Gibson House Press is an independent press publishing novels by musicians in the belief that songwriters and musicians of all kinds are connected to storytelling in a unique way. While the creativity of these authors has its inspiration in music, the books are not necessarily about music.
The fiction content is varied. Think: John Darnielle or Willy Vlautin.
In 2017, Gibson House is publishing debut novels by musicians and singer-songwriters Courtney Yasmineh and Nancy Burke.
In Courtney Yasmineh’s debut novel A Girl Called Sidney: The Coldest Place (June, $18), teenager Sidney flees Chicago for a rural Minnesota town in the wake of her parents’ disintegrating relationship. Booklist describes it as “a gritty coming-of-age story” for “readers who enjoy raw, gut-wrenching prose and intense tales of rebels.” Yasmineh, a Minneapolis-based musician noted for “a rock chick’s frankness, irony, and guts,” tours regularly in the US and Europe. Her seventh album will be released in 2018.
Undergrowth, Nancy Burke’s debut novel, is set in the lush Amazon rainforests, where a remote tribe contends with the steady encroachment of “civilization.” In this luminous novel, the all-too-human experiences of fear, love, and loss become amplified with potentially disastrous consequences. Hailed by award-winning anthropologist and human rights advocate Terry Turner as “a titanic feat of imagination . . . dramatically powerful,” Undergrowth (October, $18.95) is timely in its themes of environmental threat and indigenous rights. A novelist, musician, poet, and psychoanalyst in private practice, Burke’s poetry has appeared in After Hours, The American Poetry Journal, Permafrost, and other literary magazines. Her recording of original songs is American Goodbye.
Based in Chicago, Gibson House Press is devoted to fostering the fiction of musician-authors and looking for stories from creative writers, rock musicians, folk-inspired singer-songwriters, classical instrumentalists. The key is finding the inspired artist who has something to say.
Gibson House takes a boutique approach: Press founder Deb Robertson says, “We produce beautiful books. We go slow and develop our authors and our list in a thoughtful manner. We are not in a hurry to throw books into the world.
“We are grateful for the small press arm of distributor IPG that helps us go at our own pace, and we are hoping that booksellers and librarians will be waiting for the next books.”
A woman-owned business, Gibson House relies on a team of independent publishing contractors—talented designers, editors and other consultants who share our commitment to great literature in a distinctive niche.
We are interested in good stories and good music, in the voices of musicians, in promoting their fiction.
Gibson House is currently seeking fiction manuscripts by musicians. Our submission period is now open. We are looking for novels for our Fall 2018-Spring 2019 list. Upload your manuscript and cover letter on our Work With Us page. Deadline: October 31, 2017.
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