Today we’d like to introduce you to Paul C. Graham.
Hi Paul, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, you could tell our readers some of your backstories.
I am a native South Carolinian and have always felt proud to be from such a historically rich State. I grew up in Columbia and went to public schools in the 1970s and 1980s. After taking some “time off,” I went back to college to study art but ended up in several philosophy classes that bewitched me and caused me to change majors. By the time I finished, I had a BA and a MA in philosophy, something I have never regretted. I’ve worked in retail, banking, State government, and education. All of these prepared me, in some way or another, for the publishing business.
I met my business partner, Dr. Clyde Wilson—Distinguished Professor Emeritus from the University of South Carolina—somewhere around 2010 at an Old South Christmas bazaar and parade in Abbeville, SC. I knew of Dr. Wilson from his voluminous works on the history of the South. A friend of mine was a student, and we had lunch with Dr. Wilson. To say I was star-struck would be an understatement. Over the next several years, Dr. Wilson and I began meeting monthly for lunch. I would borrow books from him when we met, return them, and get more at the following meeting. We eventually became friends and, of course, business partners.
Shotwell was founded in the aftermath of the anti-Southern hysteria—especially the Confederate era—that began to sweep the country in the summer of 2015. I was the media representative for the South Carolina Sons of Confederate Veterans (SC SCV) when the Dylan Roof murders occurred. This tragic event was politicized when photos of the murderer holding a Confederate Battle Flag surfaced in the middle of the chaos, confusion, outrage, and sadness brought about by such a senseless act of violence by a nobody in the sanctuary of a church. Being the media representative of a fraternal order consisting of descendants of Confederate soldiers (i.e., the SC SCV) is, under normal circumstances, not much of a job. This was not the case that summer!
Equivocating the meaning of the memorial flag at the Soldiers’ Monument with the display of it in the hands of a psychopathic mass murderer gave an entrance to those who had long wanted the flag removed into the fracas. In the end, the General Assembly bowed to the pressure and the flag was removed from Statehouse grounds within a week. This spark set off the attack on all things Southern, eventually including the removal of statues, memorials, and in the most heinous cases, the removal of the dead from their graves. I spoke with news outlets worldwide and did my best to explain the context in which the then-current flag flew and that Dylan Roof’s crimes had nothing to do with a war memorial. It was emotionally exhausting and frustrating because the history of that time, the Confederate era, is so interesting and misunderstood. Of course, I was afraid that taking a public stand against the flag’s opponents would cause me trouble, but I am just a person with a point of view and did not believe I did or said anything wrong or untrue. I am aware that other people may see things differently, and I am always happy to listen to their point of view (and discuss it, if the other party is willing) on issues related to the South or any other issue.
After that surreal week of interviews at the South Carolina Statehouse and all the intendant chaos I witnessed, I met Dr. Wilson at the Lizard’s Thicket Restaurant in downtown Columbia for our regular lunch meetings. I had been reading up on the new print-on-demand technology, which would make publishing possible in an affordable way, inventory unnecessary, and distribution done through third parties. I brought this up to Dr. Wilson, who, as it turned out, had been working on a book for his friend on CreateSpace, which is now Kindle Direct Publishing. He said he was in and already had a name for the company: Shotwell Publishing. I said okay, Shotwell, it is. Bam! It happened just like that. It was the stars lining up, or so it now seems to me. I would have never dreamed we would have gone so far, attracted so many fine authors, and gained a following.
We thought that it was important to get good, fairly inexpensive books into the hands of people who wanted to know more about the traditional Southern understanding of the War and how it was different than what is taught in American History classes, which are written from the victor’s point of view (as one would expect).
While we are primarily a non-fiction publisher, and most of our books deal in some way with the War, we have wonderful works of Southern Literature and Fiction available under our “Green Altar Books” imprint. Titles soon expanded to include much more than the Confederate era of the region. We now have publications covering periods from the Jamestown settlement of 1607 to the present day.
From our humble beginnings, we have attracted and published some of the most respected Southern authors in the world, as well as many up-and-comers who we fully expect, will be. With the two of us and a few hard-working subcontractors, we have published over 75 titles on a shoestring budget and have more manuscripts submitted to us than we could ever possibly get to for several years. For me, and I think Dr. Wilson would concur, it’s about getting people’s stories and research into print and available to the public in a time when freedom of speech is under assault, and the traditional publishing houses are afraid to be labeled as “neo-Confederate” or “racist” or some other derogatory appellation when such a position is not only ingenuine but rooted in falsehood and fear. I don’t think we should be afraid to be who we are, and we don’t mind that others who disagree with us do the same. That was once one of the defining characteristics of this country, which continues to fade into a shadow of the country I knew in my youth in the 1980s and my college years in the 1990s. It’s a shame. People used to get along and tolerate one another. It’s also strange because my generation never attended a segregated school, and many of us (black and white) have known each other since grade school. I was “the minority” in many of my classes in High School. Who cares?
We can’t help who we are, nor should we try to be something different because it’s unpopular with people who, in my experience, know next to nothing about the topics on which we tend to publish. We love the South—its history, traditions, and culture—and are proud of our inheritance as Southerners. Our books are a reflection of this love. For this, we make no apology. This may get us some hate mail, but what is one to do? Not tell the stories? Not publish the research? Keep important and noteworthy primary sources out of print. Have strangers dictate what we think is worth preserving and sharing? Hide in the closet? Walk in shame because someone somewhere said the South is bad? We’re not looking for converts to the “lost cause.” We’re just two men publishing books that people are free to read or not read. There’s no compulsion, and neither is there any ill will.
Our products stand out because they are real. We do what others will not do for reasons I do not understand. Many of our books should have been published by university presses, but they were on topics currently verboten. Now people want to publish with us, not because we were their last hope—which is fine by me if it’s good—but because they want their book to be a Shotwell title. How awesome is that? We like to say that we are going “where no redneck has ever gone before.” It was once said in jest, but it may just be the case. We shall see…
You wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been smooth?
We never set out to “make it,” so our expectations were low. We had very little money, and no one knew who we were. It was because Dr. Wilson, a well-known and well-respected historian, was involved that a few fine authors were willing to give us a shot. His name, reputation, important publications, and legendary status in some circles gave those first few authors (at least this is what I think) a chance to do business with the “Godfather of Southern History.” When we first began, I spent hours watching YouTube video tutorials on book formatting. Sometimes I would upload a manuscript dozens of times to find some little thing was off and try to figure out what it was, adjust, and try again. We didn’t know how to do it, but we knew it could be done. Many late nights. Much frustration. I was wondering if it was worth the trouble. We were lucky to know a good graphic artist and have always had pretty incredible covers, but they have also improved dramatically with trial and error. We knew nothing about publishing and did not wish to learn about traditional publishing houses. The business model is very different and we saw no reason to try to imitate a dying animal. This has helped us keep it real and uncomplicated. Sweating deadlines, unexpected technical issues, striking a balance between what the author wants and what can reasonably be done, and a myriad of surprises that threw some projects into chaos and confusion were how we cut our teeth.
Nevertheless, we have learned and improved with every book. The difference between the first few and the last few publications shows some maturation. We’ve come a long way in almost 8 years of publishing, all things considered, but we have a long way to go if allowed.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For readers who might need to become more familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
I am the director of operations and oversee all aspects of the work. My favorite part of the process is doing the covers. Many Southern publishers have not done a great job in the past, but scholars and businessmen are not artists, and most authors are not picky when they want their book out yesterday. A book is judged by its cover, rightly or wrongly. A successful and well-known author self-published one of the first books we did. We got him to let us republish it with a new cover—one of our better ones. It continues to sell regularly and steadily even after 7 years or so. Our graphic artist and I often discuss covers while having a few drinks. It can be a lot of fun, especially when the occasion calls for “pushing the envelope!”
Do you have any advice for those just starting?
There are many more options out there than there used to be for publishers who employ print-on-demand technology. It was once basically limited to Amazon, but that has changed. Finding people who share your vision or will at least do their best to help you realize yours is important. Not everyone will. Just know that when one door shuts, numerous other doors open. Have a clear vision, believe in what you are doing, and do not let anyone else dictate what you know to be right, proper, and useful. In brief, stand on principle and, if need be, fall rather than compromise your principles. When known and lived, strong, well-grounded, morally sound principles engender courage and confidence, and people begin to be drawn to the spirit of the enterprise. They become excited about it and feel like they are a part of it, and, of course, they are.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.shotwellpublishing.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/shotwellpublishing
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/shotwellpub
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/shotwellpub
Image Credits
Boo Jackson
