News

Does Size Matter?

Posted in: 25 Cities Project, News by Steph | 4 Comments Thursday, September 15, 2011

To those of you who visit us often, I do apologize for not doing a good job of updating the website and giving you new material.  This summer has been difficult, and Nicolette and I have begun full-time jobs now, so time does not come so easily or quickly.  Adam is bombarded with work, too, and for that reason, he has stepped down as full-fledged editor and is now in a more supporting rose as Assistant Editor.  So, for now, it’s just Nic and I, plus our two readers John and Mack.  And speaking of the former, I hope you’ll get a chance to read the couple e-views he posted, as I find them heartening and enlightening.  There’s some great fiction being written out there, and we will make more of an effort to bring that fiction to you in the form of our e-views.

I want to talk about 25 Cities, though.

I just got back into the swing of reading our 25 Cities submissions, and I am thoroughly enjoying myself.  And reading these stories has made me wonder:  might we not end up publishing flash fiction in this book?  It seems weird because each city only gets one story and you’d think that it isn’t fair to only give that story and hence that city one page (or, less than one page).

But I just read a wonderful and captivating piece that’s about 150 words, submitted to our New York category.  The story really captures the spirit of New Yorkers and New York, itself.  But I’m torn.  After all, we’ve got over 60 submissions to that category already, and might our readers not prefer to read a longer piece about one of the greatest cities in the U.S.?  And so I ask you:  does size really matter?

25 Cities trends

Posted in: 25 Cities Project, News by Steph | 2 Comments Friday, July 22, 2011

Hello, hello!

Well, things are finally calming down here at Avery, now that we’ve got A7 out the door.  Hopefully, many of you have received your copies by now.  If so, let us know what you think.

We had a great time at the July 1 release.  Tons of people were there, and we editors got a chance to meet a few of our writers, which is always a treat.  Kurt, Ben, Robert, and Jason, I hope you had a great time.  Thanks for coming.  It was great to hear your stories in the flesh (does that metaphor work?).

So, yeah, things are quieting down so I’ve finally gotten a chance to read some 25 Cities submissions.  To those of you who submitted in January and February, I am so sorry it’s taking us so long to get back to you.  But I read a lot this morning, and I thoroughly enjoyed a lot of what I read.

In case ya’ll were wondering (I’m trying to channel Tammy Taylor here – for those of you who don’t understand the allusion, shame on you for not having watched the greatest TV show on network television!) … I have found some interesting (and in some cases, weird) 25 Cities trends.

To those of you who live in Austin:  I am jealous.  Apparently, music and art and young people surround you.  More power to you!

To those of you who live in Baltimore:  I am … concerned.  Apparently, you not only have a plentitude of Chevy Impalas driving around but more concerning is the stash of drugs in the trunk.  Or in a lap.  Or in a glove compartment.  Or, just in an apartment.  Weird, my friends.

To those of you who live in Vegas:  I am not surprised to learn that it is indeed hot in your area of the county.  And that you covet your water.  Drink up!

And finally (for now) to my fellow New Yorkers (fine, I was born and lived most of my life in Cleveland but whatever, I live in the Bronx now – OK fine, Riverdale, but technically, that’s still totally the Bronx):  we have lots of roommates.  Lots of roommates.

I’ll try to keep you posted as I continue to read.  We aim to publish 25 Cities by the end of the year, so we’ve got plenty of reading to do.  And please, tell everyone you know to submit!  We’ve still got cities that are not represented!

“Steph, are you expecting a package?”

Posted in: News by Steph | No Comments Wednesday, June 22, 2011

“Oh, yeah,” I say.  ”My ma’s supposed to send us Bash’s scooter.”

“Oh, OK, because FedEx just buzzed,” Adam says.

“K.”

(a few minutes later …)

BZZZZZZ.

I hear a door open.

“Oh, shit.  It’s, like, a lot of stuff,” Adam says.

“What?”

(I now decide to enter the living room, thinking that perhaps my family has decided that I’m a swell person who deserves lots of gifts on Wednesdays.)

But no.  Something better.

Somehow, Avery 7 managed to sneak up on us.

And she is DAMN beautiful, people.  Damn beautiful.

As I open the first box (the Averies on top are all bent severely at the corners, but I try to ignore this), a wonderful smell emerges.  If you’ve ever smelled a print shop or if you’ve ever smelled a recently binded book, you know what I’m talking about.  It’s a clean smell, a first-day-of-school smell.  It is wonderful.  The color Sydney chose for the cover is perfect – a pink that’s more natural than girly, more slick than fancy.  And the texture.

Oh, the texture.

This time, we laminated the cover.  Before, we just used a varnish, as that’s all we thought we could afford.  But Sheridan is awesome and they made the price work for us.  The cover isn’t the only thing that’s different – the paper’s slightly different, too.  Each printing company has its own “in house” papers, so that limits your options.  I was in love with our paper for Avery 4, 5, and 6, so I worried that Sheridan’s paper might not deliver.  But it does.  It’s much more rich, I think:  it’s creamier, more off-white, and it’s actually a bit thinner.  Its thin quality works really well, though, because as you flip through the book, it feels like you’re reading a trade paperback, rather than a journal.

This is very important to us, after all:  that Avery feel like one complete book, despite the fact that its offers you thirteen distinct voices.

I know it’s gonna sound dorky, but I really hope you guys buy a copy.  Because

not only are the stories beautiful and wonderful and excellent but now that I’m holding Avery 7 in my hand, I can say with certainty that it’s a book you are going to want to hold.  So go ahead:  hold it.  You know you want to.

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