Cantara Christopher's Page

My talk, Opportunities for Writers in the New Publishing Paradigm, is an extension and elaboration of the topic I discussed in my essay, “Writing in the New Publishing Paradigm”, which received considerable notice by members of mainstream publishing, as well as by independent authors and presses, when it was published online and in print in 2005.

The talk will consist of two parts, the first a 20-30 minute summary of the state of publishing, past and present, and how the arguably chaotic nature of today’s mainstream publishing world can actually benefit new or struggling writers—if they learn to “think outside the box”. I will then conclude with a Q&A, in which I’ll be able to focus on individual questions and concerns regarding self-publishing; how to submit to small magazines and small presses and what to expect from them; and how to break into the higher-paying / more prestigious markets.

Bio: In the 1980s I was a freelance copywriter for New York’s major houses including Macmillan, Walker & Co, Doubleday, Ballantine/Fawcett, and Avon Books; I was also a regular reviewer for Publishers Weekly. In the 90s I was on the staff of the legendary socialist-techpunk magazine, Processed World, and a visible participant in the San Francisco-based “DIY Movement” that spawned the “Zine Revolution” which—as I point out in my essay, “Writing in the New Publishing Paradigm”—I firmly believe to be the true parent of today’s independent publishing revolution.

In the late 90s my husband, editor-novelist Michael Matheny, and I founded in Paris, France the writers group PariSalon4665, which we continued in San Francisco. Our anthology The Best of PariSalon4665 was published by Brave New Books in 2002.

After moving back to New York the following year I took up freelancing again, but finding that the publishing world had radically changed, began to concentrate on furthering the aims of small press publishing in general. I joined the Small Press Center where I volunteered extensively. Eventually I started my own company, Cantarabooks, and went on to publish works by my husband Michael, as well as the poetry and fiction of film-director-turned-writer Stephen Gyllenhaal, and others. With Michael I organized and ran the Speculative Fiction Fair in Chelsea, Manhattan; I’ve also spoken and moderated panels on independent writing and publishing at the Round Table Writers Conference in New York.

My quarterly literary magazine Cantaraville was recently voted as one of the top 25 at the online writers resource Duotrope. Our Cantaraville and Cantarabooks authors have included film director-poet Gary Walkow, film director-poet Stephen Gyllenhaal, actor-writer Stephen Tobolowsky, Emmy award winner Buzz Belmondo, Hugo award winner John Grant, underground comix legend Trina Robbins, veteran author Clifford Irving, and many, many others.

For More Information:
§ Click here for my article, “Writing in the New Publishing Paradigm”
§ Click here for my recorded interview
§ Click here for my interview at SubtleTea literary online magazine