Sander Hicks, best known in publishing circles as the founder of the punk-anarchist indie house Soft Skull, has started a new venture to disseminate his left-minded books. Vox Pop, which is equal parts retailer and publisher (the name adorns Hicks's books as well as his coffee shop/bookstore in Queens, N.Y.), is looking to benefit from the kind of publicity on its latest title that Soft Skull garnered for its breakout hit, J.H. Hatfield's controversial Fortunate Son, in 1999.
Vox Pop, which has already released three titles (including Hicks's own, a take on 9/11 and the coverups involved in it, titled Big Wedding), will be publishing a paperback edition of a book by Air America founder Sheldon Drobny. Road to Air America: Breaking the Right Wing Stranglehold on Our Nation's Airwaves) was released by Select Books in hardcover in October 2004 and is coming out from Vox Pop in paperback in May under the title Defying the Distortion: How We Created Air America, the New Radio Revolution.
According to Hicks, Drobny hooked up with him after seeing Horns and Halos (Michael Galinski and Suki Hawley's documentary about Fortunate Son, which featured Hicks). Drobny's book—which recounts his establishment of the liberal-leaning Air America and also delves into the suspect actions of the media throughout history in deciding to cover some stories and not others—was, according to Hicks, something Select was "all too happy to let go." According to Hicks, the book was mis-marketed by the imprint—Hicks pointed out that Select went with a front cover showing a U.S. flag draped around a microphone that made the title look too much "like a Fox News product." Hicks is hoping he can stir the pot significantly more than Select did. Among the initiatives Hicks has in mind for Distortion are sending sample chapters to lefty Web sites like buzzflash.com, speaking engagements at peace rallies and significant promotion on Air America.
That Hicks is hoping he can do something mainstream houses can't, and sometimes won't, is the running thread behind Vox Pop. Calling the house "Soft Skull plus" with its narrowed focus on "politics and political activism" Vox Pop will be dedicated to a specific brand of nonfiction.
Insta Excitement
Hicks is also using his bookstore/coffee shop as a way to generate excitement and open up the political debate. Outfitted with an Instabook machine, Vox Pop (the store) is able to host unusual readings. While the machine draws customers looking to self-publish on a small scale, it's also used for in-store events.
Recently, for example, Vox Pop hosted author Anthony Lappé reading from his book True Lies; as a bonus for customers, Hicks used the Instabook machine to print out copies of a chapter Lappe's publisher, Plume, didn't use in the original book. According to Hicks, the segment was too risky for a mainstream house and, true or not, the lure of sharing this "lost chapter" was enough to draw a crowd. This kind of event, said Hicks, is exactly what he would like to continue to do, and, in that spirit, a newly hired event coordinator is reaching out to publishers.
