SP!: HOW DID YOU FIRST COME ON BOARD?
that we usually do really well with the project. As far as subject
matter, we’re open to anything, as long as we feel it’s a book
JI: I actually backed the Fracture Kickstarter. Wait… I’m getting we can get behind.
ahead of myself. I met Shawn Pryor at a convention back in 2008
or 2009, he interviewed me for his podcast, and we became SP!: ANY “DO’S AND DON’TS” FOR PEOPLE HOPING TO GET
friends. I met the rest of the guys at various points over the years, PUBLISHED WITH YOU?
so I knew almost everyone involved. When I was going to launch
Molly Danger, I decided to go to Action Lab, because I could see JI: You have to come prepared, with a creative team in place.
they had something going on in terms of quality and presenta- We want to see a pitch, a script sample, and at least five to six
tion. Last year, having worked with the guys and gone to shows pages of completed artwork. Since ALE primarily deals with creand spent time with them, I basically volunteered for the position. ator-owned books, we’re not really set up to play matchmaker
SP! You’ve got a diverse catalogue, one which spans between creators. You can find all our submission guidelines
various genres. A quick look at your website reveals offer- on the company website.
ings in SF, Fantasy, Superhero Adventure, Crime Drama
and Mystery; and a range from “all ages” through to SP!: SEVERAL ACTION LAB TITLES (EXAMPLES: MOLLY DANGER,
“mature readers only”. What is Action Lab looking for MIDNIGHT TIGER) WERE INITIALLY SOURCED THROUGH
when you decide whether to accept a title for publication? CROWDFUNDING. WHAT DOES AC TION LAB PROVIDE TO
CREATORS WHO APPROACH YOU WITH THE INITIAL FUNDING
JI: We have a publishing committee that votes on every book, so ALREADY SECURED?
it’s not just one person making the decision of what gets published. We have to feel like a project is something the major- JI: Infrastructure and distribution are the biggest pluses. We
ity of the group can get behind. It’s a great process because eliminate a lot of the headaches involved with self-publishing.
our tastes are so divergent that, while not every project has a Once a book joins ALE, we give it as much attention as possi100 percent quorum behind it, there’s enough of a consensus ble in terms of production and promotion. We also offer one
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SELF PUBLISHER MAGAZINE 2015