September 23rd, 2009 / 8:35 am
Author News & Massive People & Presses & Web Hype

Three Cheers for Blake!

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Hey remember when Blake posted about how major publishing houses have basically stopped taking on challenging, innovative fiction? Well it looks like big publishing has Struck Back. From Our Man’s personal blog, posted last night-

I’ve signed a two book deal with Harper Perennial, for a novel and a book of nonfiction. Crazy and exciting for me in many ways, most of all in having a book as crazy as the novel that has been bought is to be considered in the big houses. It seems a sign of good times, I think.

Sign of good times, indeed. Blake joins a team that already includes Dennis Cooper, Tony O’Neill, Kevin Sampsell, uh me, The Great Short Works of Tolstoy, the Six Word Memoir series, and all those amazing philosophy re-issues originally published in the Harper Torch series. Welcome to the family, brother!

Special Butler+Harper Bonus Reminder: “The Copy Family” at Fifty-two Stories. Remember back when this happened? I think it’s when HP’s love affair with Homebutler began. Which incidentally reminds me that it’s been way too long since we touched based with Fifty-two Stories. Cal, if you’re reading this- I’m on it.

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67 Comments

  1. Adam R

      The universe, hooray.

  2. Adam R

      The universe, hooray.

  3. Kevin O'Neill

      We all get free copies, right?

  4. Kevin O'Neill

      We all get free copies, right?

  5. +!O0o(o)o0O!+

      Sell out!

  6. +!O0o(o)o0O!+

      Sell out!

  7. Catherine Lacey

      Anonymous blog commenter!

  8. Catherine Lacey

      Anonymous blog commenter!

  9. Stephen Elliott

      congratulations. i published an anthology with those guys. they’re really great. it’s like an awesome small press located in the heart of this fearsome mega-publisher. really good people who care about writing.

  10. Stephen Elliott

      congratulations. i published an anthology with those guys. they’re really great. it’s like an awesome small press located in the heart of this fearsome mega-publisher. really good people who care about writing.

  11. +!O0o(o)o0O!+
  12. +!O0o(o)o0O!+
  13. james yeh

      congrats blake! awesome work.

  14. james yeh

      congrats blake! awesome work.

  15. davidpeak

      TOO AWESOME!

  16. davidpeak

      TOO AWESOME!

  17. jeff t johnson

      So good to know Harper Perennial has young, ambitious writers like Justin and Blake on its radar (and roster!). Congrats, Blake!

  18. jeff t johnson

      So good to know Harper Perennial has young, ambitious writers like Justin and Blake on its radar (and roster!). Congrats, Blake!

  19. MG

      Is this going to be ‘The Copy Family’ family novel?

      That would be sweet.

      Anything will be sweet, actually.

      Sweet. Props, dude.

  20. MG

      Is this going to be ‘The Copy Family’ family novel?

      That would be sweet.

      Anything will be sweet, actually.

      Sweet. Props, dude.

  21. Joseph Young

      saw this on his blog. too goddamn cool. huge ups, blake!!

  22. Joseph Young

      saw this on his blog. too goddamn cool. huge ups, blake!!

  23. Timmy Waldron

      This is exciting news, congratulations Blake!

  24. Timmy Waldron

      This is exciting news, congratulations Blake!

  25. anyreads

      fantastic congrats — just as yesterday i heard a stupid “vampire reimagining of wuthering heights” was sold to some other stupid publisher.

      i hope this (your sale, this good news) is the beginning of big new literary push in mainstream pub america.

      did your agent make the sale or did you actually first query this pub yourself? you’ve had some smallpress success & i’m sure that was the doorway in probly right?

      good news.

  26. anyreads

      fantastic congrats — just as yesterday i heard a stupid “vampire reimagining of wuthering heights” was sold to some other stupid publisher.

      i hope this (your sale, this good news) is the beginning of big new literary push in mainstream pub america.

      did your agent make the sale or did you actually first query this pub yourself? you’ve had some smallpress success & i’m sure that was the doorway in probly right?

      good news.

  27. Michael James

      thats whats up.

      i send good-good-feel vibes your way.

  28. Michael James

      thats whats up.

      i send good-good-feel vibes your way.

  29. Blake Butler

      hi MG, yes it is related to the Copy Family section.
      thanks for the good props.

  30. Blake Butler

      hi MG, yes it is related to the Copy Family section.
      thanks for the good props.

  31. Blake Butler

      thanks everybody! feels good so many good words

  32. Blake Butler

      thanks everybody! feels good so many good words

  33. Lincoln

      congrats duuuuuuuude

  34. Lincoln

      congrats duuuuuuuude

  35. MG

      That excites me to no end.

  36. MG

      That excites me to no end.

  37. Drew

      We did it!… Er, you did it!

  38. Drew

      We did it!… Er, you did it!

  39. david erlewine

      same here. That Copy story hasn’t left me. I loved/love it. So brutal and brilliant.

  40. david erlewine

      same here. That Copy story hasn’t left me. I loved/love it. So brutal and brilliant.

  41. david erlewine

      way to go Blake. I missed the chance to say I let that dude abuse me in poker.

  42. david erlewine

      way to go Blake. I missed the chance to say I let that dude abuse me in poker.

  43. alec niedenthal

      congrats! i’m excited to see what the cover art will be.

      this news makes me feel better about being alive.

  44. alec niedenthal

      congrats! i’m excited to see what the cover art will be.

      this news makes me feel better about being alive.

  45. reynard seifert

      i second these emotions

  46. reynard seifert

      i second these emotions

  47. Patrick deWitt

      This has probably been said, but I feel like Harper Perennial is coming together with its roster much in the way independent record labels once did and still sometimes do – a shared feeling or sympathy among the artists in conjunction with the good taste of the company itself. Congratulations to you, Blake. Great and rare news.

  48. Patrick deWitt

      This has probably been said, but I feel like Harper Perennial is coming together with its roster much in the way independent record labels once did and still sometimes do – a shared feeling or sympathy among the artists in conjunction with the good taste of the company itself. Congratulations to you, Blake. Great and rare news.

  49. Blake Butler

      thanks a lot Patrick, I feel that way too.

  50. Blake Butler

      thanks a lot Patrick, I feel that way too.

  51. Michael Schaub

      Finally, some good publishing news. Congratulations, man! Also, I insist that your about-the-author photo be you in a sweater holding a kitty. See what you can do about that.

  52. Michael Schaub

      Finally, some good publishing news. Congratulations, man! Also, I insist that your about-the-author photo be you in a sweater holding a kitty. See what you can do about that.

  53. Aaron

      Hot damn, that is stellar news Blake. You are an insanely talented and hard working artist, and you deserve it. Cheers to you!

  54. Aaron

      Hot damn, that is stellar news Blake. You are an insanely talented and hard working artist, and you deserve it. Cheers to you!

  55. Justin Rands

      Rippin off DIXXXX

  56. Justin Rands

      Rippin off DIXXXX

  57. It’d be pretty sweet if Carl Weathers was your dad « Suffer the Gringo

      […] to Atlantan wild man Blake Butler for signing up to publish two books with Harper Perennial. Those books promise to completely rule (check out his just-released book Scorch Atlas here. As […]

  58. brian foley

      I am Dad proud

  59. brian foley

      I am Dad proud

  60. Jac Jemc

      yes.

  61. Jac Jemc

      yes.

  62. claybanes

      Ditto. For a week in your honor I call them Harper and not Murdoch Corp.

  63. claybanes

      Ditto. For a week in your honor I call them Harper and not Murdoch Corp.

  64. christopher ryan

      this is so cool. congrats!

  65. christopher ryan

      this is so cool. congrats!

  66. davidpeak

      how cool is it that blake was mentioned in this morning’s publisher’s lunch?

  67. davidpeak

      how cool is it that blake was mentioned in this morning’s publisher’s lunch?