Enter your email Address

ENTROPY
  • About
    • About
    • Masthead
    • Advertising
    • Submission Guidelines
    • Info on Book Reviews
  • Essays
    • All Introspection
      Creative Nonfiction / Essay

      The Animal Form

      January 22, 2021

      Creative Nonfiction / Essay

      On Fantasy and Artifice

      January 19, 2021

      Creative Nonfiction / Essay

      Tales From the End of the Bus Line: Aging Ungraciously

      January 18, 2021

      Creative Nonfiction / Essay

      Salt and Sleep

      January 15, 2021

      Introspection

      The Birds: A Special Providence in the Fall of a Sparrow

      January 2, 2020

      Introspection

      Returning Home with Ross McElwee

      December 13, 2019

      Introspection

      The Birds: In Our Piety

      November 14, 2019

      Introspection

      Variations: Landslide

      June 12, 2019

  • Fiction
    • Fiction

      The Birds: Little Birds

      December 11, 2020

      Fiction

      The Birds: Perdix and a Pear Tree

      December 9, 2020

      Fiction

      The Birds: A Glimmer of Blue

      November 23, 2020

      Fiction

      The Birds: Circling for Home

      November 13, 2020

      Fiction

      The Birds: The Guest

      November 9, 2020

  • Reviews
    • All Collaborative Review Video Review
      Review

      Review: Dear Marshall, Language is Our Only Wilderness by Heather Sweeney

      January 21, 2021

      Review

      Review: Shrapnel Maps by Philip Metres

      January 18, 2021

      Review

      Perceived Realities: A Review of M-Theory by Tiffany Cates

      January 14, 2021

      Review

      Review: Danger Days by Catherine Pierce

      January 11, 2021

      Collaborative Review

      Attention to the Real: A Conversation

      September 3, 2020

      Collaborative Review

      A Street Car Named Whatever

      February 22, 2016

      Collaborative Review

      Black Gum: A Conversational Review

      August 7, 2015

      Collaborative Review

      Lords of Waterdeep in Conversation

      February 25, 2015

      Video Review

      Entropy’s Super Mario Level

      September 15, 2015

      Video Review

      Flash Portraits of Link: Part 7 – In Weakness, Find Strength

      January 2, 2015

      Video Review

      Basal Ganglia by Matthew Revert

      March 31, 2014

      Video Review

      The Desert Places by Amber Sparks and Robert Kloss, Illustrated by Matt Kish

      March 21, 2014

  • Small Press
    • Small Press

      Gordon Hill Press

      December 8, 2020

      Small Press

      Evidence House

      November 24, 2020

      Small Press

      death of workers whilst building skyscrapers

      November 10, 2020

      Small Press

      Slate Roof Press

      September 15, 2020

      Small Press

      Ellipsis Press

      September 1, 2020

  • Where to Submit
  • More
    • Poetry
    • Interviews
    • Games
      • All Board Games Video Games
        Creative Nonfiction / Essay

        How Zelda Saved Me: The Inspiration, Feminism, and Empowerment of Hyrule

        November 2, 2020

        Board Games

        Session Report: Victoriana and Optimism

        December 14, 2019

        Games

        Best of 2019: Video Games

        December 13, 2019

        Games

        Hunt A Killer, Earthbreak, and Empty Faces: Escapism for the Post-Truth Era

        September 21, 2019

        Board Games

        Session Report: Victoriana and Optimism

        December 14, 2019

        Board Games

        Ludic Writing: Lady of the West

        July 27, 2019

        Board Games

        Session Report: Paperback and Anomia

        July 27, 2019

        Board Games

        Ludic Writing: The Real Leeds Part 12 (Once in a Lifetime)

        November 10, 2018

        Video Games

        How Zelda Saved Me: The Inspiration, Feminism, and Empowerment of Hyrule

        November 2, 2020

        Video Games

        Best of 2019: Video Games

        December 13, 2019

        Video Games

        Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is the Spirit of Generosity

        December 31, 2018

        Video Games

        Best of 2018: Video Games

        December 17, 2018

    • Food
    • Small Press Releases
    • Film
    • Music
    • Paranormal
    • Travel
    • Art
    • Graphic Novels
    • Comics
    • Current Events
    • Astrology
    • Random
  • RESOURCES
  • The Accomplices
    • THE ACCOMPLICES
    • Enclave
    • Trumpwatch

ENTROPY

  • About
    • About
    • Masthead
    • Advertising
    • Submission Guidelines
    • Info on Book Reviews
  • Essays
    • All Introspection
      Creative Nonfiction / Essay

      The Animal Form

      January 22, 2021

      Creative Nonfiction / Essay

      On Fantasy and Artifice

      January 19, 2021

      Creative Nonfiction / Essay

      Tales From the End of the Bus Line: Aging Ungraciously

      January 18, 2021

      Creative Nonfiction / Essay

      Salt and Sleep

      January 15, 2021

      Introspection

      The Birds: A Special Providence in the Fall of a Sparrow

      January 2, 2020

      Introspection

      Returning Home with Ross McElwee

      December 13, 2019

      Introspection

      The Birds: In Our Piety

      November 14, 2019

      Introspection

      Variations: Landslide

      June 12, 2019

  • Fiction
    • Fiction

      The Birds: Little Birds

      December 11, 2020

      Fiction

      The Birds: Perdix and a Pear Tree

      December 9, 2020

      Fiction

      The Birds: A Glimmer of Blue

      November 23, 2020

      Fiction

      The Birds: Circling for Home

      November 13, 2020

      Fiction

      The Birds: The Guest

      November 9, 2020

  • Reviews
    • All Collaborative Review Video Review
      Review

      Review: Dear Marshall, Language is Our Only Wilderness by Heather Sweeney

      January 21, 2021

      Review

      Review: Shrapnel Maps by Philip Metres

      January 18, 2021

      Review

      Perceived Realities: A Review of M-Theory by Tiffany Cates

      January 14, 2021

      Review

      Review: Danger Days by Catherine Pierce

      January 11, 2021

      Collaborative Review

      Attention to the Real: A Conversation

      September 3, 2020

      Collaborative Review

      A Street Car Named Whatever

      February 22, 2016

      Collaborative Review

      Black Gum: A Conversational Review

      August 7, 2015

      Collaborative Review

      Lords of Waterdeep in Conversation

      February 25, 2015

      Video Review

      Entropy’s Super Mario Level

      September 15, 2015

      Video Review

      Flash Portraits of Link: Part 7 – In Weakness, Find Strength

      January 2, 2015

      Video Review

      Basal Ganglia by Matthew Revert

      March 31, 2014

      Video Review

      The Desert Places by Amber Sparks and Robert Kloss, Illustrated by Matt Kish

      March 21, 2014

  • Small Press
    • Small Press

      Gordon Hill Press

      December 8, 2020

      Small Press

      Evidence House

      November 24, 2020

      Small Press

      death of workers whilst building skyscrapers

      November 10, 2020

      Small Press

      Slate Roof Press

      September 15, 2020

      Small Press

      Ellipsis Press

      September 1, 2020

  • Where to Submit
  • More
    • Poetry
    • Interviews
    • Games
      • All Board Games Video Games
        Creative Nonfiction / Essay

        How Zelda Saved Me: The Inspiration, Feminism, and Empowerment of Hyrule

        November 2, 2020

        Board Games

        Session Report: Victoriana and Optimism

        December 14, 2019

        Games

        Best of 2019: Video Games

        December 13, 2019

        Games

        Hunt A Killer, Earthbreak, and Empty Faces: Escapism for the Post-Truth Era

        September 21, 2019

        Board Games

        Session Report: Victoriana and Optimism

        December 14, 2019

        Board Games

        Ludic Writing: Lady of the West

        July 27, 2019

        Board Games

        Session Report: Paperback and Anomia

        July 27, 2019

        Board Games

        Ludic Writing: The Real Leeds Part 12 (Once in a Lifetime)

        November 10, 2018

        Video Games

        How Zelda Saved Me: The Inspiration, Feminism, and Empowerment of Hyrule

        November 2, 2020

        Video Games

        Best of 2019: Video Games

        December 13, 2019

        Video Games

        Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is the Spirit of Generosity

        December 31, 2018

        Video Games

        Best of 2018: Video Games

        December 17, 2018

    • Food
    • Small Press Releases
    • Film
    • Music
    • Paranormal
    • Travel
    • Art
    • Graphic Novels
    • Comics
    • Current Events
    • Astrology
    • Random
  • RESOURCES
  • The Accomplices
    • THE ACCOMPLICES
    • Enclave
    • Trumpwatch
Small Press

Burrow Press

written by Entropy December 22, 2015

Website
Submission Guidelines


Interview with Ryan Rivas, Publisher

How did Burrow Press start?

Five years ago in a bar that has, over time, become a little less dive-y, me and co-founder Jana Waring met up to figure out a way to meet other fiction writers in Orlando. It started with one book (a locally themed anthology) and a book release party, and has since turned into ten books and over 80 events.

Jana moved to Los Angeles early on, and handed me the reigns. I didn’t have any money to fund a press, but I was already working for a very small literary nonprofit, Urban Think Foundation, named after Orlando’s only indie bookstore at the time. The only existing program under the Foundation was Page 15, which offers children’s literacy and creative writing programs. But there was room in the Foundation’s mission for more literary programing—publishing, readings, etc.—and I was able to move Burrow under the 501c3. That was a sort of serendipitous re-start and it may be the only reason BP is still around.

So, in short, Burrow started ass-backwards and with lots of luck.

Tell us a bit about Burrow Press. What are your influences, your aesthetic, your mission?

Burrow’s aesthetic is as varied as my personal influences (which are too numerous and scattered to name). I realize it is helpful, for various selfish and unselfish reasons, to focus on a niche in publishing, but I prefer the reckless impulsivity of following what interests me (and Burrow’s helpers) at any given moment.

Broadly speaking, Burrow is art first, commerce second. Good design is important. Working with local artists and designers is a personal goal. The writers can be from anywhere, but for the print books they tend to live in Florida. The books’ content, however, is all over the place. I lean more toward the weird and quirky. I look for language, vision, and a cohesion of the two. I am afraid that all of this sounds terribly pretentious, up to and including the phrase “terribly pretentious.”

Burrow’s mission is somewhat unique from many small presses because, in in addition to being committed to books, we are also committed to fostering and growing the literary community in Orlando and in Florida. We do that through a variety of community programing, including a reading series, a radio show, and working with Page 15 (the aforementioned children’s literacy program).

Can you give us a preview of what’s current and/or forthcoming from your catalog, as well as what you’re hoping to publish in the future?

This year we published a book of absurdist short stories about fatherhood (Pinkies by Shane Hinton) and a darkly comic novella that was the basis for Terry Gilliam’s film, The Zero Theorem (The Call: a virtual parable, by Pat Rushin—Pat also wrote the screenplay for the Gilliam film).

Next March we’re putting out something unabashedly realist: Forty Martyrs, a novel in stories by Flannery O’Connor award-winner Philip F. Deaver, which involves a fire, a stabbing, and a questionable religious sighting in a Midwestern college town. Also, we’re publishing a book of advice for young writers by some pretty famous authors whose names I cannot divulge until contracts are signed (proceeds benefitting Page 15!).

But Florida is near and dear to my heart, and so Burrow is actually moving toward a focus on Florida (while always leaving the door open for other projects). The state is so massive and diverse, we’re in no danger of hitting the same note or running out of rich material. This focus on Florida begins in 2016 with the launch of a blog, Fantastic Floridas (a phrase taken out of context from Rimbaud’s “The Drunken Boat”) and will extend into 2017 with some print books. The overall goal is to showcase the immense diversity and weirdness of the state in a literary way, since Florida literature is so often associated with mystery novels and sunburns and flip flops.

What about small/independent press publishing is particularly exciting to you right now?

I think the general indie landscape is always fascinating. It encompasses short-lived experiments and long-term sustainable projects, both of equal value, all part of a healthy eco-system of people who believe in the art of literature and are providing venues for that expression. It’s here where the innovation and evolution happens, so it’s always fun to watch.

How do you cope? There’s been a lot of conversation lately about charging reading fees, printing costs, rising book costs, who should pay for what, etc. Do you have any opinions on this, and would you be willing to share any insights about the numbers at Burrow Press?

I am incredibly lucky to work on literature every day, even if it involves inventory or budgets or whatever, so I cope just fine.

Rising print costs, figuring out how much to charge for books, and generally making money to sustain or grow the operation, is all part of the deal. It’s a damn job (multiple jobs) to keep it all going. It’s why most businesses don’t survive more than four years.

This is also why some presses / lit mags are driven to charge submission fees, but I don’t think that’s the right or sustainable path. You’re taxing the wrong part of the chain. Writers give publishers the material to present to readers. You should either charge readers for the material, or ask for donations, or eat all the costs yourself, or close up shop. Though it’s often a shame when a literary endeavor can no longer support itself, there’s no shame closing up shop.

We’d love to hear more about your connection with the literary community in Orlando and Florida in general. How would you describe that community?

Though Burrow’s books and media reach beyond our city, the literary community in Orlando is really what sustains us. I’ve written a whole overview of Orlando’s lit community, but, in short, there are a lot of talented writers from all kinds of backgrounds. Tons of these writers come out to literary events, and many run their own literary events, host podcasts, volunteer at a bookstore or with kids, run a press, and thus contribute to the local lit community. I think one projects inspires the next, and it all works because writers here support each other. Other artists are also aware of their literary arts counterparts, and the local media recognizes literature more and more alongside the “mainstream” arts like dance and theater (and pop culture events). Burrow was created in order to find this community, and so if Orlando hadn’t turned out to be such a great place to be a writer/editor/publisher, Burrow probably wouldn’t exist.


Recent Burrow Press releases:

Pinkies-Cover_main   The-Call-Cover_main   Songs_main   Train_main

Burrow Press was last modified: November 29th, 2015 by Entropy
communityFloridanonprofitOrlando
0 comment
0
Facebook Twitter Google + Pinterest
Avatar
Entropy

A new website featuring literary & non-literary content. A website that seeks to engage with the literary community, that becomes its own community, and creates a space for literary & non-literary ideas. About Entropy

previous post
Mall Confessions
next post
Upright Beasts by Lincoln Michel

You may also like

Robocup Press

April 11, 2017

Gazing Grain Press

February 7, 2017

alice blue books

September 1, 2015

NightBallet Press

July 25, 2017
Facebook Twitter Instagram

Recent Comments

  • Lei Yu wow so beautifully written!

    Review – : once teeth bones coral : by Kimberly Alidio ·  January 18, 2021

  • Lisa S Thank you so much for your kind words and your feedback. I can only hope my story is able to help someone who needs it.

    WOVEN: This isn’t love ·  January 8, 2021

  • Ann Guy Thank you, Josh. And glad you didn’t get tetanus at band camp on that misguided day.

    A Way Back Home ·  December 24, 2020

Featured Columns & Series

  • The Birds
  • Dinnerview
  • WOVEN
  • Variations on a Theme
  • BLACKCACKLE
  • Literacy Narrative
  • COVID-19
  • Mini-Syllabus
  • Their Days Are Numbered
  • On Weather
  • Disarticulations
  • The Waters
  • Session Report series
  • Birdwolf
  • Comics I've Been Geeking Out On
  • Small Press Releases
  • Books I Hate (and Also Some I Like)
  • The Poetics of Spaces
  • Fog or a Cloud
  • Tales From the End of the Bus Line
  • 30 Years of Ghibli
  • Cooking Origin Stories
  • YOU MAKE ME FEEL
  • Ludic Writing
  • Best of 2019
  • The Talking Cure
  • Stars to Stories
  • Food and Covid-19
  • DRAGONS ARE REAL OR THEY ARE DEAD
  • Foster Care
  • LEAKY CULTURE
  • Jem and the Holographic Feminisms
  • D&D with Entropy

Find Us On Facebook

Entropy
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram

©2014-2020 The Accomplices LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Read our updated Privacy Policy.


Back To Top