

02-23-14: A 2014 Interview with Jeff VanderMeer, Part 2



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"...still clear distribution lines for books...."



Jeff VanderMeer







It might be a bit hard to remember now, but VanderMeer was in the business of self-publishing long before it was just a mouse-click away at *.*. In the intervening years, book publishing has faced the same set of problems that the music business managed to use to immolate itself back in the before-time. While big business (and smaller) publishers and independent bookstores haven't done everything perfectly, they've done rather well. They're not out there suing their customers for income.



Our discussion of putting together doorstop anthologies yielded a lot of fascinating talk, if you're into that kind of geekery. You should own 'The Weird,' and if you do, you'll note that it's definitely not justa compendium of stories by The Usual Suspects. And getting the diverse kind of author list therein involves stories pretty entertaining in themselves.



As for the publishing and self-publishing world, it has been transformed since Jeff and I last spoke about such matters. As you might imagine, VanderMeer is well ahead of the game. We touched on the subject of how readers will choose from the huge supply of material out there and how writers might aim at readers, and more importantly, why.



You can hear my second conversation with Jeff VanderMeer by following this link to the MP3 audio file. While I had Jeff VanderMeer's attention to discuss ' Annihilation ' and 'Authority,' I also wanted to take the time to talk to him about his latest co-edit project with with his wife Ann, a mega-thick anthology coming soon, 'The Time Traveler's Almanac.' I also thought it would be a good time to catch up with Jeff about the ever-changing landscape of publishing.It might be a bit hard to remember now, but VanderMeer was in the business of self-publishing long before it was just a mouse-click away at *.*. In the intervening years, book publishing has faced the same set of problems that the music business managed to use to immolate itself back in the before-time. While big business (and smaller) publishers and independent bookstores haven't done everything perfectly, they've done rather well. They're not out there suing their customers for income.Our discussion of putting together doorstop anthologies yielded a lot of fascinating talk, if you're into that kind of geekery. You should own 'The Weird,' and if you do, you'll note that it's definitely not justa compendium of stories by The Usual Suspects. And getting the diverse kind of author list therein involves stories pretty entertaining in themselves.As for the publishing and self-publishing world, it has been transformed since Jeff and I last spoke about such matters. As you might imagine, VanderMeer is well ahead of the game. We touched on the subject of how readers will choose from the huge supply of material out there and how writers might aim at readers, and more importantly, why.







02-20-14 UPDATE: Podcast Update: Time to Read Episode 149: Jeff VanderMeer, 'Annihilation'



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Here's the one-hundred forty-ninth episode of my series of podcasts, which I'm calling Time to Read. Hitting the two-year mark, I'm going to make an effort to stay ahead, so that podcast listeners can get the same sort of "sneak preview" effect that radio listeners get each Friday morning. This week, I seem to be on top of the game, but who knows what the hell might happen. I am hoping to stay back up and stumbling.



The podcasts/radio broadcasts will be of books worth your valuable reading time. I'll try to keep the reports under four minutes, for a radio-friendly format.



My hope is that in under four minutes I can offer readers a concise review and an opportunity to hear the author read from or speak about the work. I'm hoping to offer a new one every week.



The one-hundred forty-ninth episode is a look at Jeff VanderMeer and '



Here's a link to the MP3 audio file of Time to Read, Episode 149: Jeff VanderMeer, 'Annihilation' I know, these are supposed to come first, but it's been busy here, in the best possible way. At least I'm in the position to share in the embarrassment of riches!Here's the one-hundred forty-ninth episode of my series of podcasts, which I'm calling Time to Read. Hitting the two-year mark, I'm going to make an effort to stay ahead, so that podcast listeners can get the same sort of "sneak preview" effect that radio listeners get each Friday morning. This week, I seem to be on top of the game, but who knows what the hell might happen. I am hoping to stay back up and stumbling.The podcasts/radio broadcasts will be of books worth your valuable reading time. I'll try to keep the reports under four minutes, for a radio-friendly format. If you want to run them on your show or podcast, let me know. My hope is that in under four minutes I can offer readers a concise review and an opportunity to hear the author read from or speak about the work. I'm hoping to offer a new one every week.The one-hundred forty-ninth episode is a look at Jeff VanderMeer and ' Annihilation .' It's a live perforemance version.



