12 Reasons I Love Being a Book Publisher

Sometimes it’s important to reflect on why we do what we do. Today, I thought I’d share with you some of the reasons I love book publishing.
by Rose O’Keefe, owner of Eraserhead Press and imprints Deadite Press, Lazy Fascist Press, Fungasm Press, Spunk Goblin Press, The New Bizarro Author Series and the Magazine of Bizarro Fiction. An independent publishing company since 1999. 

1. I love books and love sharing stories with people.
   • My passion for books is lifelong. I love reading them, I love creating them, I love owning them and I love sharing them. A good story can transport you, transform you, and teach you about life, yourself and other people.
2. I love creating an entertaining experience for people.
   • Whether it be the experience of reading a great story or attending a fun party. I love thinking about the type of experience I want people to have when they first discover one of our books or interact with us online or in person.
3. I love bringing people together to share their talents and create cool things.
   • From writers to artists to editors to designers to booksellers, so much talent is involved in the creation and release of a book. I delight in coordinating projects and bringing together talented individuals to create something greater than the sum of its parts.
4. I love encouraging people to read and talking to them about books.
   • See also #1. Reading is sexy. Enough said.
5. I love interacting with artistic, creative, passionate people.
   • This has been my life goal since I was a little kid. I didn’t care what I did, as long as it involved lots of people with creative passion.
6. I love doing something that challenges my intellect and emotions and allows me to experience the feeling that I am contributing to something greater than myself.
   • Owning a business, being a community leader, teaching, creating events and works of art challenge me fully in all the best ways. I am grateful every day for the challenges that offer opportunities for my personal growth and experience of life.
7. I love injecting some surprise and fun into people’s lives.
   • I’ve always been unconventional. I like to publish books that people wouldn’t find anywhere else. Books that are fun and surprising and bring people joy.
8. I love doing business in alignment with my highest values with people I trust and respect.
   • I am lucky to have the ability to choose the way in which I work and the good fortune to work with such people.
9. I love creating experiences where outsiders and people who are often on the fringe feel less alone.
   • In books I have found solace, camaraderie, and information otherwise hidden from my experience. There’s nothing quite like reading a book that feels like it was meant just for you. Discovering that you are not alone in the deepest, darkest, or weirdest thoughts you’ve ever imagined brings a great sense of connection and belonging that I, for one, continuously crave. I also like to incorporate this sensibility into the events I create and the way that I do business with people.
10. I love promoting the idea that uniqueness and oddity are interesting and beautiful.
    • Because it is. I look for stories that express this is some way. This is a quality of all the art I admire.
11. I love contributing to culture in a way that encourages intelligence, open mindedness and acceptance.
    • Some of my core values! To appreciate Bizarro Fiction takes an open mind. I will endeavor to always do everything in my power to promote free speech and creative expression.
12. I love to cheer on talent that I admire and share it with others.
    • Because LOVE!