In late 2011 I founded the literary fiction press, Perfect Edge Books.
We have released a handful of title and there are more in production. While we’re “officially” open to unsolicited submissions, I make no apologies for a mildly nepotistic selection process. Through my involvement with various interesting writing networks — and my role in founding LitReactor.com — I’ve developed a good idea of the kind of books I’m looking for. I like personal recommendations when it comes to finding my authors.
Some info:
- We don’t pay advances. You will not get rich from your Perfect Edge book unless it sells very well. Everything is royalties-based. You can choose your own price for the ebook and you get 50% of whatever money is made on each ebook (net). On a typical contract, there are no royalties on the first 1,000 copies print copies. This is something I’m trying to change, but it is an ongoing conversation between me and the parent company. It’ll take time.
- We don’t offer heavy editorial services as part of any contract; in other words, we’re don’t like suggesting deleting this or that character, or changing the ending, or whatever. I have, however, taken on a trusted friend, Pela Via, who can work with authors who want to work with an editor. Her time isn’t entirely devoted to Perfect Edge, but I can get her involved if authors have questions or insecurities about their work. This isn’t something authors pay for — it comes out of my own pocket — so I try to be selective about who Pela works with.
- We don’t negotiate contracts. I’m not even responsible for the contracts anyway (they are universal across the different imprints of the parent company) so it’s no use asking me if we can change this or that. We can’t.
- Yes, we’re looking for edgy writers, and we prefer edgy to safe and boring. But a qualification: edgy doesn’t mean you write about rapist transvestites robbing banks while beating the crap out of orphans. When I say edgy, I mean seriously edgy: I want authors whose entire attitude towards writing and publishing and the public role of art is dangerous by normal liberal standards. They exist. I’m publishing some of them.
Here are some of our titles:
About Pela Via
I have taken Pela Via on as editor for Perfect Edge Books. She is one of my favorite people: she does things seriously, calmly, and always with an infuriatingly faultless, never excessive friendliness. Since she’s a good editor, I keep her around despite these flaws.
She’s a writer and editor from the US west coast. Former fiction editor for Outsider Writers, she edited the anthologies Warmed and Bound and the forthcoming Booked Anthology, and is the editor-in-chief of ManArchy Magazine.
Her own writing is considered literary noir and is presently available in short form both online and in print.