A Plug For Wordfire Press...One Of The Good Ones

I've been a published author since 2013--that's recent in comparison to others. I've been fortunate enough to see first-hand the inner workings of several small press publishers. I know because they've published things I've written.

I got an e-mail from Wordfire Press (WFP) today (because I subscribe to their newsletter...). Writers Kevin J. Anderson and his wife, Rebecca Moesta run WFP. I first met Kevin around 2014 at what was then called Salt Lake Comic Con. He was the first multi-bestselling author I personally met. I'm not sure what I expected a multi-bestselling author to be like, but Kevin was personable, encouraging, approachable, and even humble. At least, that's how he came across to me. 

What I've loved about Wordfire is it appears the purpose of the company is not first-and-foremost profits. They're important, of course, but it seems WFP really want to preserve great stories and find an outlet for other authors to do the same with their works. In the e-mail Kevin brought up all the things WPF is doing, the authors they publish, the projects they've taken on, even though they didn't need to. There's even series of Kevin's you can't find anywhere else.

You can find more about WFP on their website by clicking: HERE. You can find all their titles, as well as tips to be a better writer. That's one thing I've noticed about Kevin--he goes to convention and events not just to sell books, but also to help other writers--no matter where they are on the success ladder--to be better at the craft of storytelling. 

Check out Wordfire Press. If you love the written word, you'll definitely find something written just for you.

The Unseen Price Of Publishing...

For an unpublished--or, barely published--author, just seeing a convention booth like WordFire's is impressive. All those titles, all those best-selling authors, all that publishing experience in one place--it exudes success.

But it's what you don't see that makes their booth in particular so much more impressive.

Today Kevin Anderson, WordFire's creator and owner, posted in Facebook a "year-end-roundup" for the WordFire Press booth (I also lifted the photo he used--I hope he doesn't mind...). Here's some stats he mentioned in his post.

In 2016 the WordFire Press booth appeared in twenty-two shows, almost two per month. 

They calculated one and a half million people had access to their books and authors. 

With shows, interviews, and social media exposure, they reached around four million people.

The van that transported the booth traveled over 53,000 miles in the past eighteen months.

They also included a list of authors that signed autographs at their booth in 2016. The names include some of the biggest names in the publishing world today. If you've even been to a show and seen the booth in action, it's like a beehive of activity with authors and volunteers alike scrambling to feed the public something that will at least quell their insatiable hunger to read. Those at the booth work their butts off and in a manner of days, many of the same people along with new replacements will do it all over again, same booth--different city. It is so much work.

I've chatted with Kevin a few times over the years--he's got great stories. And I've asked him many questions, but I've never asked him specifically why he puts so much time and resources into WordFire. Then again, I don't think I need to. I've heard enough of his lectures and panel discussions to formulate a guess. Kevin not only has achieved success as an author, but the man loves to see great stories on a printed page, so much so, he's willing to go through all the trouble of creating his own publishing house and all that that involves. The man doesn't have to...heaven knows he could use all that time for more writing or to enjoy the fruits of his previous labors, but to him, it's important...it's worth all that hard work.

We see the finished product, or at least what many of us feel is a finished product, but if you know the process, seeing their booth in action is not just the finished product, but also the beginning and middle as well. If you get a chance to see their booth in the coming year, take a step back and just look. Look at the activity, look at the crowds, the authors and you'll see it's more than just a place for fans to pick up a great read including an author's signature, it's a testament to one man's love of great stories.

Brad Torgersen's "Lights In The Deep"...Fascinating!

I first met author Brad Torgersen at Utah's first Comic Con last September. I was asked to be a panelist and so I did some research on my fellow panelist to get to know them better. Most I didn't know--I hadn't heard of them since my foray into serious writing was a fairly new pursuit.

But one name stuck out...Brad Torgersen. I read his name alongside other famous names such as: Hugo, Nebula, Campbell--names after which prestigious awards are named. As it happened when our panel came up last fall, he moderated and I got to sit by him (a little advise here--if you're on a panel, you'll become better acquainted to the person you're sitting right next to than those you don't sit next to...). During the panel, Brad made an impression, a good impression.

And so, following the Comic Con when I asked to be his Facebook Friend and he accepted, it made me feel good. I knew someone who had proven he could not only compete in the competitive world of for-profit literature, but succeed. And I knew him.

Fast forward to February of this year--another conference, another chance to rub shoulders with amazing local authors. We chatted, as did I with many of the authors at the incredibly fun LTUE Conference. It wasn't until last month's Comic Con FanX event that I really got to know Brad. 

How did I do that? I bought and read his book, Lights of the Deep from WordFire Press. The 331-page collection of his short stories that not only entertains, but allows us a glimpse of what it's like to grow as a writer. He includes comments after each story which I found fascinating, almost as much as his stories. Being a relatively new writer, I found the details informative. It was like I was sitting across a table from him and he was telling me what it was like starting out, what success feels like after putting in the hard work, and how humbled he was to have his literary heroes praise him for the stories he created.

All this, and I've hardly mentioned the short stories in the book at all. I'll just say, I was in no way disappointed, so much so, I resurrected a story I started years ago and have worked on it almost every day since I started Lights of the Deep. Brad's book is inventive, creative, thought-provoking, and inspiring. If you love the genre, pick it up! Click: HERE for the Amazon link. You won't be disappointed. Plus, you'll be reading some of the early writings of an author, I believe, will one day have many novels stocked on a bookstore or library shelf.

Thanks, Brad for allowing us to get to know you.