One of the nation's most respected publishing houses sits only a little down the road in Chapel Hill, but unless you've just penned the Great American Novel, you might be better off selling your masterpiece to one of those Northern mass-market firms.
The Joys of Selectivity
Founded in 1983 by University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Professor Louis Rubin and named after his sailboat, Algonquin Publishing cherishes its selectivity of literary and narrative works--it only publishes between a meager 20 to 30 books a year. Acquiring editors and publishers sort through the mounting heaps of manuscripts sent in each year, perusing the pile for the few rare, "quality" books.
"We look for an original voice, a fresh vision that is unique to this writer," said Elisabeth Scharlatt, acquiring editor and publisher. "We want to fall in love with the book."
She also said Algonquin's criteria do not revolve around any one genre; instead, the house emphasizes literary merit over "bestseller" potential. In other words, books most publishers are not willing to pursue.
Associate publisher Ina Stern, who is looking for "surprise" manuscripts that appeal to people looking for good literature, added that Algonquin's great selectivity also allows it to market more effectively. "It's not about publishing more books," she said. "It's about selling the books we publish better and better."
Because of the small size of Algonquin, Stern noted that the entire staff--a mere 14 to 16 people--can care for each book and can all be involved in the process of "shepherding" a book that will be a good fit for the house.
Retaining Its Southern Roots
Algonquin Publishing was the brainchild of Charleston native Rubin who believed several students' writing deserved publishing. In establishing a house for the sole purpose of printing his students' work, Rubin molded Algonquin to speak with a strong Southern drawl, and that downhome feel soon attracted some of the region's most promising writers.
Even with the 1989 merger with New-York based Workman Publishing, Algonquin has upheld its own sub-Mason-Dixon-line flair and sense of style--to the suprise of many observers. "We still have that Southern accent... [that] Southern dent," Scharlatt said.
Stern concurred. "We were first considered a Southern house. We were very accessible, and it's an image we've been able to retain even though we are [now] a national house," she said.
Interestingly enough, the transition from local to national has had primarily positive effects. Even though Algonquin maintains its Southern roots, Workman has provided it access to a wide-ranging network of booksellers and authors across the nation.
With a novel currently holding the number 33 slot on The New York Times Hardcover Fiction Bestseller List and without the slightest dip in reputation, Algonquin is truly a local boy done good.
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.