Joseph Harrington
Hadara Bar-Nadav
CA Conrad
Julia Cohen
Kristin Prevallet
Leah Sewell
[
With deepest condolences to Rachel Zucker
Monday, September 30, 2013
Sunday, September 29, 2013
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
I love bookstores!
I love bookstores, especially pro-community, indie bookstores. The Raven in Lawrence is sucha bookstore, and you need to visit.
That's all for now.
That's all for now.
Thursday, September 5, 2013
Insecurties and mistakes
As the person who sends books out for a press and often compiles poetry event lists, I am often the "bad guy."
What I mean is, I get snarky remarks.
"Why can't you just send the books right away to me?"
"Why do I have to pre-pay?"
"Where are my books?"
"I can't believe you don't trust your authors, that you want payment first."
"Is this an academics-only list of readings? If so, what about the rest of us?"
I admit, I sometimes lash back.
"Please delete my [unlisted] phone number. [I'm not sure how you found it.] You called me on vacation, so I chose not to respond to your call."
"When I first joined the Press, many bookstores and authors had not paid--for more than a year."
I guess what I am saying is: I try to be understanding. I want to be compassionate, not just as a poet, a publisher-editor, or person. I want to echo what the world at rest is. Maybe we use these metaphors to find that peace?
I would like to say, I still carry the stress of that phone call from the bookstore who sent a check on Tuesday, needed the books that Friday, and still hadn't received them. She truly pulled out every emotional blackmail on me with a coarse tone: "What about those people who want to buy the book at the event? We already paid. I am too busy to come by to pick them up. We have a lot planned on our trip today."
I am just as compassionate about books, wanting to get them into others' hands. I don't get paid to work for the Press--no one on the staff does. We are a true not-for-profit, as any money regained goes to printing the next book.
I wish I could provide more, but that is how the Press runs. I want it to continue, and I don't want to be the "bad guy." I want us to be friends. I just ask for your understanding, as you know you have mine.
What I mean is, I get snarky remarks.
"Why can't you just send the books right away to me?"
"Why do I have to pre-pay?"
"Where are my books?"
"I can't believe you don't trust your authors, that you want payment first."
"Is this an academics-only list of readings? If so, what about the rest of us?"
I admit, I sometimes lash back.
"Please delete my [unlisted] phone number. [I'm not sure how you found it.] You called me on vacation, so I chose not to respond to your call."
"When I first joined the Press, many bookstores and authors had not paid--for more than a year."
I guess what I am saying is: I try to be understanding. I want to be compassionate, not just as a poet, a publisher-editor, or person. I want to echo what the world at rest is. Maybe we use these metaphors to find that peace?
I would like to say, I still carry the stress of that phone call from the bookstore who sent a check on Tuesday, needed the books that Friday, and still hadn't received them. She truly pulled out every emotional blackmail on me with a coarse tone: "What about those people who want to buy the book at the event? We already paid. I am too busy to come by to pick them up. We have a lot planned on our trip today."
I am just as compassionate about books, wanting to get them into others' hands. I don't get paid to work for the Press--no one on the staff does. We are a true not-for-profit, as any money regained goes to printing the next book.
I wish I could provide more, but that is how the Press runs. I want it to continue, and I don't want to be the "bad guy." I want us to be friends. I just ask for your understanding, as you know you have mine.
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
Thursday, August 29, 2013
Topeka and Lawrence Readings
Topeka readings
September 7, 2013
Israel Wasserstein and Nick Twemlow
Kansas Book Festival
Kansas State Capitol Building
1:30 p.m. in Room 546-S
September 16, 2013
Natalie Diaz, poetry
Washburn University
Mabee Library
4pm
September 24, 2013
Thomas Fox Averill, fiction
Washburn University
White Concert Hall
7pm
Reads from the WU iRead book Rode
November 7, 2013
Stephen Meats, fiction
Washburn University
Mabee Library
4pm
November 8, 2013
Megan Kaminski, Jim McCrary, Leah Sewell, and Jordan Stempleman, poetry
PT’s at College Hill (Flying Monkey)
7pm
[
Lawrence readings
•JONATHAN STALLING & BENJAMIN CARTWRIGHT. Lawrence. Thurs., Sept. 5, 7:30 p.m., International Room, Kansas Union, KU Campus. FREE
•STEPHANIE ANDERSON, TIMOTHY BRADFORD, CYRUS CONSOLE, & GRANT JENKINS. Lawrence. Sun., Sept. 15, 5:00 (preceded by open mic). Eighth Street Taproom (x New Hampshire).
•KATE GREENSTREET. Lawrence. Mon., Sept. 23, 7:30 p.m. Spooner Hall, KU Campus.
•DENNIS ETZEL, JR., MARY KLAYDER, & JIM STEVENS. Lawrence. Thurs., 26 Sept., 7:00 p.m. Raven Bookstore, 6 E. 7th St. FREE.
•JONATHAN MAYHEW & JORDAN STEMPLEMAN. Lawrence. Sun., 6 October, 5:00 p.m. (preceded by open mic). Eighth Street Taproom (x New Hampshire).
September 7, 2013
Israel Wasserstein and Nick Twemlow
Kansas Book Festival
Kansas State Capitol Building
1:30 p.m. in Room 546-S
September 16, 2013
Natalie Diaz, poetry
Washburn University
Mabee Library
4pm
September 24, 2013
Thomas Fox Averill, fiction
Washburn University
White Concert Hall
7pm
Reads from the WU iRead book Rode
November 7, 2013
Stephen Meats, fiction
Washburn University
Mabee Library
4pm
November 8, 2013
Megan Kaminski, Jim McCrary, Leah Sewell, and Jordan Stempleman, poetry
PT’s at College Hill (Flying Monkey)
7pm
[
Lawrence readings
•JONATHAN STALLING & BENJAMIN CARTWRIGHT. Lawrence. Thurs., Sept. 5, 7:30 p.m., International Room, Kansas Union, KU Campus. FREE
•STEPHANIE ANDERSON, TIMOTHY BRADFORD, CYRUS CONSOLE, & GRANT JENKINS. Lawrence. Sun., Sept. 15, 5:00 (preceded by open mic). Eighth Street Taproom (x New Hampshire).
•KATE GREENSTREET. Lawrence. Mon., Sept. 23, 7:30 p.m. Spooner Hall, KU Campus.
•DENNIS ETZEL, JR., MARY KLAYDER, & JIM STEVENS. Lawrence. Thurs., 26 Sept., 7:00 p.m. Raven Bookstore, 6 E. 7th St. FREE.
•JONATHAN MAYHEW & JORDAN STEMPLEMAN. Lawrence. Sun., 6 October, 5:00 p.m. (preceded by open mic). Eighth Street Taproom (x New Hampshire).
Friday, August 23, 2013
About publishing
From a Woodley author:
Hearing from people that they have bought my book from Amazon, but [ ] told me Woodley Authors don't get any of the money for that. Can you explain how that works? About 20 people, so far, I'm estimating, have said they gotta book from someplace besides me. I'm honored that they got all Motivated but still, it would be nice to see that dough.
[
Yes--the dough from booksales. Amazon.com makes their money, even with a 6% online discount, because they get some kind of percentage break from Ingrams--the book distributor. Ingrams set up Lightning Source as a subsidiary to keep the money in-house when a book is needed. Woodley uses Lightning Source as an inexpensive way to publish books. That means amazon.com says they need books from Ingrams at a special percentage rate off the cover, Ingrams tells Lightning Source to print the books, Woodley is paid by Lightning Source per copy sold, which is discounted rate minus publishing cost, which is usually a dollar. Woodley uses this money to offset the setup cost of the author's book. In other words, Woodley can't publish an author unless it has the funding to setup a title, order a proof, etc.
On another note, since Woodley is a special non-profit organization interested in getting awesome Kansas poets and writers out there, we also feel the author should make some money out of it. That is why we give the free copies of the book, as well as a 40% discount to the author and bookstores.
Sadly, when bookstores sell your book, they make the 40% of the cover price.
However, I've heard Barnes & Noble cuts a check for 80% of the book price after a reading.
Another note about us who work for Woodley: as Woodley is very not-for-profit, none of us get paid. Really, it is a love for working with a Press and seeing amazing authors get published in a competative publishing world.
I hope this helps,
Dennis
Hearing from people that they have bought my book from Amazon, but [ ] told me Woodley Authors don't get any of the money for that. Can you explain how that works? About 20 people, so far, I'm estimating, have said they gotta book from someplace besides me. I'm honored that they got all Motivated but still, it would be nice to see that dough.
[
Yes--the dough from booksales. Amazon.com makes their money, even with a 6% online discount, because they get some kind of percentage break from Ingrams--the book distributor. Ingrams set up Lightning Source as a subsidiary to keep the money in-house when a book is needed. Woodley uses Lightning Source as an inexpensive way to publish books. That means amazon.com says they need books from Ingrams at a special percentage rate off the cover, Ingrams tells Lightning Source to print the books, Woodley is paid by Lightning Source per copy sold, which is discounted rate minus publishing cost, which is usually a dollar. Woodley uses this money to offset the setup cost of the author's book. In other words, Woodley can't publish an author unless it has the funding to setup a title, order a proof, etc.
On another note, since Woodley is a special non-profit organization interested in getting awesome Kansas poets and writers out there, we also feel the author should make some money out of it. That is why we give the free copies of the book, as well as a 40% discount to the author and bookstores.
Sadly, when bookstores sell your book, they make the 40% of the cover price.
However, I've heard Barnes & Noble cuts a check for 80% of the book price after a reading.
Another note about us who work for Woodley: as Woodley is very not-for-profit, none of us get paid. Really, it is a love for working with a Press and seeing amazing authors get published in a competative publishing world.
I hope this helps,
Dennis
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