First, the rundown:
I wrote an admiring review of Charles D'Ambrosio's collection of essays, Orphans, that expressed interest in the subscription publishing model of Clear Cut Press. I was alerted to the fact that Clear Cut hardly served D'Ambrosio on Orphans; I put forth the story on the unfortunate news in the words of a vigilant reader.
It went something like this:
"(Clear Cut) was supposed to do a limited run that wouldn't conflict with the planned Knopf hardcover. Instead they rushed it out, got it reviewed, and effectively killed the hardback.
"Charlie wasn't too happy about this--it's still a sore point with him, I think, and who can blame him? Really a shitty thing to do. So much as I love this book and think it should be a part of everyone's home ... I try NOT to endorse Clear Cut Press when I recommend the book. In fact the opposite. ..."
You may have noticed that Matthew Stadler, a Clear Cut Press editor, commented on both those posts. He expressed his version of the story--which was quite different than what else we'd heard.
Stadler wrote:
"Your friend is wrong about Charlie's disagreements with Clear Cut. ... Check with (D'Ambrosio) on this, if you're interested. Otherwise, please don't post comments that do damage to what was ultimately a well-intentioned, if flawed, attempt to bring some great writing into print."
Now, while I have no firsthand knowledge of the happenings between D'Ambrosio and Clear Cut, I should affirm that the reader who first told the story heard it from Charlie directly, and is someone who I know and trust.
But to underline the fact that this is hardly hearsay, it seems worth following through on Stadler's advice to get the story from D'Ambrosio directly.
Not a feat, since D'Ambrosio tells all in one of the great interviews over at the Emerging Writers Forum.
Here's an excerpt from D'Ambrosio's conversation with Dan Wickett in 2005:
Dan: The collection was published by Cold Cut Press, a small publisher based out of Astoria, OR. Can you explain why you decided to go with them?
Charlie: I don't know --the publishers are friends of mine, but going with them has turned out to be something of a mistake. Originally I was under the impression that my book would be part of subscription book series, that people would sign up and receive a series of six or eight elegantly designed books, that it would be this boutique operation, etc. --so I said yes. At the same time I signed a contract with Knopf, who would publish essentially the same collection in hardback and get it into bookstores and into the hands of reviewers.
But then Clear Cut changed their model, or something, and crossed over into traditional publishing terrain; and as soon as Publishers Weekly reviewed their edition of the book, I realized that I would have to pull my contract at Knopf. I'm a little heartsick at this moment, heartsick and pissed off. Things have been a little frosty between me and Clear Cut. Had I known the full story, I would never have published with them. It just wasn't smart for me --I lost money, the books won't ever be on the shelves at book stores, and Clear Cut just can't reach the readers Knopf would have reached. Plus, Knopf is publishing my next collection of stories, and it would have meant a lot to me to have both books at the same house. I'll regret this move for a long time. I lost a lot, publishing with a small press. I thought I was doing them a favor, I thought I was being nice, but really I was just being stupid.
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