Busy day at Bleak House. Short podcast and an interview with the delightful Jen Jordan.

This podcast consists mainly of shout outs to former interns, a rehashing of other things, and for the most part is a waste of time. If you're amused by stuff like that, well, you've got a real treat for you just a few seconds away.

Author Craig McDonald (Head Games, Bleak House, Sept.) stops by and talks about the legend surrounding the missing head of Pancho Villa, the Bush family involvement, and what role the Yale University's Skull and Bones society may have played in the whole thing. He also talks about writing and authors. This interview could have gone on for hours.

Meanwhile (or, actually, beforehand) Ben and Alison discuss the news of the day, taste test a new energy drink, and offer an invitation to any aspiring author--be a guest on the podcast and ask all the questions you want to of a real live publisher. Interested in that last bit? Send an email to publicity@bleakhousebooks.com to get your name in the hat.

Jonathan Messinger joins us from Chicago by way of The Future is Bleak virtual studio. We discuss his independent publishing house Featherproof, the challenges facing an indy to define who they are without being the "anti-BIG PUBLISHING young punk," what editorial niche Featherproof is trying to fill, and some other things including Featherproof submission guidelines.

Those of you in the Chicago area should go out and support them tonight. For more information visit www.featherproof.com

For more on Jonathan visit www.shootthemessinger.com

This podcast is dedicated to Punk Planet (who set a great model for both Bleak House Books and Featherproof). Thank you for everything. Your spirit lives on.

What's expected of an author? What's expected of a publishing company? The great promotional discussion continues.

Brief show. We discuss big publishing vs. small publishing. Pros and cons. Not much to it.

b.

We talk about first time authors (for real this time) and answer questions about what we publish and who reads our books. Probably the best 20 minutes we've spent today. We hope you enjoy.

Quite possibly the most indulgent podcast in the history of the internet. A true challenge to anybody's patience. And, if you make it through all that, there's the often discussed Sean Chercover interview.

How can a first time writer get published? We give our answer. We also waste time talking about what we've been reading and doing around the office.

Today marks a tragic day here at the Future is Bleak. What you are listening to is the second take of the June 11th episode. The first take was not recorded, but may very well have been the funniest thing we'd done to date. We are truly saddened by the loss of this hilarity.

We somehow managed to discuss the Dorito X-13D again (Alison procured a bag for me), answered some questions, and yammered on at great length about nothing in particular.

Intern Derek joined us in the second half of the show to discuss his near fatal rollerblading incident.

We want to send a very loud and sincere "Get Well Soon, Good Man" to Paul A. Toth (p.dot). You're in our thoughts.

With Alison out of the office, I'm left to fend for myself. So, I do what I can, answer a quick question about submission guidelines, and then interview Mike Segretto of the infamous Contemporary Press (a kindred spirit to Bleak House if ever there was one). Enjoy.

For more information on Contemporary Press, visit them www.contemporary press.com

We drag part of our army of interns into the podcast world while we wait for the Category 15 storm that is coming our way. This may be the last podcast evah!

If not, we'll be back tomorrow.

We answer a bunch of publishing questions that have popped up.

We're back. And so is our energy. More Book Expo America recapping and other nonsense. Pretty soon the guests will be back.

We're back from Book Expo America, burned out, delinquent on the whole podcast thing, and only able to muster a half-entertaining (if at all entertaining) couple of minutes.

Tomorrow will be a gem.

Hopefully.