I write what I do. One of my colleagues read a story of mine and told me that it wasn’t exactly Hemingway, but then added “That’s not what you’re going for.” That kind of backhanded praise is more common than you might think. But mostly people have been enthusiastic and supportive of my writing.

What advice do you have for aspiring writers?

I’ve already mentioned how important persistence is. Always striving to grow, to be better today than you were yesterday is also vital. Being able to keep an open mind when it comes to feedback is also important – how else can you grow? These days, a lot of my students want to write because they love movies and comics. If you want to write prose fiction, you need to read prose fiction, a lot of it, all different types. You can’t beat the old-timers’ standard advice: read, read, read, and write, write, write.

Anything else you want to plug?

The second novel in the Nekropolis series – Dead Streets – will be out in later winter/early spring in the UK, just in time for the first novel to be released in North America. My Stargate SG1 , Valhalla, was just released, and the first volume in a new series from Wizards of the Coast called Lady Ruin will be out early in 2010.
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Monday, December 07, 2009

December 7, 2009 Links and Plugs

Congrats to the Aurealis Awards finalists.

Interviews
Advice/Articles
News
One more anthology:
Spells of the City edited by Jean Rabe and Martin H. Greenberg
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Book/Magazine Review: By Blood We Live by John Joseph Adams

Every Monday, I'll be doing bite-sized book/magazine reviews.

I wouldn't necessarily label the stories in By Blood We Live as some of the best fiction I've ever read, although there are pieces that definitely fall under that category. Rather, this anthology is more about breadth and scope. Editor John Joseph Adams compiles vampire stories of the past few decades, showcasing the various interpretations of this mythical creature from the sensual to the genuinely horrific. 36 stories are included in this book with a recommended reading list from Ross E. Lockhart, making this one of the essential tomes when it comes to vampire literature.

If one were the judge the stories individually, the experience is both impressive and underwhelming. For example, I'm conflicted with "Under St. Peter's" by Harry Turtledove. On one hand, if it was just literary technique, there's nothing spectacular about this story as Turtledove is merely competent. On the other hand, if we were to deliberate on the conceit of the piece, this story suddenly finds itself occupying an essential slot in the history of vampire fiction. But not every story in the book leaves me as hesitant. I'm amazed at how Adams uncovered old-but-powerful stories such as "The Master of Rampling Gate" by Anne Rice and "Child of an Ancient City" by Tad Williams. And then there are stories that are more along the lines of guilty pleasures rather than literary paragons such as "Finders Keepers" by L.A. Banks and "In Darkness, Angels" by Eric Van Lustbader.

Looking at By Blood We Live from a more holistic perspective however, this is a rare find because of its ambition and success. I mention success in terms of what the editor was aiming for, and the anthology does deliver when it comes to variety. There have been multiple iterations of the Western vampire and while not every interpretation is included here, Adams is quite thorough. "Exsanguinations" by Catherynne M. Valente for example is an effective post-modern piece, while John Langan gives a plausible update to the vampire mythos at the same time restoring some of the terror in "The Wide, Carnivorous Sky". Also worthy to mention are the stories where the actual vampires are merely at the periphery, but the authors nonetheless deliver something fresh and unique, such as "Abraham's Boys" by Joe Hill and "Much at Stake" by Kevin J. Anderson. From that particular perspective, even the ho-hum stories included in this book have a place. For example, I'm not really thrilled with "Foxtrot at High Noon" by Sergei Lukyaneko or "Pinecones" by David Wellington, but much like Turtledove's story, the way they represent a particular culture/concept is the basis for their inclusion.

Personally, Adams' biographical format can get in the way of judging the stories on their own terms. While I commend the author's bio at the beginning of each story, the succeeding paragraphs which describe the premise of the piece can dampen the impact. Which isn't to say that they should be omitted altogether as both the editor and the author have something valuable to say, but perhaps they could be included at the end of the story rather than preceding it.

Overall, By Blood We Live is a comprehensive anthology and exemplifies what makes Adams a talented editor: his ability to dig deep into the history of his theme, not only uncovering forgotten stories but commissioning new ones as well in order to contribute to the larger picture. And while not every story is literary, he also reminds us that a story has a place because it's fun and entertaining.
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Friday, December 04, 2009

December 4, 2009 Links and Plugs

I have an interview with Jake Black, author of The Authorized Ender Companion, over at SF Signal. (I'm trying to hit 100 interviews this year.)

Interviews
Advice/Articles
News
Some Wild Cards love:
Suicide Kings by George R. R. Martin
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Thursday, December 03, 2009

Plug: Donate and get a book

From KJ Bishop:
Alankria’s friend Ju (shuju_the_red) is in a very tight spot involving imminent eviction and a lack of ready funds due to having to bribe police to release her mother. The whole situation sounds shitty. Ju needs $US2500 (about $500 already raised) by 11am Friday, Phillippines time, 10pm Thursday America east coast time. By Philippines standards $2500 isn’t small potatoes, but as Alankria says, it’ll only take a couple hundred people donating ten bucks each to get her out of the pickle. And ’tis the season for giving.

Sam Henderson is offering a free copy of her book Heaven’s Bones if you donate $10 or more.
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December 3, 2009 Links and Plugs

Paul Di Filippo writes in to mention this Lee Brown Coye auction to help save a mural.

And there's a new issue of Expanded Horizons, with a story from Mia Tijam. (Joseph Nacino, on the other hand, just got accepted in Fantasy Magazine. It's the same story that won the 2nd Graphic/Fiction Awards so it has Neil Gaiman's stamp of approval, just so you know.)

Interviews
Advice/Articles
News
You can read the whole thing for free here. But help support the author.

Bone Shop by T.A. Pratt
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Wednesday, December 02, 2009

Feature: Translated Speculative Fiction 2009

Every Wednesday, I have an essay or feature article on any topic that catches my fancy!

I was honestly tempted to title this post "Essay: Why Stock/Inventory Articles are Important" and leave the rest of the page blank but I felt that would be cheating you guys and gals. Anyway, here are some translated genre books that have been released in 2009:

Underland Press: Debuting earlier this year, Underland Press is in many ways publishing a lot of cutting-edge fiction (just look at their catalog). One of the titles they acquired was Chaos, written by the Dutch couple Escober.

Chaos by Escober

Haikasoru: An imprint that was launched this year as well, Haikasoru (a play on "High Castle") focuses on Japanese fiction. In the past few months, they've managed to publish three novels, a short story collection, and reprinted two previous releases from its parent company, Viz. (Let's not even get started with what they have lined up for 2010.)


All You Need is Kill by Hiroshi Sakurazaka

Usurper of the Sun by Housuke Nojiri

ZOO by Otsuichi

PS Publishing: Right now, PS Publishing is pretty much the source for English translations of Zoran Živkovic's fiction. They also published Sébastien Doubinsky's novel and while I'm not sure if Doubinsky's book was translated from French (edit: not a translation), it's still worth a look.

The Bridge by Zoran Živkovic
The Writer, The Book, The Reader by Zoran Živkovic

Impossible Stories 2 by Zoran Živkovic

The Babylonian Trilogy by Sébastien Doubinsky
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December 2, 2009 Links and Plugs

Can't access it right now because my ISP is crap, but Clarion and Clarion West should now be open to applications.

Interviews
Advice/Articles
News
Clarkesworld!
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Tuesday, December 01, 2009

Interview: Steve Berman and Craig Gidney (Lethe Press)

Every Tuesday, I'll have an interview posted.

Steve Berman and Craig Gidney are the publisher and managing editor of Lethe Press.

Hi! Thanks for agreeing to do the interview. What’s the mission and vision of the company?

CLG: In Greek mythology, Lethe is the river of forgetting. Lethe Press’ mission was initially to resurrect ‘lost’ or forgotten texts—particularly works of speculative fiction, books on mythology as well gay fiction, nonfiction and poetry. The company’s output has extended, and we publish a wide range of material. It quite eclectic—from erotica to literary fiction to curious books about the history of barbers!

SB: As far as “vision”… well, I’d like to make Lethe one of the top names when a reader thinks about the field of queer speculative fiction. That’s one of the reasons I started the annual series Wilde Stories and have released books like Haunted Hearths & Sapphic Shades.

How do you decide which books to publish?

CLG: There isn’t just one answer to this question. Some books—like the erotica and some of the more commercial work—are market driven. Some books, such as the poetry book and a planned book of plays—are labors of love. And some books are just fun to work on!

SB: Part of being a small press is finding your way in the field. We’ve made many friends who happen to be writers and editors, and they often recommend work to us. Craig and I often have phone meetings to talk about what’s missing in the marketplace—whether that be more gay books by minorities, re-releasing a certain author’s work, etc...

At first glance, some readers might believe that the only books you publish are those that deal with gay interests or those by gay authors. What are the exemptions to this rule?

CLG: We have and will continue to put out books that lie outside the gay niche market—dependent, of course, on the quality of the work we receive. We recently released two orphaned speculative fiction anthologies—Spicy Slipstream Stories and Japanese Dreams—that aren’t explicitly queer, for example.

SB: We’ve released a number of folklore titles. I’m also pleased with what we’ve done so far with single author collections, such as Will Ludwigsen’s Cthulhu Fhtagn, Baby! and Other Cosmic Insolence.

In terms of speculative fiction, what forthcoming books can we expect?

SB: We have a busy autumn this year. The Haunted Heart, a collection of gay ghost stories by Jameson Currier just released. The next edition of Wilde Stories should hit shelves shortly—reprinting tales by Hal Duncan, Shaun Levin, and others. Time Well Bent, an alternative history anthology of LGBT stories edited by Connie Wilkins, releases in October.

CLG: The 2009-10 schedule is really exciting. We are publishing two short story collections by two up-and-coming authors—Livia Llewellyn’s creepy and erotic dark fantasy tales in The Engine of Desire (with an introduction by Laird Barron) and Beth Bernobich’s fantastical A Handful of Pearls. Collections are hard to sell to big presses; they are a natural fit for smaller presses. We are also starting a series, called Paragons of Queer Speculative Fiction, which will reprint classic gay spec fiction. First up is Melissa Scott’s Shadow Man.

How about titles that you’re excited about in 2010?

CLG: 2010 will see the first book in our new imprint. Tincture, which focuses on fiction by and about queer people of color. The first book is a collection of edgy, literary short stories by a talented Latino writer, Charlie Vasquez. And we're publishing Tanith Lee's gay and lesbian fiction, channeled from (and written as) French Jewish lesbian Esther Garber and her gay half brother, Egyptian Judas Garbah.

SB: I’ll go on record saying I’m excited about all the books we release.

What were some of the challenges you faced starting out? What's your biggest challenge now?

SB: Cash flow is the bane of all small presses (and probably the challenge of all entrepreneurial endeavors). When I started Lethe back in 2001, I never imagined releasing more than 2-3 books a year and now we’re averaging over twenty.

Can I ask if Lethe Press is turning in a profit or at least breaking even?

SB: We’re making a small profit. Fortunately, e-book sales and licensing hardcover rights to the InsightOut Book Club have helped the coffers.

Do you consider Lethe Press a success?

SB: If I can keep releasing books that matter, yes.

How did the imprints White Crane Books and Bear Bones Books come about?

SB: The White Crane Institute releases a magazine on gay wisdom and culture. When I began reprinting works in that field, it seemed only natural to partner with them. With Bear Bones Books, I noticed that many gay readers identify with the “bear” culture—masculine, solid proportions, homosocial—but books aimed at such readers were few and far between (gay publishing focuses on the cult of youth and beauty a bit too much). I teamed with acclaimed author and editor Ron Suresha to make sure that books for bears became a reality.

Being not just a publisher but an editor and author of both gay fiction and speculative fiction, is there an overlap between the two genres?

SB: Of course. Queer fiction focuses a great deal on being the “Other” or “Outsider.” So does speculative fiction. Imaginary worlds hold a great deal of appeal to individuals who feel oppressed and yearn to be accepted and not marginalized.

How do you manage to find the time to juggle writing, editing, and the company?

SB: I don’t. I have a day job, too, that helps pay the bills (and tries to patch some of the cash flow problems with the press). Honestly, I am way behind in my own writing. In that sense Lethe has been detrimental to my career. One of the reasons I asked Craig to help with Lethe is so I can go back to my first love, writing.

Since you’re involved in a lot of projects, I want to ask how do you “switch” hats? Like are you juggling all three roles (writer, editor, publisher) simultaneously or is there like a month where you’re focusing on the writer aspect and then a month later you focus on the editor aspect?

SB: I mostly juggle. It’s not the most efficient method, I’ll admit, but it’s nigh-impossible to devote time solely to one endeavor. I was recently away on a writing-related vacation and I still had to deal with many editorial and press-related matters despite swearing off them for two weeks. Without Craig’s assistance, I’d be lost. I’m hoping that, as the company grows, I’ll be able to transfer more tasks to Craig.

In terms of speculative fiction, you’ve edited various gay-themed speculative fiction anthologies such as So Fey and Wild Stories. How did you end up being the go-to guy for such books?

SB: I sought to combine my love for a good story—whether fantastical or horrific—with queer culture. If people consider me “the go-to guy” for such books, I’m flattered. I really want to both create and promote the best such work in that mesh of genres.

What do you look for in a story as an editor?

SB: Characters that matter, storylines that move me. Seems simple, right? But too often the author focuses on developing the plotline rather than the characters involved. I want to read fiction that affects me. I remember a number of stories in So Fey left me in tears (one of which, Joshua Lewis’s “Ever So Much More Than Twenty,” won the Gaylactic Spectrum Award for short fiction).

For actors/actresses, there’s a fear of being typecast into a certain role. Do you ever have such fears or are people asking you to work on gay-themed projects always a welcome experience?

SB: I once asked Chip Delany if I should worry about being “typecast.” He told me that, whether I like it or not, people will consider me that “Jewish writer who writes gay stuff.” So be it.

Who are some of the authors that you admire or some of your favorite books?

CLG: I love Samuel Delany, Toni Morrison, Steve Erickson (the American author), Patricia McKillip and Octavia Butler. Storm Constantine’s Wraeththu books and the obscure novels of fantasist Philip Ridley (In The Eyes Of Mr. Fury) were seminal books in my development as a writer. And I’m chuffed that I am working with Ms. Lee, as her Tales From The Flat Earth were among the first gay-friendly books I’d read.

SB: I think I read more young adult fiction these days, so my answer would be writers like Holly Black, Libba Bray, and Kris Reisz. In the field of gay writers, I think the essays of Jeff Mann are top-notch, and Rick Bowes tells the most amazing short stories. I consider Swordspoint by Ellen Kushner a perfect novel.

With all these new technologies popping up such as the Internet, how has it affected you, either as a writer, an editor, or a publisher?

SB: Inter-what? Okay, to be honest, Craig is the fellow who has been the reliable voice of Lethe lately; he Twitters and blogs. I’m a bit backwards on the social networking sites. Other technologies… hmm, well, E-books, though, have been a growing source of revenue.

What advice do you have for aspiring writers?

CLG: Now that I’m an editor, I can tell writers this: realize that editors aren’t your enemy. They really want your work to be the best it can be, and for it to sell. Publishing—as opposed to writing—is a business transaction, and must be treated as such.

SB: I think the most important tool in a writer’s kit must be a trusted critique partner or two. You have to have someone that can give you an honest appraisal of a story, and this person should not only have a vested interest in your career but also knowledge of the field (otherwise our Moms would be great critiques). A critique partner is as invaluable as a good agent—in many ways, they are like pseudo-agents, helping a writer develop.

Advice for aspiring editors?

CLG: Learn the difference between copy-editing, proofreading and ‘developmental’ editing. They all require different skill sets!

SB: For anthologists: ask yourself why there is a need for the anthology, what are your intended readers expecting (and how you can exceed these expectations), and who do I need in the book to make all this happen, because an anthology without any “names” is often quickly forgotten.

Advice for would-be publishers?

SB: Caffeine.

Anything else you want to plug?

CLG: Our production person, Toby Johnson, is really top-notch. Lethe is really blessed with finding a talented person who works tirelessly on our behalf.

SB: I cannot thank our authors enough. Jameson Currier, Catherine Lundoff, Lynne Jamneck, Lee Thomas, to name a few—have treated Lethe like a valued friend, and I am grateful for the chance to share their words.
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