State of Fiction

The State of Fiction is a column designed to address trends in contemporary fiction.

This month CONCEIT emailed Jason Bulger, the publisher over at Cosmopsis Books in San Francisco to get his thoughts about where small presses are headed.

CONCEIT: Tell us a little about the concept behing Cosmopsis Books—what is it you're trying to do with this press?

BULGER: I've always been a creator, a creator of fiction, of stories, of wares, but I've known too long that helpless feeling of seeing something you created for an audience just sit there and stagnate while you lost interest in it. Giving others a voice is incredibly empowering--and important--in a society that allows such a small number of individuals to dictate what artifacts of culture the rest of us are going to receive. In my opinion, there can never be too many independent anythings--whether grocery stores, publishers, or bicycle manufacturers. I want Cosmopsis Books to be among the havens for dedicated authors, a place where they can go for help to announce to the world: "This is what I have done."

CONCEIT: What place do small presses have in the new century

BULGER: Small presses must continue to appear at the rate of one per day to keep up with the giant multinationals that rule the business these days (mostly since these same companies kill at least a handful of small presses per week). A publisher or a press serves as a filtering mechanism and is something greatly needed in this century, when the average Jane can create her own web site, publish her own book, make her own movie. But publishers, rather than dictating what is and what is not art, should be akin to gallery owners, each responsible for a special niche, each focusing on something unique and worthwhile, each heralding the importance of a genre--blogs, say, or historical fiction--and holding up what they, with their seasoned eye for what is real, believe to be important, representative examples.

CONCEIT: What kind of work do you prefer reading?

BULGER: Publishers don't have time to read! As an author, however, I make time. My reading can usually be traced along some definite path, as if one work logically led to the next, even if the entire list is random. An example. As a fan of Nabokov several years ago, I read his letters to E. Wilson. (Funny stuff, by the way.) In reading those letters I heard works discussed and debated, and I found myself drawn to read some of the authors those two respected authors loved or loathed. Or recently: Having set a small portion of a novel in a Portuguese town, I began reading and learning about the history of Portugal. Among the books I reserved at the library was one innocuously titled The History of the Siege of Lisbon. When I picked up the book I was shocked to see a pronouncement of literary achievement: the author (Jose Saramago) won the Nobel Prize for literature. It was amazing. My next book will probably be from the same author.

CONCEIT: You are a writer yourself—how do you think that affects your role as a publisher?

BULGER: I suppose it gives me more empathy for the writers I deal with. I might receive a submission whose author clearly cut corners somewhere, and rather than instantly dismiss the individual, I might take a little more time to explain what he or she was doing that I didn't like, or perhaps how I was able to overcome that difficulty. I truly think, though, that my role as a reader affects my publishing much more than my role as author. And truthfully, it's not so clean of a breakdown: when I'm considering a piece for publication, I don't strictly have my sorting hat on, or my editing hat, or my craft hat. They vary at times, from line to line, story to poem. I suppose since I do this it takes me more time to get through a pile of submissions, but I also learn a lot more from them than the publisher who has one hat on all the time.

Another Song I Know by William Michaelian available from Cosmopsis Books in June

CONCEIT: What are your future plans for Cosmopsis?

BULGER: Cosmopsis Books, in addition to releasing a quarterly literary journal, is releasing two books of poetry in late May or early June. Once people find out that you're in the business of publishing, you somehow receive manuscripts like a doctor receives free pens stamped with the latest brand of psychiatric drug; I certainly don't foresee a problem finding work to publish in the future.

CONCEIT: What has been the feedback thus far?

BULGER: The feedback thus far has been wonderful. I'm amazed at how many people will buy a book if you truly talk to them about it. It's a myth that people don't want to read anymore, but they will continue to do what's easier. If you put a book in their hand before they sit on the couch to watch TV, it seems they'll read it. The real satisfaction in the process, though, has come from the feedback I've received from the authors themselves. I feel glad just knowing that I've given 16 people a voice.

CONCEIT: Is there anything else you would like to add?

BULGER: And finally... if you're reading this and you're interested in Cosmopsis Books or have a question about publishing or about me, send me an email!

Visit Jason at COSMOPSIS BOOKS.