We're very pleased to have grabbed some time with Lee Harris, Assistant Editor for Angry Robot.
Angry Robot stormed the shelves last year with colorful new titles and a host of aggressive marketing (including an ambitious & impressive commitment to digital). We got Mr Harris chatting about the state of the market and what we can expect to see from Angry Robot in 2010 (and beyond).
2009 was a busy first year for Angry Robot. The imprint went from a concept to a full shelf of books. Great marketing, top-rated blog... are you satisfied with the year, or do you feel there was still some unfinished business?
Well, thanks for those nice things you just said. It's safe to say we're extremely happy with the way 2009 went, and our total sales for the year exceeded expectations, which is always a good thing.
Our original intention was to launch in the US in the autumn of 2009, but we were presented with some great alternative distribution opportunities, which meant putting the US and Canadian side of the business back half a year, but even this will be to the benefit of our titles. So, no - no unfinished business.
Angry Robot's first sequels are hitting the shelves in 2010, as well as some new works (Aztecs! Steampunk!). What are you most excited about in 2010?
It's our first full year! In 2009 we published 9 novels (from July to November). This year we'll publish dozens! And the sequels you mentioned? I've read some of them already and they're even better than the first books. But most excited about in 2010? Finding more great debut novelists, and telling everyone how great they are!
Angry Robot's goal has been to publish the "best new titles for the future of Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Horror and all points in-between". I think the key word (or the most intriguing one) is "future". As much as it is possible to predict, what do you think the future of genre fiction holds? Are you feeling ready for it?
As much as anyone can be ready for it, yes. We're in the fortunate position of being able to tweak our lists as we see fit - we're not completely bound by a predefined idea of what an Angry Robot book looks like. Oh, we know it when we see it, and we have decided on the criteria, of course, but if something new came in? Something unexpected? We'd be ready for it.
And as for "what does the future of genre fiction hold"? If I could answer that with any degree of accuracy I'd make millions. What I can say is that it will continue to excite, frustrate, disappoint and surprise in pretty much the same way as it does now. As long as we're there for numbers 1 and 4, I'm happy!
What do you think differentiates Angry Robot from some of the other genre publishers in the marketplace (e.g. Abaddon or Pyr)?
Both superb publishers, of course. Firstly, we're playing in a market we've termed "post-YA" - our aim is to publish books with the same level of energy and excitement that you get from your X-Box or PlayStation. We're looking to hook the readers who are just a bit too old for YA, but don't quite know where to turn next. Along the way we've picked up some pretty dedicated adult readers, of course, but that's just a testament to some of the great writing we've already uncovered.
We're also a global imprint, which is unusual these days. Our books are released in English all over the world under our name, rather than just specific territories. We also have a commitment to publishing in all formats - eBooks are already with us, audio is coming very soon.
Some wild speculation for you... any chance that authors from the rest of the HarperCollins family will publish under Angry Robot (even using a pen name)? William Hague would be my preference, but what about Clive Barker or Darren Shan?
Well, that's happening already - we're publishing Kylie Chan's first three books this spring. She had enormous success in her native Australia with them (they've all been through between 6 and 8 reprints!) - in Oz they were published under the HarperCollins Voyager label. I don't think you'll see this too often, though.
Your favorite angry robot?
C3PO - Ok, not so much angry as miffed, but if you concentrated his daily annoyance quota into a couple of minutes, he'd explode!
Angry Robot books (and e-books) are available for purchase online and in your local, quality bookshops. Plus, two Angry Robot authors are signing in London on February 12th - join John Meaney and Aliette de Bodard at Forbidden Planet.
