Well, hello there.
We’ve made a few changes over here at the old press and thought it might a good time to launch a publishing blog.
We know, we know: It’s a super original idea. But, hey, we're a progressive bunch here, looking to push the boundaries whenever possible. So we thought to ourselves: Selves, why not be a pioneer for the industry? Why not share freely of your great talents and wisdom? Especially when there are so few dedicated book-publishing blogs out there.*
Ahem.
So anyway, for those unfamiliar: Brown Paper Press is still brand-spanking-new in the grand scheme of things, having been founded three-and-a-half years ago by two people with zero publishing experience. Industry forerunners we are not. But, to be honest, that’s kind of the point.
Ever since we heard the first (and best) season of Gimlet Media’s “Startup,” podcast—which launched a month after we did—we've been fascinated with trials and tribulations of startup business ventures. Most folks share their struggles publicly only after they’ve overcome them, so listening to people try to punch through walls in real time seems at once refreshing and kind of brave.
Brown Paper Press has punched through some serious walls in the last three years. But there are plenty more where those came from—and the walls are bigger now, and stronger.
So let's see where this takes us, shall we? We'll pull back the curtain a bit, share with you our minor epiphanies and major hurdles, along with all the food for thought we can muster. Every week, you'll find lists of our "favorites" (in myriad categories), interviews with authors (both ours and ones we wish were ours), access to extra content (and freebies), and a feature we're calling Long Beach Reads—which we hope will help highlight the busy intersection between literature and Long Beach (our adopted hometown and, in at least a few ways, the best place on Earth.)
And the best part of it all? We'll bring you all this goodness, and you can sit there and do nothing.
(God, you guys are lazy.)
* Besides this one and this one and this one and this one and this one and this one... and this one... and this one and this one... and some other ones. But that's it. It's virtually an empty niche.