Welcome to the fifth article showcasing the participating editors and presses of my new indie-press centered pitch event, #SmallPitch. (If you are hearing about #SmallPitch for the first time, you can find information about the event here.)

I asked a few questions to Robert Lewis from Polymath Press, a Colorado-based publisher with a mission to publish only the finest in both fiction and non-fiction.

Can you introduce your press?

Polymath Press is a brand new publisher, established toward the end of 2023 by owner and executive editor Robert (Bob) Lewis with a mission to publish only the best of “whatever we want.”

Usually that means horror, mystery, fantasy, or science fiction, but also includes anything else that tickles our fancy including other genres and non-fiction (usually with some kind of nerdy or quirky element to it).

What will you be on the lookout for during #SmallPitch?

I’m a horror nerd (with separate emphases on both words), so of course I’m always looking for anything scary or anything nerdy. And if you’ve got one that ACTUALLY scares someone desensitized after decades of reading and watching horror, you’re already a winner in my book.

But I’m also not limiting my quest to a single genre. I read pretty much everything and I’m interested in publishing the same. The best advice I can offer is to show me something different from what I’ve already read a million times before. If it has some kind of intellectual element to it, all the better. I’m generally less interested in experimental formats. Not looking for any particular themes or author demographics (except that I can only accept pitches in the English language).

Full guidelines are available here. If, during the event, I’ve asked to see a full manuscript or excerpt, follow the same guidelines EXCEPT send the full manuscript and a detailed synopsis as a .doc, .docx, or .rtf file to the same email address (in other words, you can skip the initial query) and add “SmallPitch” somewhere in the subject line so I’ll remember where it came from.

Response times will vary depending on how many pitches I receive but feel free to query about its status at any time. If I have NOT requested to see the manuscript during the event, please only send a query in accordance with the guidelines on the website.

In your opinion, what’s the benefit for authors to work with an independent press like yours vs. big publishers and/or self-publishing?

I think small presses are in many ways the best of both worlds.

Self-publishing allows complete control but also requires the author to master all elements of the business (including writing, editing, cover design, marketing, bookkeeping, legal, and so on and on). The Big Five (which continue to threaten to become the Big Four) absolutely have more resources than individual authors or a small press, but they’re a tougher nut to crack in the first place. And even if you do, you’re not going to be involved in every step of the process.

With a small press, the publishing house is able to take some of the burden off the author and assume some of the risk of publishing while also working more closely with authors to make sure the book ends up exactly how everyone wants it to be.  Rather than getting lost in a monolithic bureaucracy or trying to go it alone, authors can work closely with publishers and join a small but dedicated group of other authors working with the same publisher to get their books in the hands of the right readers.

What’s your opinion on the role of independent presses in the current publishing market?

I’m not sure if I know how to answer this question without writing a lengthy dissertation complete with graphs and spreadsheets. I did warn you I’m a nerd.  But to keep it short, I think there are different roles a small press can play, but in most cases it comes down to expanding the reach of individual authors. Some specialty presses can become known as “the” place to get a particular niche subgenre. Others (like Polymath Press) can be more generalized, but in either case, they relieve some of the author’s burden and help authors reach audiences they wouldn’t necessarily be able to find if they were to self-publish, while also being more personal and accessible than the big houses.

I also think there’s an element of quality control. Anyone can self-publish these days, and AI is making it even easier. But readers know that well enough to be cautious of unknown authors, and they also know that if they’ve found an independent press whose books they tend to like, there’s a much better chance they’ll like the next new book even if it’s from an author they don’t know. And I think authors also know when they sign with a small press that they’re joining a family of other authors (and editors and artists and so forth) who share common goals and are probably interested in working together to make sure everyone succeeds.

What’s your favorite part of being an editor at your press?

That’s easy: reading the books and stories. Were I wealthy enough to not have to work, I’d most of my time reading (okay, and playing chess and woodworking and watching movies, but still mostly reading). That I get to do so all day and call it work is amazing.

What type of author do you like to work with?

Honestly I just like working with someone excited about their work and professional enough to make sure the work (whether we’re talking about editing or marketing or whatever else) gets done as well as possible.

When it comes to creative questions, I love working with authors who have opinions about things (whether that’s cover art or editorial notes or marketing strategy) but also willing to hear me out and discuss my own thoughts before we come to a decision.

As an editor, what’s your pet peeve?

When it comes to copyediting, that’s an easy one: comma splices. One of my old college professors managed to beat that particular pet peeve into my head. Fortunately they’re also an easy fix.

When it comes to the bigger picture stuff, it’d have to be failure to follow guidelines. I recently received an unsolicited submission incorrectly formatted, in an a non-standard file type, and in a language I don’t speak. I’m really not a stickler about these things, but at least TRY to follow the guidelines.

How does your press engage with readers?

Anywhere and everywhere we can. We try to have a presence at as many events as possible because in person is probably the best way to engage with anyone. But at the same time, social media gives us access to readers and vice versa.

The key thing to remember (and this goes to advice for authors as well) is that it’s not just about advertising. Yeah, that’s important, but a good place to start is just by being approachable and talking to people about whatever’s on their mind. We just try to steer clear of politics both because it makes us feel icky and because whatever you say is sure to anger half of your audience.

What’s your favorite writing advice you’d like to share with aspiring authors?

Read a lot. Not just in your own genre. Read everything. If you look around my library you’ll find just about every genre of fiction and every subject of non-fiction imaginable and I really do read all of them. You should too, because not only does it help you develop your own voice and style but it also gives you the pool of information to draw upon for inspiration.

What’s your vision for your press in the coming years?

I have to keep some of that under my hat because I don’t want anyone else beating me to some of my ideas. But the most important thing is just to keep growing. And that means bringing in new authors and artists as well as reaching new readers.

For Polymath Press specifically, a lot of that involves reaching across genres. Few people read only one kind of book. And while there’s certainly nothing wrong with specialty presses that do only one thing, nor with the huge publishers that do a bit of everything, I think Polymath Press is already finding a kind of sweet spot in the middle where we’re able to publish a wide variety (and getting even wider in the coming months) but with enough crossover between the various titles that readers attracted to one book are likely to find another one that also catches their interest even if they never would have sought it out in the bookstore.

Beyond that, we’re also working on reaching across the proverbial aisle to other forms of entertainment and media. The hope is that we’ll be able to use those other formats to also grow our readership.

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