The Publishing Genius Community
> TL;DR
The gist of the screenshot from Threads is that bringing books into the world is just part of what Publishing Genius is all about. We also want to participate in the larger creative community, to share what we’re thinking about and hear about what others are doing.
What Kind of Community Activities?
The first thing will be what I call “Lunch with an Editor,” semi-regular meetups. They’ll be brown bag events to discuss developments and approaches in the publishing world, what you’re reading, or even your current project—things like that. We can share inspiration / ideas / frustrations. Bring a work-in-progress and we’ll pony up a tiny amount of feedback, if it feels natural. Be sure to follow @pubgen on Instagram for announcements.
Someday we might offer craft courses, design how-tos, and accountability groups to finish your manuscript—things like that. I also want to have an in-person retreat in the Adirondacks, not to mention a reading series at our (soon-to-be) bookstore (eke!).
These initial events will take place on Zoom or Instagram Live, or something else … weigh in on that question below. We’ll just get together and shoot the breeze. I’m having so many fun conversations with so many creative people lately, and I think it’d be nice to open them up to the world.
Tuesday
Nov. 7
1:30pm Eastern
Instagram Live
Lunch with an Editor: Kevin Sampsell from Future Tense Books
“Lunch with an Editor” is a virtual brown-bag session for those interested in what’s behind the scenes of writing and publishing. During the IG Live, PG founder Adam Robinson converse with other movers and shakers from the writing community about everything from practical publishing stuff (with a lens to how it helps writers), and back stories that would even be interesting to people who aren’t trying to go deep “inside baseball” about the lit world.
Kevin Sampsell stands as a pivotal figure in the literary landscape, recognized both for his own writings and his foundational role at Future Tense Books. Through Future Tense, he has brought out important books by a myriad of emerging voices, including notable writers like Chelsea Martin, Wendy C. Ortiz, and Shane Allison. Beyond his publishing pursuits, which have been active for three decades, Sampsell is a longtime employee at Powell’s, the iconic bookstore in Portland. And his own books include A Common Pornography and This Is Between Us. With his comprehensive experience spanning both writing and publishing, attendees of the “Lunch with an Editor” session are in for valuable insights and discussions.
Help wanted!
Publishing Genius needs help as we step up the game for 2024 and beyond. If you’d like to work (in a rewarding but) unpaid volunteer position with an increasingly active literary publisher, please email me.
Then I won’t have to use AI generated photos like << that one.