RFI: Napkin Books

[james_davis_nicoll]

Someone pointed out Napkin Books to me in email. There's not a lot of information on their website about the company. Does anyone know anything about them?

(Yes, I've sent them email asking about the company but there's no reason to expect them to answer my questions out of the blue)

Comments

[kgbooklog.livejournal.com]

Being a Canadian company at the moment

Sounds like they expect that to change without warning.

[cat-collector.livejournal.com]

From their website: "Napkin Books is looking for fresh idea's..." Would that include fresh ideas about English usage? It doesn't exactly inspire confidence in me.

[winterknight.livejournal.com]

all i can think is: i do not want my work associated with anything that is flimsy, disposable, and used to wipe people's mouths after a good greasy meal of ribs.

and i can hardly claim to write anything that anyone should take seriously. i can't imagine that anyone more literary would feel far differently than i do. :p

[james-nicoll.livejournal.com]

I am told that 326 Erb Street West is an apartment building. I guess I could swing by and see whose name is on apartment 7's mailbox (Canada 411 lists nine numbers for that address but not AFAIK by apartment #).

[robertprior.livejournal.com]

Given the poor knowledge of either grammar or proofreading shown on their website, if I was an author I would hesitate before submitting a manuscript to them…

[iayork.livejournal.com]

Is there any reason why being a Canadian company means they can only deal with Canadian citizens? I could understand Canadian residents, so they don't have to deal with international contracts and payment, but why citizens? Or is it another part of their general incoherence and amateurishness?

[quicktongue.livejournal.com]

Hey James, I'm still thinking about these guys, and their Canadian citizenship requirement, and I think I figured it out. The Canada Council for the Arts' grants for "Emerging Publishers" has a Canadian content requirement.

http://www.canadacouncil.ca/grants/writing/of127227340679531250.htm

[glomp.livejournal.com]

I just came across this entry of yours after I googled Napkin Books, and I was wondering if you'd gotten more information about them? They just friended me on LJ, and I don't know what's up with that. I'm currently trying to write a fantasy story, and I have no clue how they found out about this, or if that's even the reason why they friended me.

Please let me know if you know more about them? Thank you.

[allrightwithme.livejournal.com]

They friended me randomly today as well--I googled them, and the only place I could find information about them was actually this post.

Honestly, I think they're just friending anyone who lives in Canada and has writing as an interest--my livejournal is mostly a sex blog, as is fairly obvious by my profile page, but they've still got me friended.

Anyways, I'll be watching this post to see what other information comes up about them. Something about them kinda sketches me out, but I can't quite get my finger on it.

[agoodwinsmith.livejournal.com]

Another new friending here, too. I'm a little concerned that their website doesn't list any published works, or works in progress, or whatever it is that will make a vendor wish to order from them. Okay, early days, but an "under construction" section would at least have indicated they were planning to sell what they publish.

[lstaylor.livejournal.com]

This kinda creeps me out, too. Hope you don't mind that I'm adding you.

I posted a similar question over at the Compuserve Books and Writing community. Will let you know if I learn anything -- though my post is more likely to receive dire warnings from authors instead.
http://community.compuserve.com/n/pfx/forum.aspx?tsn=1&nav=messages&webtag=ws-books&tid=60815