Category Archives: Atomic Fez

Patience, Grasshopper

Posted on by

I’m still working on the audio track from last week’s event with Stephen Quinn. Originally running one hour and forty minutes, I’m trying to get it down to something more reasonable, as well as remove any un-necessary nattering on my part. the end result ought to be nothing but informative yummy goodness about how to make your information appeal to the ever-cynical, un-caring, heartless bastards of the media.

In the meantime (and partly because none of the media seems to give a damn about my exciting news), have a look OVER HERE about how Atomic Fez Publishing has been short-listed for Best Small Press by the British Fantasy Society’s awards.

Hear the Organizer’s Voice!

Posted on by
All TALKING! All THINKING! ALL HOUR LONG!

All TALKING! All THINKING! ALL HOUR LONG!

Tomorrow at 17:00 PDT (or 20:00 EDT, or barely into Wednesday at 00:00 GMT) you can hear the organizer of The Shebeen Club interviewed on Blog Talk Radio with Wayne Herlbert. In addition to the possibility he’ll mention an up-coming title or two for his publishing house, here’s what Mr. Herlbert is claiming will be discussed:

Independent book publisher and President of Atomic Fez Publishing, Ian Alexander Martin, shares his views on current and future trends in the publishing industry. Ian describes the challenges facing publishers in the current economy and with the rapid changes taking place in the publishing industry. Ian shares his thoughts on genre busting fiction, developing a niche market for specific titles, and how an author can get published in today’s highly competitive marketplace. Ian also offers some advice for successful online book marketing including some very unique and unexpected tactics for which Atomic Fez has become famous.

Frankly, it might be a bit of a stretch to say that “Atomic Fez Publishing has become famous”, but we’re hardly going to dissuade Mr. Herlbert at this point.

The interview is an hour long, so Ian will have to work at being briefer than normal. More than likely, about half-way through everyone will get far off the subject and start debating the various advantages of tea-making techniques. Also possible is comparing of the cinematic visions of Akira Kurosawa v. Francis Ford Coppola or Terry Gilliam v. Orson Welles.

It’s also entirely likely that they’ll talk about books. You never know.

  • STREAMING LIVE: Tuesday, May 31st at 5PM Pacific / 8PM Eastern / 00:00 GMT (Midnight at the start of Wednesday): CLICK HERE

UPDATED: and we’re done! For those of you who missed it, head TO THIS PAGE and click the little button on the player to start the 66 minute babble. Or, if you’re into that sort of thing and would rather download it and play it as a podcast, HERE’S A LINK FOR THAT.

Reading is Sexy Calendar Launch

Posted on by

It’ll be a dark and stormy night, and all the crew will be gathered in …

the suburbs????

Reading is Sexy back cover

Reading is Sexy back cover

Yes, join Lorraine Murphy, founder, president, and diva of the Shebeen Club along with other Vangroover literati for the launch of the first annual Reading is Sexy Calendar!

From the Facebook invite:

Eat, drink and be merry all in celebration of literacy and the fact that I AM MAKING MY DEBUT IN A CALENDAR!!!! (along with the sizzlingly sexy Monique Trottier, Lori & Richard Yearwood, Patrick Tubajon, Raul Pacheco, Ian A Martin, Rayne, Lorraine Murphy, Mark Leiren-Young, Monica Hamburg and Ian Ferguson). Special thanks to Robert Shaer and Tris Hussey, whose photography has made this calendar a piece of art.

And aside from using this as an excuse to convince my literary buds to peel off the layers for the camera, it was done in the name of literacy. Thats right, we shot this calendar to raise money for The International Dyslexia Association.

So come hang out with us at my favourite wine and cheese bistro, enjoy a drink and some nibblies, get your calendars signed by the models, listen to a few of our authors reading from their works, and for those of you that are a bit more daring, dance the night away with moi.

The event is free and everyone is welcome. The more, the merrier!

BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE!

Of course there is. More, even, than the chance to rub shoulders (and other body parts, if you play your cards right) with the sexiest writerly types in all of the Wild, Wiled West!

So put on your best literary party duds, whether Baudelairian finery or spoken word funkitude, and join us:

Thursday, 03 December 2009 at 7pm
Gudrun Wine and Cheese Bistro
150-3500 Moncton Street
Steveston, BC

Yes, it’s bus-accessable!

By the way, the super-sexy book I’m reading is a special calf-bound book of whiskies of the world, specially borrowed from the bartender for the occasion. I had a couple of Vanity Fairs in my bag, but they weren’t quite as posh and retro-looking as that book. Also, I highly recommend posing for calendars: the drinks are free!

Shebeen Club: Launching an Independent Publishing House: Fab or Folly?

Posted on by
Post number two on the new Shebeen Club Blog. I really MUST import the archives, mustn’t I?
Since from day to day it looks like I will/won’t be in town for the Shebeen Club meeting on June the 15th, I’ve asked Ian Alexander Martin to take over in my stead. Naturally, should I be in town on the evening in question, I’ll expect him to give up the scepter of leadership but retain all obligations to inform and/or entertain people.
Atomic Fez

Atomic Fez

  • What: Launching an Independent Publishing House: Fab or Folly?
  • Who: The Shebeen Club and Atomic Fez Publishing
  • When: Monday, June 15TH, 6:00–9:00 pm
  • Where: The Shebeen, behind the Irish Heather, 212 Carrall Street in Gastown
  • Details: $15 cash only, includes dinner and one drink (pint). No minors, please.
  • Blather: follows

MEET THE NAÏVE PROPRIETOR

The proprietor of Atomic Fez Publishing will engage the public in an all singing, all dancing event at The Shebeen Whisky House behind the Irish Heather Gastro-Pub in Vancouver’s Gastown district.

Ian Alexander Martin is expected to discuss his reasoning behind beginning a Small Press Publishing house in these days of financial turmoil which have seen several international houses drastically scale back their structures, frequently closing sub-imprints and selling off their intellectual assets like so much scrap iron. Likewise, when even local publisher Raincoast Books scales downsize their operation following the completion of the ‘Harry Potter…’ series, is there any point in trying to enter the market?

Additional topics will include:

  • why be a small-press publisher if you’re not also a writer?
  • what sort of books does Atomic Fez select?
  • the answer to the question “dead tree books or electronic books” is “YES!”
  • whither the future of independent bookshop?
  • why can’t people buy any small-press books at Chapters or Smith’s
  • why shouldn’t authors just self-publish and go straight to the readers and their money?
  • just how insane are you?

Come and hear a 20-minute talk about what Mr. Martin’s approaches are, and what he thinks the state of publishing is today. A question and answer session with follow the presentation after a short break.

Ian Alexander Martin

Ian Alexander Martin

ABOUT THE NAÏVE PROPRIETOR

For three years Ian Alexander Martin was a Director in Humdrumming, Limited—a very tiny publishing company registered in England & Wales—during the last ten months of which was acting as President and C.E.O., Managing and Editorial Director, plus also being responsible for the contracting, editing, typesetting, publishing, and marketing of twenty different titles. Meanwhile, Humdrumming continually earned the respect and admiration of writers and readers alike, as well as seven ‘short-list’ nominations from the prestigious British Fantasy Society’s annual awards (and more to come in a few months).

In addition to the above, Mr. Martin has previously been an arts journalist; editor; professional photographer; photo-finishing store owner; web-site designer and consultant; theatre actor and director, as well as being the Founding Editor and Publisher of the theatre web-zine The Boards. If you had told him at the turn of the millennium that he would have accomplished these things, he would have laughed so hard he would have been physically ill at your feet.

He lives in Burnaby with his wife and two cats, all three of whom frequently succeed in dragging him kicking and screaming from the computer keyboard.

Add to FacebookAdd to NewsvineAdd to DiggAdd to Del.icio.usAdd to StumbleuponAdd to RedditAdd to BlinklistAdd to TwitterAdd to TechnoratiAdd to Furl