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Jonathan Evison has something to say

By Jason Chambers

All this recent bet-hedging in the publishing arena makes me want to get dangerous with my literature. It makes me want to read and write books that only the most fearless editor would ever dare to publish, and only the most uncompromising writer would ever endeavor–at the risk of starving their family– to write. Whether you’re talking about narrative decisions or acquisitions, nothing is worse for literature than safe choices. The closer you get to the sure-thing, the bigger turd you’re bound to unleash on the world. And I fully expect a steady diet of turds from the big houses in the coming years unless they decide to get dangerous (and I don’t mean fiscally irresponsible). Thus, I begin my tenure as the fourth of ‘three guys’ with a challenge to corporate publishers: bring me something dangerous. Bring me something that demands to be read. Send me a galley that will insinuate itself to the top of my impossible pile not because of a marketing push, or a big print run, but because the writing is viral and the word-of-mouth cannot be stopped. Then I’ll have my intern read it.


March 9th, 2009 | Category: Reviews
  • Linda

    Uh, your challenge sounds… radical. Might scare the bean-counters. And besides, I thought that was what small presses were for: to publish literature that takes risks. No, to just publish literature. Am I wrong here? Peace, Linda

  • Linda

    Uh, your challenge sounds… radical. Might scare the bean-counters. And besides, I thought that was what small presses were for: to publish literature that takes risks. No, to just publish literature. Am I wrong here? Peace, Linda

  • Jonathan Evison

    . . . scaring bean counters sounds like a lot of fun! . . .

  • Jonathan Evison

    . . . scaring bean counters sounds like a lot of fun! . . .

  • Richard Nash

    The irony is that there’s money to be made, doing what you propose.

  • Richard Nash

    The irony is that there’s money to be made, doing what you propose.

  • josie

    Beans are soooo last century. I agree with you J-man, time to step it up a notch and break from the mold. The big houses that do this will set the direction and pace for the field as we come out of this slump. The ones who take up your challenge will reap great rewards . . . and so will the readers!

  • josie

    Beans are soooo last century. I agree with you J-man, time to step it up a notch and break from the mold. The big houses that do this will set the direction and pace for the field as we come out of this slump. The ones who take up your challenge will reap great rewards . . . and so will the readers!

  • Jonathan Evison

    . . . ricardo should know, since he just led soft skull to their best year ever–in the worst possible climate! . . . harper collins should offer him his own imprint . . .

    . . . agreed on all counts, josie!

  • Jonathan Evison

    . . . ricardo should know, since he just led soft skull to their best year ever–in the worst possible climate! . . . harper collins should offer him his own imprint . . . . . . agreed on all counts, josie!

  • harold hollingsworth

    now I envision a stage dive right into the suits, and wanting it to be a variable of a punk show at the Key Arena. I’d love to see it in other words!

  • harold hollingsworth

    now I envision a stage dive right into the suits, and wanting it to be a variable of a punk show at the Key Arena. I’d love to see it in other words!

  • Jonathan Evison

    . . . i hope you’re there to catch me, double-h!

  • Jonathan Evison

    . . . i hope you’re there to catch me, double-h!

  • Dennis O’Reilly

    Can’t wait to read your first review.

  • Dennis O’Reilly

    Can’t wait to read your first review.

  • aaaaaaron

    I look forward to a literature rebellion. Web 2.0 is dismantling the old school hold on what writing is literature, and what literature gets distributed. The publishers that are taking risks are the ones that deserve to survive.

  • aaaaaaron

    I look forward to a literature rebellion. Web 2.0 is dismantling the old school hold on what writing is literature, and what literature gets distributed. The publishers that are taking risks are the ones that deserve to survive.

  • Jonathan Evison

    . . . yes, i’ll be interested to see if any of the big houses send us something dangerous!

    . . . and aaron, i agree, the risk-takers are the ones who will survive!

  • Jonathan Evison

    . . . yes, i’ll be interested to see if any of the big houses send us something dangerous! . . . and aaron, i agree, the risk-takers are the ones who will survive!

  • James P. Othmer

    After you save publishing, I’d like you to move on to music, newspapers, micro-breweries and baseball. Not necessarily in that order.

  • James P. Othmer

    After you save publishing, I’d like you to move on to music, newspapers, micro-breweries and baseball. Not necessarily in that order.

  • Jonathan Evison

    . . .ha! well, knowing me, jimbo, i think you can guess the order!

  • Jonathan Evison

    . . .ha! well, knowing me, jimbo, i think you can guess the order!

  • Tammy Allen

    I’m not much of a publishing expert so I’ll say let’s save beer.

    Congrats on your Westcoast blogging POV.

    BUNNIES

  • Tammy Allen

    I’m not much of a publishing expert so I’ll say let’s save beer.Congrats on your Westcoast blogging POV.BUNNIES

  • Jonathan Evison

    . . . yes, beer– i’m already saving it (when i’m not drinking my stores) . . .

  • Jonathan Evison

    . . . yes, beer– i’m already saving it (when i’m not drinking my stores) . . .

  • Drinks with Tony

    there’s been so much …dreary… and a sense of doom in the publishing world b/c big houses are laying off and everyone’s worried.

    i like your challenge. there has been too much safety…too much ‘what if i offend _____?’ …too much six and seven figure advances to intense mediocrity.

    as writers we have to keep up with what’s going on in the publishing industry…and it’s also our responsibility to redefine it.

    then again, health insurance is good to have and my teeth are rotting out of my head.

  • Drinks with Tony

    there’s been so much …dreary… and a sense of doom in the publishing world b/c big houses are laying off and everyone’s worried.i like your challenge. there has been too much safety…too much ‘what if i offend _____?’ …too much six and seven figure advances to intense mediocrity.as writers we have to keep up with what’s going on in the publishing industry…and it’s also our responsibility to redefine it.then again, health insurance is good to have and my teeth are rotting out of my head.

  • Jonathan Evison

    . . . traditionally, it seems to me that the writer was the once informing the zeitgeist and determining what was of social relevance . . .somewhere along the line the marketing folks took over . . . and don’t get me wrong, i have a lot of respect for good marketers . . .but they strike me as ‘how’ people more than ‘what’ people . . . btw, congrats on the book offer, tony!

  • Jonathan Evison

    . . . traditionally, it seems to me that the writer was the once informing the zeitgeist and determining what was of social relevance . . .somewhere along the line the marketing folks took over . . . and don’t get me wrong, i have a lot of respect for good marketers . . .but they strike me as ‘how’ people more than ‘what’ people . . . btw, congrats on the book offer, tony!

  • Zohar

    I like your challenge! I wrote a book that is a mix of poetry, prose and nonfiction with a strong story line.

    I have had the honor of meeting many editors who all tell me the same thing without even reading the script: a book that you can not place on one shelf, (two max,) at Barnes and Nobles will not get published… sad case of oligarchy, a small number of companies own everything in the world: from books to laundry detergent.

  • Zohar

    I like your challenge! I wrote a book that is a mix of poetry, prose and nonfiction with a strong story line. I have had the honor of meeting many editors who all tell me the same thing without even reading the script: a book that you can not place on one shelf, (two max,) at Barnes and Nobles will not get published… sad case of oligarchy, a small number of companies own everything in the world: from books to laundry detergent.

  • Jonathan Evison

    . . . hmmm, seems to me that moby dick had a number of narrative elements (poetry, essay, fiction)– and that one's probably in a few b&n's!

  • Jonathan Evison

    . . . hmmm, seems to me that moby dick had a number of narrative elements (poetry, essay, fiction)– and that one's probably in a few b&n's!

  • Zohar

    That was Moby Dick in Moby Dick’s time. You heard of the casablanca project? The script Casablanca submitted now gets rejected left and right… it is actually really funny. or about Jane Austen’s work getting rejected or the booker prize winners of the 70′s resubmitting now, and their sordid tale ;)

    http://www.museumofhoaxes.com/hoax/weblog/comments/4651/

    http://www.museumofhoaxes.com/hoax/Hoaxipedia/Casablanca_Rejected/

    http://www.museumofhoaxes.com/hoax/weblog/permalink/publishers_reject_booker_prize_winners/

    Regardless, I hope you are right and the information I received is wrong. Optimism, perseverance and talent are everything in writing.

  • Zohar

    That was Moby Dick in Moby Dick’s time. You heard of the casablanca project? The script Casablanca submitted now gets rejected left and right… it is actually really funny. or about Jane Austen’s work getting rejected or the booker prize winners of the 70′s resubmitting now, and their sordid tale ;) http://www.museumofhoaxes.com/hoax/weblog/comments/4651/ http://www.museumofhoaxes.com/hoax/Hoaxipedia/Casablanca_Rejected/ http://www.museumofhoaxes.com/hoax/weblog/permalink/publishers_reject_booker_prize_winners/Regardless, I hope you are right and the information I received is wrong. Optimism, perseverance and talent are everything in writing.

  • Jonathan Evison

    . . .yes, i remember hearing how the great gatsby was rejected twenty-odd times, once by the publisher who was already slated to publish it . . .one editor is purported to have told fitz something along lines of: get rid of that gatsby character, and you might have something . . . also heard about the grapes of wrath being submitted to a bunch of houses some years back and getting universally rejected . . .my question: how the fuck did any of those editors not recognize the grapes of wrath? i mean, even if you hadn’t read it, at some point aren’t you going: hmmm, dustbowl, okies, joad family, why does this sound so familiar?

  • Jonathan Evison

    . . .yes, i remember hearing how the great gatsby was rejected twenty-odd times, once by the publisher who was already slated to publish it . . .one editor is purported to have told fitz something along lines of: get rid of that gatsby character, and you might have something . . . also heard about the grapes of wrath being submitted to a bunch of houses some years back and getting universally rejected . . .my question: how the fuck did any of those editors not recognize the grapes of wrath? i mean, even if you hadn’t read it, at some point aren’t you going: hmmm, dustbowl, okies, joad family, why does this sound so familiar?