First, there are some hugely generous poets in the blogosphere, and that in itself is enough to make a singing day and a great blog post. But there’s more: those poets are also willing to put themselves out to try something new, and I don’t just mean in their writing, but also where po-biz procedures and process and ways and means are concerned.
And surely poetry and the po-biz need just that, on a regular basis – something new.
So three millions cheers and applause well past the middle of next week for you guys. You know who you are.
Second, following my general appeal last week, so generously amplified by Reb Livingston, my manuscript in search of an editor (not a publisher) struck gold.
Jill Alexander Essbaum has agreed to edit it for me!!!
I’m still totally walking around in a daze at my good fortune. As everyone knows (or should know), Jill is the author of Harlot (published by NoTell Books), a Best American Poetry contributor and a total genius at fusing sex and religion in her poetry. She was asked (by Reb) in this interview: Christian spirituality and hot steamy sex. Explain how these two great tastes go together. Check out Jill’s response. Also check out her No Tell Motel poem series (there are ten of them – my favorite is definitely Judas Hausfrau). Jill is also currently the featured poet at Steve Schroeder’s Anti-.
I mean, am I lucky, or what!
On a practical level, this is what we have agreed so far (jump in if I miss anything, Jill):
- Assuming everything works out as we hope, the publication will come out in both our names – Poems by Nic Sebastian; Edited by Jill Alexander Essbaum.
- Jill will focus on editing and I will focus on all the leg/foot-work associated with publishing – design, publication, marketing, etc. using a POD service, probably Lulu.
- Whatever (IF-ever) profits resulting from sales: I had suggested that we donate all profits to a non-profit poetry cause, but Jill had a better idea and suggested that we should pass on any (IF-any) profits to help out the next poet-and-editor who collaborate to publish a manuscript using the Essbaum-Sebastian Nanopress model.
Next steps: At the moment I’m steeped in overhauling the manuscript and will get it to Jill over the next few days. And now I know I’m getting it ready for a real actual person I know who is a real actual serious poet I’m having second thoughts by the mega-bushel and am all what the hell was I thinking, she’s going to hate it, I’ll be exposed as a loser fake ersatz-poet and all these poems suck, suck, suck!
But I’d better stop bleating and end by thanking Jill – and those heroic others who also offered to help – a great, great thanking. As I said, those offers in themselves are enough to make a singing day and a great blog post, never mind the rest of it. Bless you all.
Valerie Loveland said,
September 4, 2008 at 5:28 am
How exciting! Congrats!
verylikeawhale said,
September 4, 2008 at 10:48 am
Thanks, Valerie — it is!!
Jill said,
September 4, 2008 at 1:56 pm
Consider Jill thanked, Nic– and stoked, and excited to be a part of this process, and proud and etcetera and et all and ibid and und so weiter and all of the above!
helenl said,
September 4, 2008 at 5:17 pm
Very nice work, Nic. Way to go. I wish you well in this and all future ventures.
Mel said,
September 4, 2008 at 6:45 pm
Nic, you are so fortunate to work with Jill! In this multidimensional versisphere, she is goddess of the innosensual. I look forward to the work you bear together.
verylikeawhale said,
September 4, 2008 at 9:13 pm
Thank you, Helen; thank you, Mel. I keep pinching myself!
Rob said,
September 4, 2008 at 10:37 pm
I’ll look forward to reading the results, Nic. All the best for it.
verylikeawhale said,
September 5, 2008 at 12:58 am
Rob: means a lot to me to hear from you on this. Thanks!
Glenn I said,
September 5, 2008 at 5:23 am
a beautiful loser, a genuine fake, an ersatz error
verylikeawhale said,
September 5, 2008 at 6:25 am
Thanks, Glenn!
Andrew Shields said,
September 5, 2008 at 4:08 pm
Where can we order the book?
verylikeawhale said,
September 6, 2008 at 6:13 am
You’re a star, Andrew! Will definitely let you know!
Andrew Shields said,
September 6, 2008 at 9:04 am
I’d be willing to pay for it in advance. Cf. Kristin Hersh’s website:
http://kristinhersh.cashmusic.org/
Brian Salchert said,
September 6, 2008 at 4:51 pm
No need to respond, but congratulations.
verylikeawhale said,
September 7, 2008 at 1:38 pm
Hm, thanks, Andrew. That model raises lots of good questions which demand good answers.
Brian — Thanks, appreciate your stopping by, always good to hear from you.
skinning a goat « Very Like A Whale said,
September 14, 2008 at 10:41 am
[...] demand have developed, those options have become more plentiful and varied, and lots of power to that trend, of course, but I agree with Leslie that knocking one methodology or another is unhelpful to the [...]
presses and a nanopress « Very Like A Whale said,
February 2, 2009 at 8:45 am
[...] gestation for the Essbaum-Sebastian Nanopress and new publishing model continues simmeringly and with much promise. I’ll be blogging an [...]