This week on the People’s Guide to Publishing podcast, Joe and Elly tackle the question that many would-be writers have but may not want to ask: What to even write about?
It’s a good follow-up to last week’s episode about how to build a career as a writer.
Outsider artist and punk musician Tim Kerr brings his unique view of the world and the people around him to life in this new painting and photography collection from Don Giovanni Records, distributed by Microcosm. The raw feeling and wry outlook in these images will appeal to fans of Mostly True and anyone who’s wondered what the spirit of DIY punk would look like through the lens of a camera.
Hello Cleveland unlocks the hidden, larger-than life history and culture of Cleveland, Ohio, possibly the country’s most misunderstood city. Locals, visitors, transplants, and people—who moved away as soon as they could—will gain a well-rounded picture of the city’s passionate pursuits, dark corners, dubious claims to fame, and disarmingly friendly culture. Nick Perry, who grew up in Cleveland and then moved back as an adult, invites you to join him in taking a loving, brutally honest look under the hood. Develop an appreciation for local celebrities like Devo, Bone Thugs & Harmony, Lil’ John and Big Chuck, and Dick Goddard the weather guy. Marvel at landmarks like the Great Lakes, the Metroparks, and the world’s largest outdoor chandelier. There are plenty of downsides and none are sugarcoated. You’ll discover why Cleveland is the reason for the creation of the Environmental Protection Act and how it’s largely to blame for the widespread adoption of suburban city planning. But you can still find a heartwarming pride in rooting for sports teams that seem cursed to lose every championship. As the city’s unofficial slogan says, “You’ve got to be tough,” but there’s a lot to love—especially when the world-famous Cleveland Orchestra wanders into the dive bar you’re sitting in and starts to play an impromptu concert.
Speak In Tongues was a freewheeling, community-run underground music venue in Cleveland, Ohio that operated on a do-it-yourself basis throughout the late 1990s. The venue fostered a flourishing creative culture, where you could enjoy a puppet show from a spray-painted couch or meet other punks to start a band or a movement, but was also smoothly run with a great sound system and the best curation of music that you could hear in the city during its tenure. On any given night, you could go see hardcore punk, experimental jazz, or thrash shows where fireworks were set off inside the building. Traveling bands regularly booked shows there, including ones that went on to greater fame, like Modest Mouse, Avail, Lifter Puller, Jimmy Eat World, Alkaline Trio, Milemarker, and J Church.Venue operators, and later a management collective, contended with police surveillance, skinheads with knives, an exploding oil drum full of raw meat, a flaming car, and a different number of riots depending on who you ask. There may not have been a bar, but a healthy BYOB policy ensures that everyone’s memory is different, resulting in an entertaining story of a place that truly was what you made it, the source of lifelong friendships and endless lore. This comprehensive oral history tells a story that is greater than the sum of each person’s recollections, forming a picture of a unique, weird, special place that deeply informed the next twenty years of Cleveland’s underground culture.
Sometimes we’re on the sidelines, really looking forward to a book coming out. And then it doesn’t. Why? Is it censorship? Ideological differences? Did the market change? Did the author die? Is it something else? People’s Guide to Publishing podcast, Joe and Elly take a look at some of the reasons publishers pull the plug on some books, despite everyone’s intentions and common goals.
This week on the People’s Guide to Publishing podcast, Joe and Elly tackle a common, usually fraught question among authors and publishers: If you want out of a book contract, how can you cancel it? The answer depends on the contract itself and we dive right into the hows and whys of it.
This week on the People’s Guide to Publishing podcast, we talk about one of the most serious aspects of growth—training new people into the publishing industry and your own company’s processes! We talk about making sure people understand the goals and big picture, investing the time it really takes to train and manage someone, giving people space to make mistakes and learn from them, and what you can learn from your new workers and their fresh view of your processes.
This week’s People’s Guide to Publishing podcast tackles one of the more glamorous and high-class aspects of the publishing industry: receiving pallets! This is the good stuff and we know this is what you’re in it for. Watch or listen and Joe and Elly get into the very basics of freight shipping and walk you through the steps of receiving a pallet of books at your warehouse or in front of your house or apartment or whatever hijinks you are up to. We go through how to prepare, what to expect, negotiating with the driver and your possibly miffed neighbors, and what to do if there’s been damage or a mistake.
This week on the People’s Guide to Publishing podcast, Joe and Elly answer a question from someone who wonders if they can act as their own agent. It’s a legit question, especially since a lot of major publishing houses and imprints (though not all!) only accept agented submissions. How can you get around this requirement? Or should you even try? Only you can decide that, but we have fun discussing the processes and issues involved.
Deepen and improve your communication in your intimate relationships with these simple, accessible, inclusive cards designed to help couples learn about each other and spark conversations and closeness. Open-ended card prompts are divided into three categories: Hot & Juicy cards provide erotic prompts, like “What turns me on just thinking about is…”. Sweet & Cozy cards invite you to voice your appreciation, with statements like, “Little things you do that make me smile are…” And Brave & Edgy cards invite vulnerability, as in “One of the hardest moments in our relationship was…”. Inspired by the practices of Authentic Relating and vulnerability, these cards are an effective and playful way to support the healthy relationship maintenance for couples of all genders and sexual orientations. Perfect for bonding at home, on road trips, or for use in therapy sessions. Packaged in an attractive two-piece gift box.