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Bascomb James
Author | Scientist | Science Fiction Fan

A New Gig - Pushpin Books

4/9/2016

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As some of you may know, I’ve started a new venture--Pushpin Books, a small press dedicated to publishing short speculative fiction. In a world dominated by novels and novelists, short speculative fiction stories sometimes appear to be the unloved stepchildren trying to find a place in the world. This is especially true for longer stories, stories in the 5,000 to 12,000 word range. I personally like this story length because it allows the author to create more nuanced worlds and characters while embracing the short form. These are the stories I want to publish.

I know I’m swimming against the current on this one. The voice of experience tells me that anthologies aren't big sellers and the oxymoronically-labeled long short story is arguably one of the most unloved forms in the publishing family. While these observations may be true for traditional publishers, I’m not a traditionalist and I plan to experiment with business models and marketing approaches to create platforms that work for my publishing niche--short stories.
 
My initial goals are modest--publish one Far Orbit science fiction anthology per year. Along the way, I’ll be experimenting with single-story publishing and creating themed short story collections. To help me move forward more quickly, I hired publishing consultant Eileen Wiedbrauk to handle book building and cover designs. She also created our logo and custom web page.  Eileen was the editor-in-chief of Worldweaver Press for four years.

Well, that’s the big news for now. I'm still available for guest editor gigs and other freelance publishing activities, but Pushpin Books is my new WIP.  You can follow the the travails of the little pushpin that could on our website, and twitter feeds.  It's gonna be fun!
 
Twitter: @pushpinbooks 
Website: http://www.pushpinbooks.com

Eileen's Contact Information
Twitter: @eileenwiedbrauk
Webpage:  eileenwiedbrauk.com/publishing-consultant.html
Email: eileen.designs.books@gmail.com  


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Inspiration… perspiration… exhilaration…

4/16/2014

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It’s great to see everything come together – all the pieces and parts, edits and responses, contracts, art, and design. You can imagine the waves of satisfaction and exhilaration that come from holding a book, your book, for the first time. Trust me; this feeling is not diminished by repetition. 

The Far Orbit anthology is special book for me. With my previous books, I participated only as an author and editor. I sent the manuscript off to the publisher and after a little backing and forthing, a finished textbook was available for purchase. 

With the Far Orbit anthology, I was also involved in the “behind the scenes” activities. When I look at this book, I see a wonderful amalgamation of a thousand and one individual details that make up this deceptively simple whole. 

I have always appreciated the technical skills and artistry of authors and storytellers. I am starting to appreciate the skill and artistry of the publishers who give our carefully arranged electrons shape and form. Thank you for your service. 

Other Far Orbit posts featured on this blog:

Musings on NASA’s Asteroid Retrieval Project  and Sam Kepfield’s “Open for Business”
Bear Essentials by Julie Frost
Composition in Death Minor by K.G. Jewell
Spaceman Barbecue by Peter Wood
Far Orbit Interview on SciFi4Me.com
Great News from Sporadic Reviews!
Guest Blog on Fantasy Café (they wanted to hear about Grand Tradition SciFi
Good Choice Reading Interviews Far Orbit Authors Tracy Canfield, Jacob Drud, and Kat Otis
My intro for the Far Orbit Anthology
Launch Day!!!
Inspiration… perspiration… exhilaration…  

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