Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing EP 224 - Being an Independent Publisher and Bookseller with Heather Campbell
Mark interviews Heather Campbell co-founder and publisher at Latitude 46 Publishing, and owner of a brand-new indie bookstore in Sudbury, Ontario.
Prior to the main content, Mark shares some recent comments, a personal update, and shares a word about this episode's sponsor.
You can learn more about how you can get your work distributed to retailers and library systems around the world at starkreflections.ca/Findaway.
In their conversation Mark and Heather talk about:
- Heather's long love of reading and books, and her engagement in the Sudbury, Ontario writing community
- Deciding to start Latitude 46 when Scrivener Press decided to close shop
- How Heather got into learning about publishing, distribution, and self-publishing twelve years ago by helping a friend out with her book
- Celebrating Latitude 46's 7th anniversary on March 22, 2022
- How often a regional/local publisher has to start off doing it part time and with funding support from arts councils, etc
- The average number of submissions rec'd versus books published
- The way that Heather, as a publisher, seeks to have a collaborative relationship with her writers
- Advice for authors looking to submit to Latitude 46
- The mandate to publish authors either from or with strong ties to Northern Ontario and mid-Northern Ontario
- Heather's decision to open up a downtown independently operated bookstore as part of a 4 month opportunity by the city called "Zero Vacancy" to help revitalize the downtown core
- Some of the other artisan and local artist merchandise carried in the store
- An imprint from Latitude 46 that Heather uses when the title doesn't have a literary bend to it
- Authors who have come in to sign books and the store as well as forthcoming planned author visits
- Heather's thought that writers could benefit from going and working in a bookstore, even briefly, to understand what that experience is like
- The question of "is this publishable" that publishers often ask when a manuscript is presented
- Toni Morrison's long term "teamwork" based relationship with her editor
After the interview Mark reflects on the importance of understanding a publishers vision and mandate as well as the idea of how writers can benefit from in person bookstore experience.
Links of Interest:
- Latitude 46 Publishing
- EP 189 - From Stage to Page Then Back to Stage with Rod Carley
- EP 223 - Love, Only Better with Paulette Stout
- The Canadian Mounted
- Patreon for Stark Reflections
- The Relaxed Author
- Publishing Pitfalls for Authors
- An Author's Guide to Working with Libraries & Bookstores
- Wide for the Win
- Mark's Canadian Werewolf Books
Heather Campbell has spent over 25 years in communications and freelance writing, specializing in issues relevant to Northern Ontario communities. A graduate of York University (BA Sociology ’92), she has combined her education, experience and ‘need to initiate’ by starting a local chapter of the Professional Writers Association of Canada and the Wordstock Sudbury Literary Festival. Joining forces with another local writer to start a new publishing house for the North is a natural extension of how she can contribute to creating a thriving literary scene in Northern Ontario.
The introductory, end, and bumper music for this podcast (“Laser Groove”) was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0