Dianne White

Today, I’m excited to talk with Stephen Roxburgh, founder of namelos, about Nancy Bo Flood‘s beautifully written debut YA novel, WARRIORS IN THE CROSSFIRE. Nancy and I met at Vermont College of Fine Arts and it was there, in a workshop led by Marion Dane Bauer, that Nancy first began to revise WARRIORS.

DW: WARRIORS IN THE CROSSFIRE is a book you acquired while in your position as publisher of Boyds Mills Press.  In an interview on Cynsations, you said, “I love publishing first novels, and we always have one or two on our list.”  In fact, WARRIORS was one such book.

While many editors and publishers are hard put to quantify what piques their interest when reading a new submission, what elements of WARRIORS drew you to this particular manuscript and the decision to publish a first-time novelist?

SR: Initially the book came to my attention by way of my wife, Carolyn Coman, who knew Nancy from when she attended one of the Whole Novel Workshops Carolyn runs for the Highlights Foundation. I read the manuscript and immediately recognized its potential. In particular I was dawn to the subject, which struck me as fresh and exciting, and the voice, which is Nancy’s forte. At the time I don’t recall knowing it was Nancy’s first novel, but when I discovered that it was, I was delighted.

DW: You wrote a fascinating article in School Library Journal (“Literature in translation can break down barriers between cultures. So why is our nation so resistant?”, Jan. 1, 2004) about the difficulty of publishing literature in translation and the irony of such, given the emphasis in educational circles on “multiculturalism” and multicultural literature.

photo credit: Knexon

WARRIORS IN THE CROSSFIRE, though not a book in translation, is a book about a time and place – Saipan during World War II – that is largely, to my knowledge, unexplored in children’s fiction and unfamiliar to many.

Much has been made of the care authors need to take when exploring cultures that are not their own.  Though not a native herself, Nancy came to this book and her topic with the utmost respect for the people of Saipan and their culture and only after having spent ten years living among the people, many who have become life-long friends.

In fact, it was one of these friends, Mr. Felipe I. Ruak, Reilighman, who asked Nancy to tell this story, in large part, his story, with his knowledge and blessing.

What do you say to those who would argue that no one BUT a person of Rafalawash and Rapaganor heritage has the right to tell such a story?

SR: I would say they are mistaken. The argument is old and tired, having been applied to a wide array of cultures and heritages. If a writer brings knowledge, respect, insight, and skill to the story, it will be good and true. Those are the criteria that count.

DW: In the same Cynsations interview referenced above you wrote, “My job is to make sure that we publish authors, not books.”  In a time when publishers and publishing houses are transitioning away from, if not entirely redefining, the way business is currently carried on, this is a comforting assurance.

Your latest venture, namelos, allows you to approach the business of editing and publishing books in a way that honors this commitment.  In fact, Nancy’s next book, NO NAME BABY, will be among the first published by namelos and was, in fact, one that Nancy brought to your Highlights Founder’s Workshop.

As an editor and businessman, can you talk about the overlap of the namelos and Highlights workshop models and how these two have the potential to be a win-win for both author and editor?

SR: First and foremost, I am an editor. I help writers and artists make their work the best it can be. The Highlights Foundation Founders Workshops are an ideal environment for the author/editor process because they are disconnected from the business complications that often distract authors and editors and publishers. Out of those relatively pristine encounters, I have gone on to edit and publish a number of writers and I have found that the business relationship is strengthened by our having working together beforehand. It’s a bit like dating before marriage to see if you are simpatico.

DW: You’ve talked about the namelos publishing venture on your blog and addressed many of the questions/fears authors have about this new format.  Readers interested in learning more can look to your January 2010 posts.  It there anything additional to add now that the first namelos book, POD, by Stephen Wallenfels is out?

SR: Yes, I can add that we are having a really good time. Exciting things are happening with the book and Steve and I get to experience them together, sharing everything that comes down the pike. What is often lost in the rush for success, a goal measured in attention, awards, and dollars, is the pleasure to be savored in the process.  Although it can be long and strenuous, it is the most satisfying part of what I do. Steve and I have worked together for several years and we’ve enjoyed every step of the way. Now that the book is published, we’ll share in what comes.

DW: As a kickoff to your e-publishing venture and in cooperation with Boyds Mills, WARRIORS and three other Front Street books were recently available for free download.  One reader, Sally Apokedak/Whispers of Dawn, took advantage of the offer and had this to say, “After you read it on the e-reader, you’ll want to buy the hardback. It’s a keeper.”

It seems, at least for this reader, that your marketing strategy is working. Any other thoughts or things you’d like to share about WARRIORS or NO NAME BABY or the future of e-publishing in general?

SR: Publishing is about content, not form. It about making an author’s vision and voice public by bringing it to readers’ attention. The electronic dissemination of content is, literally, a fabulous opportunity. Once people encounter the author’s vision and voice, they can decide in what form they want the content and the namelos model is to provide it. With Nancy’s book, and a few others, we “salted the cloud” with ebook editions in order to whet readers’ appetites for her unique vision and voice. The results of that effort have been gratifying and exciting. This is only the beginning of the beginning for all of us.

photo credit: myuibe

DW: I’ve never been opposed, as some are, to ebooks and though I’ve yet to buy a Kindle or nook of my own, it’s not for lack of want. With the recent launch of the ipad, I believe we’ll see a huge shift in the ebook market.  The idea of a tool, such as the ipad, that can hold one’s personal library AND serve a variety of portable computing purposes seems like just the beginning!  Any thoughts?  Will the ipad be the game-changer it’s purported to be?

SR: As it happens I’ve just finished a short piece for PW that will run on Friday [4.08.10] about my initial impressions of the iPad and sharing it with my 5-year-old granddaughter. Also I’ve been blathering away about it on Facebook and Twitter almost non-stop since receiving it on Saturday. Short answer, yes, it is a game changer. I haven’t touched my Kindle, Kindle 2, Kindle DX, nook, or Sony Reader since getting it. Now this is my business and I’m the first to admit that I’m a gadget nut, but the iPad is breathtaking … and this is the first model. These things only get better. This is just the beginning of the beginning.

Indeed.  “This is just the beginning…” WARRIORS IN THE CROSSFIRE is a beautiful book and the first of *many* more novels to come from Nancy Bo Flood.

Be sure and drop by tomorrow, when I’ll be interviewing Joseph K. Ruak who, along with his father, Felipe I. Ruak (to whom WARRIORS is dedicated), was instrumental in saving and then reviving the Talabwogh Men Stick Dances during and after WWII.