Tucson book publisher marks 25 years, about 100 titles so far

With authors, translators, freelance designers and on-call artists scattered all over the world, it would be quite the bash.

Instead, Tim Schaffner will celebrate his own way: by pouring himself a coffee, climbing the stairs to the office above his Tucson home, and thinking about books. Every day. All year long.

So it goes when you are the editor, publisher, business manager and production supervisor all rolled into one, and Schaffner wouldn’t have it any other way.

“I grew up in the world of books,” he laughed last week. “I’ve pretty much gotten used to it my now.”

The son of the literary agent John V. Schaffner and the grandson of poet Hilda Doolittle, Schaffner did agency work for years.

In 2001, he launched Schaffner Press here in Tucson, and the library of Schaffner titles now has some 100 entries.

There are novels, histories, biographies, poetry … Schaffner books can be found in every corner of the library, but they have one common thread.

“We look for stories that explore social issues, humanitarian issues, topics that might speak to all of us,” he explained. “That’s been in our mission statement almost from the start, but books can be from any genre, any era, and even any language. The range of submissions we see is pretty amazing.”

It is hard to argue with that.

Last year alone, the company released a hybrid remembrance from 1960s San Francisco; a documentary from Bosnia; a memoir from war-torn Sarajevo; a rollicking crime novel set in the Mojave Desert, and a collection of short stories from Mexico by local author Karen Brennan.

Tucson is a long way from Manhattan, where Schaffner grew up, and his press is a long way from the Big 5 publishing houses that are located there.

The company releases only 5-6 titles a year, and initial press runs rarely go beyond 3,000 copies.

Still, Schaffner Press has become a popular destination for authors and agents hoping to publish their work. Schaffner and Senior Editor Sean Murphy receive 80-100 queries a week.

“Part of our appeal is that we’re still accessible,” Schaffner said. “Our door is open. Anyone can submit a cover letter and query.”

It also helps that they’re small. At larger houses, manuscripts may face multiple layers of review. Here, authors know things can move quickly.

Once a decision is made to publish, freelance designers, artists and photographers are engaged to groom the final product.

Even with only a handful of releases a year, it can be a lot.

“My daily routine is spent mainly on ‘making the trains run on time,’” Schaffner said. “Responding to authors and agents, checking sales reports and print schedules, keeping the paperwork flowing … It keeps me busy.”

A Tucsonan since 1990, Schaffner was still working as an agent when he arrived. He befriended local writing stars Charles Bowden and Gary Nabhan. He worked with Susan Lowell, who wrote “The Three Little Javelinas,” and Ross Humphreys — who would launch Rio Nuevo Publishers. But Schaffner did not find his calling here until 2001.

“I had stepped away from the book business for a few years, teaching English and dabbling in music, but deep down I knew I belonged in the book business, and I’d always harbored a dream to start my own press,” he recalled. “When the opportunity came up, it just felt right. I could get back into book, but this time as a publisher instead of an agent.”

In the beginning, Schaffner focused on reprints, hoping to extend the shelf life of books he found worthwhile.

The first was “Sisters on the Bridge of Fire” by Debra Denker. Published originally in 1993, it was reissued by Schaffner in 2002.

“Sylvia Plath: Method and Madness” by Edward Butscher, first released in 1976 and refreshed by Schaffner in 2003, proved to be a hit — both critically and financially — and Schaffner Press was on its way.

Soon, the company was publishing original work and quietly building its brand.

There have been a number of major successes over the years, the most recent being “Finding Waypoints,” a memoir by Iraqi War veteran Greg Gadson.

Co-authored by Terese Schlachter and published two years ago, the book has sold more than 10,000 copies.

Interestingly, a company with roots in second-generation literature has quietly leaned into a similar field in the last five years. Literary translations have become a significant part of the portfolio.

“Translations have always been an interest of mine,” Schaffner said. “I minored in French literature in college and have always been drawn to it. Once we published a translation or two, we started getting calls from authors and agents who wanted us to do more. They’re an important part of our business now.”

Indeed, both of Schaffner’s releases this year — “The Lives and Deaths of Veronique Bangoura“ by Tierno Monénembo and “The Silence of the Horizons“ by Beyrouk — were translated to English from French.

Coming soon: “Eyes in the Soles of My Feet,” a study of nature by Carolina Sutton.

And after that? Who knows, but chances are it will be worth waiting for … and celebrating, if that party ever comes to be.

FOOTNOTES

— “Atavists,” a new collection of stories by Tucson author Lydia Millet, was released last week by W.W. Norton & Co. With wit, wisdom and a heavy dose of humor, she introduces a variety of characters seemingly overwhelmed by their middle-class world. Millet was a finalist for the 2020 National Book Award with “A Children’s Bible.”

— Translator and reviewer Natasha Wimmer will offer a reading Thursday, May 1, at the University of Arizona Poetry Center. Wimmer’s translations include nine books by the late Chilean author, Roberto Bolaño. Her reviews appear in The New York Times and the New York Review of Books. The Poetry Center program will begin at 7:00 p.m.

— Donor-sponsored renovations to the south side of the Poetry Center mean the center will be closed from May 19 through July 7.