publishing – Stanton Fenwick

Fenwick Appears

Act One

Stanton Fenwick wrote a book. It wasn’t long. It wasn’t deep. It was just a simple farce, decades behind its time.

He worried his book would be misunderstood, that the world wasn’t ready for early twentieth-century literature.

Another concern: Stanton didn’t know how to write.

But he knew what he found funny, especially dry comedy. So he tapped out a few chapters.

His wife hated them.

He knew he was onto something big.

(His wife hated all of his favorite comedies. She preferred to escape into fantasy.)

My Trip to Austen

Prideful.

And prejudiced.

There could be no other interpretation of the committee’s response when I offered to deliver a lecture on Victorian comedy at their science fiction book fair.

It is a truth universally acknowledged that organizers of sci-fi book fairs are in desperate need of more interesting speakers.

I told them so.

They told me to get out.

Ruffian interns shepherded me to the street.

I received a call.

“Did you hear they approved a symposium on Jules Verne?” asked my agent.

Another blow.

I had been drawn to Texas, confident of the community’s embrace. Thousands would attend the fair, each a potential fan of my work.

I needed to be heard.

Early Reviews and Ratings

It’s early days, but feedback from my LibraryThing book giveaway of An Aspiration to Lie Flat looks very promising.

Here are some excerpts from the reviews. (The full reviews and more can be found on LibraryThing.)

“This is a totally inane book that should be read by many.”

Edit: I couldn’t agree more.

“To me, it was a big joke, in a good way.”

“This story is hilarious, absurd, has a lot of heart, and is almost scary as in how I can imagine it could actually happen to someone.”

“What a fun whirlwind of a read! Keep in mind that at a quick 129 pages there simply isn’t a lot of time for nuance. Just enjoy the ride! I sure did!”

“I wasn’t sure what to expect from An Aspiration to Lie Flat, but it completely won me over. The humor is dry and understated, the kind that lingers and gets funnier the more you think about it. The main character is a disaster in the best way, yet you can’t help but root for him. The writing is sharp, fresh, and unlike most books I’ve picked up. If you enjoy offbeat, clever stories that break away from the usual formula, this one is definitely worth reading.”

If you enjoy this blog, you will almost assuredly enjoy this book!

Fenwick Award Nomination Press Statement

The Fenwick Press™
April 10
For Circulation as Required

We are advised that Stanton Fenwick’s forthcoming novella, The Perils Of Making Progress, has been nominated for a Fenwick Award. The nomination was extended late Wednesday, following a review of the manuscript’s publicly available chapters and a collection of the author’s hastily scribbled notes.

This marks Mr. Fenwick’s fourth nomination overall and first for a work still under revision. The committee noted Stanton’s growth as an author, citing “early evidence of a plot” and “an almost human display of talent.”

Mr. Fenwick has acknowledged the nomination but has issued no statement.

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_{The Fenwick Press™ is not a real publishing house, though it tries very hard to behave like one. All names, institutions, and positions on this site are part of a satirical author persona. No affiliation with any actual entity, whether past, present, or even regrettably imagined, is intended.}

_{The Fenwick Press™ was founded in 1843 by accident and continues to publish pretty much “whatever.”}