Penguin Imprint Focus: An Interview with Ginjer Buchanan

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There's always a line outside Ginjer Buchanan's office. In order to snag this interview I had to wait next to a disgruntled werewolf detective and two interstellar pilots while Ginjer discussed business with someone within. It turned out to be a knight in black armor, who emerged with helmet bowed as he examined his contract. Seizing the moment, I slipped in ahead of the others and managed to conduct a quick interview before the werewolf battered down the door:

Hi, sorry to sneak in here unannounced. Could you tell us a little about yourself—how you came to enter publishing, and to your current position? How long have you had an interest in fantasy and science-fiction, and due to which books in particular?

Publishing was my mid-life career change. Prior to 1984, I was a social worker. I have an MSW and my undergrad degree is in psychology. But I had always been an avid reader, in general, and in specific of fantastical literature.

I’m from Pittsburgh, which has the best free library system in the country (thanks to Andrew Carnagie). Every week I would check out my allotted number of books, read them and return them for a new batch the next week! Authors I particularly enjoyed were CS Lewis, E Nesbitt, and PL Travers (the Mary Poppins book). I adored the American fantasist Edward Eager and, in a less fantastical vein, Walter Farley's Black Stallion and Island Stallion series. I also discovered one of the lesser known Stratemeyer series (the publishers of Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys)--Rick Brandt’s Scientific Adventures. I think that the first book I actually owned was a Rick Brandt.

At a certain point I’d pretty much read my way through anything that interested me in the Children’s section of the local branch library, so the librarians let me loose in the adult section where I found some Heinlein (The Door Into Summer) and a lot of Bradbury, Lovecraft and Shirley Jackson.

Eventually, I discovered that such a thing as paperbacks existed, and I bought a lot of them—mostly short story collections, which included such great writers as Ted Sturgeon, Cordwainer Smith, Zenna Henderson, Harlan Ellison---it's a long, long list!

I got into science fiction fandom, and had the opportunity to meet many of the authors and editors working in the field. Eventually, I married a fellow fan, who became an editor himself. So, basically we knew a lot of people in the business. I read for The Science Fiction Book Club, and worked as a free-lancer on the Star Trek publishing program at Pocket Books. Then in 1984, Susan Allison offered me a job as an editor at Ace Books. It gave me the chance to turn an avocation into a career, and I leapt at it!

And we're glad you did! What's your office door made of, by the way? Nevermind - how do you think the field of science fiction and fantasy has changed during your tenure, and what role do you think Roc has played in those changes?

I’ve been in or around the field long enough, both directly and as Spouse of Editor, to see several waves of change. What has been the “hottest" sub-genre has gone from a kind of quasi-literary sf, exemplified by the New Wave authors of the 70’s, to the rise of the Epic Fantasy (for which Del Rey Books was largely responsible) to the current dominance of noir urban fantasy, of which (yay for us) we are the foremost publishers. Ace and Roc certainly played a major role in that! Laurell Hamilton’s Anita Blake novels, which are the acknowledged inspiration for the entire sub-genre, were first published as Ace mid-list mass market originals. The author who became an exemplar on the Roc list was Jim Butcher, whose Harry Dresden series also began that way. And on both lists, both before and after Anita and Harry, we prided ourselves on publishing writers who were dark, edgy, and exciting and who crossed genres with glee.

What do you think the future holds for science fiction and fantasy, what trends and interests are going to be explored, developed?

A lot of people bemoan the state of the field, but I’m not one of them. I think that it is as healthy now as it has ever been. And I think it will continue to be so. Right now, of course, everybody is looking to ride the noir urban fantasy bandwagon, but epic fantasy, near future thrillers, alternate history and post-apocalyptic sf are also doing well. And what used to be considered hard science fiction is become almost mainstream, as real science catches up with the genre!

How do you plan to position Ace and Roc in terms of these developments?

Ace and Roc have already grown some major writers, both in fantasy and science fiction.. Our plans are to continue that. We’re totally open to taking new authors and giving them the best positioning and the best packaging and the best promotion that we can. Recently we’ve seen this succeed with Kat Richardson and Karen Chance on the Roc side and with Charles Stross and Jeff Carlson in Ace. Coming up, we have a noir urban fantasy author named Devon Monk, who I predict will also break out.

I'm just going to stand by this window. Just in case. What's the best piece of advice you can give beginning writers who are seeking to get their first book published?

Do your research. This is particularly important in these days of the easy spam submission. An aspiring author should know what a specific imprint “specializes” in, and should even try to determine who edits what. They should then target their submissions.

Don't mind me - I'm just going to step out here onto the ledge. No, no - I can hear you just fine. What books are you working on publishing right now that you are particularly excited about?

Let’s see—next summer In Roc we're doing the rare debut hardcover novel, the first of an alternate history trilogy by a military historian named Taylor Anderson. It is big and brawny and has a wonderful advance quote from Steve Stirling. The title is Into The Storm. Also in the summer, in Trade paperback, there’s a book I am exceedingly fond of, a noir urban fantasy with a male protag titled A Kiss Before The Apocalypse. The author is a very well known YA writer named Tom Sneigoski. The book has all the things that make for a good urban fantasy—and it has terrific heart besides. I freely admit that I cried at the end!

On the Ace side, in mass market, I’ve got a terrific first novel titled Night Child from an author named Jes Battis, who is a pop culture academic. It’s also noir urban fantasy (hey, it’s selling! <g>) set in Vancouver (the author is Canadian) with a great hook.

(At that point the door burst inwards and I had to make my getaway, leaving Ginjer to placate the werewolf. A close escape, but worth it! Tune in Wednesday as I go in search of Tina Anderson, Publicity Manager extraordinaire!)

--Philip Tucker, Online Producer

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