Following up on previous interviews with Sara Juday at Alaska Northwest Books and Barbara Farris at 40 Below Ink, we’re launching a mini-series on small and regional presses that feature Alaskan books. Today’s post brings an update on 40 Below Ink. Watch for more publisher interviews in the coming weeks.
Tell us about your company. Who started it? Why? Which books were among the first you published? What niche do you hold in the marketplace?
40 Below Ink started in October of 2008. Our niche is Alaska, as told by Alaskan writers.
What are some of your best-selling titles? Has there been a shift in what readers expect and which Alaskan authors/books do well?
We’re getting ready to publish our first book this year. It is a comedic mystery set in Fairbanks, Alaska.
How many books do you typically publish each year? In which genres? Over the years, what kinds of changes have you made to your list?
We hope to publish two books next year and go up from there. Genres include contemporary fiction and humorous non-fiction about life in Alaska.
Describe your ideal author. In other words, if one of us wanted to wow you with a proposed project, how would we do it?
Good writing. I can’t say it enough. People need to edit their work at least 28 times and have l2 friends read it before submitting to agents or publishers.
Originality is second on my list. Humor is third.
My favorite book at the moment is The Marriage of True Minds by Stephen Evans.
The economy has hit publishing hard. Are you seeing any encouraging signs? What is the future for small and regional publishers?
The future seems to be in smaller print runs and the eBook market.
What do you most want to communicate to readers about your books and to writers about submissions?
We want our books to be fun and to show off Alaska. We’ve lined up our next three books and these are all comedic mysteries showing the quirky side of life in Alaska.