40 Below Ink

Fine Print: I read about this new publishing company in the Creative Opportunities section of the Anchorage Daily News and decided to investigate.

What I’m reading now: Spiderwick Chronicles, special edition (Okay, I got this book from my cereal box, but it is entertaining and just long enough that I didn’t finish at breakfast.)

40 Below Ink is a brand-spanking-new publishing company based out of Fairbanks. Kirkpatrick Hill, Dermot Cole, Laurel Downing Hill and Carolyn Kremers sit on the advisory board. The independent press wants to challenge the images of Alaska coming out of New York and Hollywood with fiction and non-fiction. They are also actively seeking submissions of illustrators for cover designs.

Publisher Barbara Farris answered several questions via email.

What is your background in writing and publishing?

I’ve been writing my entire life, at work and on my own time.

Why did you decide to create a publishing company?

I saw a need for authentic Alaska stories and decided it was time to fill that need.

What are your goals for 40 Below Ink?

To survive. On a more serious note, we want to publish excellent work by Alaska authors.

Any projects in the works now?

We are currently considering one fiction manuscript and one non-fiction proposal.

What are some tips for writers?

l. Have a group of friends read your manuscript and give you honest feedback.

2. Edit again and again.

3. Read your entire manuscript out loud - that will help you find any stiffness.

4. Prepare your submission package according to standard industry guidelines. I recommend Formatting Your Manuscript.

5. Forget about rejections and just work every day to improve your writing skills.

What kind of submissions would really excite you?

I’ve said we want authentic Alaskan stories, so we’re getting a lot of “Into The Wild” type stories, with a twist. Authentic Alaska doesn’t have to mean backpacking or bears or mountain climbing stories. Excellent writing is our bottom line. We love unique ideas. Take for example the book, “The Spellman Files,” based on a family of private investigators. It is fresh and humorous.

We love good humor in a story.

Anything you’re not looking for?

We’ve recently decided not to accept children’s books for now. This will probably change again in the future.

What are your plans for distribution and sales?

All the typical stuff publishers do. However, there is a trend in big publishing houses for authors to do a lot more marketing than they’ve done in the past. We are following this trend by looking for authors who have the time and energy to put into marketing.

Other resources for writers and readers?

McCoy and Blackburn is an independent press located in Ester, Alaska.

Anything else you’d like to share with people interested in books by Alaskans and about Alaska?

There are more non-fiction books published each year than fiction. If you are new to publishing, you can get a head start by writing a non-fiction book first. After that is published, your chances of getting an agent or publisher for fiction go up. Agents and publishers look for writers with a “platform.” A platform can be a column for the newspaper, being a famous actor, having another popular book out or being an expert on a subject. It is getting harder and harder for writers without a platform to get noticed. Therefore, I suggest people build their own platforms. Start writing for Alaska Magazine, or the Anchorage Daily News, for example, or get that non-fiction fiction written and published.