Read Meet Author: Cynthia Reeser

The more involved I get in the world of publishing the more I find that there is an order or progression to things. Your career and opportunities grow as you gain knowledge, experience, and respect. A writer and publisher that I really respect is Cynthia Reeser. She recently announced the arrival of her new press Aqueous Books. This comes in a addition to her literary site Prick of The Spindle, and her productive career as writer. She is a very busy women, but recently took time to answer a few of my questions.

Orange Alert (OA): You recently announced the arrival of Aqueous Books on your blog. What prompted you to start a press and are there any details that you can share about the upcoming plans?
Cynthia Reeser (CR): Having founded Prick of the Spindle three years ago in March 2007, branching off into print publishing seems a natural next step at this juncture, due to several considerations. I am continually impressed with the quality and quantity of fiction submissions we receive. And when I started the journal, it was with the intent of providing a medium of publication for emerging writers who were talented but deserved further recognition. Those writers have been sending us wonderful work, from flash fiction to novel-length, and we published our first novel in Volume 3.2 (June 2009), Grease Stains, Kismet, and Maternal Wisdom by Mel Bosworth. As we have opened up to accepting longer-form pieces, (of course) we have seen an increase in those submissions. I see Aqueous Books as fulfilling an area of need, in that sense, and I am moved to provide an outlet for great work.

I am excited about the submissions we have received so far. Our first publication will be The HiStory of Santa Monica by Michael Atwood. The next book we will be publishing is the print version of Grease Stains, Kismet, and Maternal Wisdom by Mel Bosworth. We have continued to receive submissions from writers whose work I admire, and even a pitch or two for projects that are currently in the works. At the moment we accept fiction, but I foresee creating an imprint in the very near future for memoirs and works of nonfiction.

OA: Prick of The Spindle is one of the greats in a sea of many literary sites. What has the site done for you as a writer and editor?
CR: So much that it makes that a difficult question to answer. It has opened me up to a truly wonderful community of writers, editors, and artists. Some of them have become good friends, and there are many that I have a great deal of respect for. The most difficult thing is being so geographically scattered, but the support and vitality of the community was, for me, like finding an oasis in a desert. I see the chance to connect with so many talented people as a wonderful opportunity. Sometimes I find myself grateful I wasn't born a hundred years ago; the beauty and power of technology and all that.

Professionally, it has provided me with an outlet. It has been wonderful to work with other editors and writers, to handle the website and graphics, and in general just to do what I truly love. I have gained invaluable experience that has only increased my dedication. It's a beautiful marriage. Reading so much work has made me a better writer and editor. And writing reviews for the journal has led to a book review column (former, newspaper) and a position as a critic writing reviews for NewPages. I have had the opportunity to serve as a judge for the Million Writers Award for going on three years now. There are many more benefits, tangible and intangible; I could go on, but those are the ones that stand out.

OA: 2010 is already shaping up to be one of the best years of your career. Tell us about Light and Trials of Light.
CR: Well most importantly, it's a poetry chapbook. I've always been more of a fiction and nonfiction writer, but I love a challenge, and took up writing poetry partly for that reason. It's comprised of poems I wrote over a span of about 8 or 9 years. I'm not a frequent submitter, and I suppose this publication was really a surprise, because I was never sure there was a market for my work. I wouldn't know how to categorize it, really; I'll leave that to others. But I am looking forward to this publication. I've been focusing on fiction writing more lately, but I still write the occasional poem. Some of the poems were inspired by fiction authors like Flann O'Brien, and others by my top 3 poets, namely, T.S. Eliot, Wallace Stevens, and Sylvia Plath. Others resulted from play with language, rhythm, and syntax.

OA: You are also working on a book about Kindle Publishing. I am personally torn when it comes to e-readers. I love technology and try to stay connected and informed, but as a publisher and an avid reader I still want to hold tight to the tradition of print. Do you feel the Kindle is the publishing platform of the near future?
CR: I'm a little torn when it comes to the timing of the Kindle book. Writing the book has been eye-opening, in that it really brought to light the way the publishing industry is undergoing a revolution of sorts, and I credit the Kindle for really starting that. I think having the power of Amazon behind a little eReader was a big part of it--because the Kindle certainly wasn't the first eReader, but in terms of e-Ink and global wireless and the bells and whistles in place strictly for electronic reading, the device is the best so far. I completed the book, which is now in the hands of my editors, a few days after the release of the iPad. I've been watching the developments with a lot of interest.

I don't own an eReader, though I would like one, and I still enjoy reading books in print--it is an entire tactile experience for me. Being a reviewer, I write in them, underline, highlight, crack the spines, and just generally make them mine. With a love of both print and technology, I'm on middle ground. Do I think the Kindle is the publishing platform of the near future? I think time will tell which eReader wins out in the battle. But in terms of eReaders begin the publishing platform of the near future, I think we're hurtling toward that reality very quickly right now; I think we're moments shy of being just there. Barring any further changes Amazon might make to its publishing platforms (which is open to books, newspapers, magazines, and blogs), and considering the fact that they are upping the author royalty rate to 70% on June 30, I think the Kindle platform has helped to turn the traditional print publishing industry on its head (I'm talking corporate media conglomerates here) by creating a significant outlet for indie publishing.

OA: Not to just highlight project after project, but How to Write and Publish a Successful Children's Book seems like an interesting project. How did that opportunity come about?
CR: I wrote a series of reviews for Atlantic Publishing, who is primarily a business publisher, and they were looking for writers when they opened their doors to books on writing and publishing. I jumped at the opportunity, and the book on children's publishing went so well that it lead to a second, the book on Kindle publishing.

OA: What's next for Cynthia Reeser?
CR: I am going to work for a medical publisher, so I will be doing a lot of technical writing. I look forward to continuing to build issues of Prick of the Spindle, and to everything that comes about with Aqueous Books. I am focusing on writing fiction, and am considering a novel or short story collection in the near future. I also continue to work on my art (painting, primarily) and am preparing for an upcoming art party (Feb. 27) in which I am a featured artist.

Bonus Questions:

OA: If you could sit down to coffee with anyone (alive or dead) who would it be?
CR: It would be a toss-up between Frederic Chopin and Benjamin Franklin (don't laugh). I admire them both tremendously, but I think the Romantic pianist might win out for a coffee date.

OA: What type of music for you enjoy and who are a few of your favorites?
CR: I am an avid listener of Indie music, and keep my XM radio dial tuned to channel 43. I love post-punk, and just a variety of music. Some favorites (please feel free to trim this list): Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Interpol, Joy Division, Bauhaus, PJ Harvey, Radiohead, Johnny Cash, Fleet Foxes, Patsy Cline, Ella Fitzgerald, Peggy Lee, M83, No Age, Mew, The Horrors, A Place to Bury Strangers, MGMT, Pixies, White Stripes, Lykke Li, The Raveonettes, Arcade Fire, Black Mountain, Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeroes, Bat for Lashes, Portishead, The Walkmen, Animal Collective, Bjork, Cocteau Twins, Throwing Muses, and the list goes on and on.

If I'm playing the music myself--Chopin, Grieg, Beethoven, and Rachmaninoff are my top favorites.

For more information on Cynthia Reeser please visit her website.