It’s that time of year again. While many people make resolutions in January, that’s too late in my mind. If you want a full year to execute on those plans, make them during the last few months of the current year.
I’ve put a lot of thought into the role of a publisher in 2023. I decided it is not strictly to sell books. It’s about distributing literature to readers. Selling books is just one way. But readers consume literature in multiple ways and via different forms. Not just ebook and audio versus print. Serialized fiction is common around the world. Readers use mobile devices and dedicated eReaders.
A publisher distributing literature to readers means matching both the literature to the reader, and the form in which the reader wishes to consume it. My goal for Modern Folklore Press is to bring more authors and poets to more readers using whatever distribution method works best for the reader.
Yet, what still matters most is the literature. Great, thought-provoking stories, poetry, and essays matter. I’m moving Modern Folklore away from the narrow speculative genres to include a wider range of literature. Here’s what I’m planning for 2022:
- Launching works by two new authors. Each will get official announcements.
- Releasing a new novel, first in a series, by Kevin J. Fellows
- Releasing a series of novelettes and novellas (possibly via subscription in addition to normal channels)
- Opening a call for a poetry anthology
- (tentatively) opening calls for essays
That’s a pretty ambitious set of plans, so I better go back to work.