Meet Michael DeParis | Publisher, Editor, & Writer.

We had the good fortune of connecting with Michael DeParis and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Michael, what role has risk played in your life or career?
Risks seem/feel necessary to change or advance circumstances. There are exceptions of course, though as a general framing for taking risks I think of them as trips through a time machine. If I want to do/present something or make something happen it may require taking risks. Everyone is different so the scale of risks will vary. The time machine visual is helpful for me to have some vision of the system/goal and if I take action (risk) I can save myself time from overthinking. I have been prone to introspection and falling into the paralysis from analysis at times. Talking myself out of making certain intuitive decisions or taking action.

After repeating this lesson a few times another approach was necessary. It’s not overnight to change engrained habits. I get better at taking risks the more I do it. It feels like momentum is generated the more I do it.

Having a holistic view of risk taking, there’s another side to find balance in. Risks may sometimes not work out. A temporary feeling of failure or embarrassment may come up. This is all okay. It happens. There may be opportunity to do it again or in a different way.

There’s a major role risk taking has played in my life. The more potent experiences or outcomes stem from taking risks. I love when other people take big and small swings in their lives. Rooting for people to take chances and bet on themselves or others is beautiful and feels great!

What should our readers know about your business?
8th & Atlas Publishing has been a wonderful and challenging experience. Very early we made the decision to curate eclectic and resonant works beyond a vanity press. There’s nothing wrong with that at all. We started in that way of writing our family’s history from both sides over four generations. Quickly the approach shifted to share other stories. We don’t think we’re reinventing the wheel and other independent publishers have helped us shape organically.

Each book we have available is a great achievement (in our view). The author we work with have a compelling stories on and off the page. There’s a humanity in the people/work that strikes our core and that’s really our guiding light. Reading through manuscripts is tough because so many authors put their life and time into something personal. The tough part is selecting. Our want is to highlight more first time and established authors with each passing year.

There are other administrative aspects that aren’t always easy or fun, though over time these efforts feel rewarding. A major positive is collaboration. Whether it’s with an author or an editor, researcher, proofreader, we’re blessed to create with highly skilled people. A tangential goal is to be a professional stepping stone for passionate people that want to work in the industry. Our modest press is a great starting point to gain experience and confidence before jumping into the next professional adventure.

The lessons we’ve learned up to this point are mostly practical. More lessons will be learned going forward and there’s a warm excitement for that process.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I’m in North Carolina (US) and my mind starts at the question of what time of year? Let’s say this is visit happens between March and October.

My friend would start the day waking up to smells of coffee or tea wafting through the rooms. A parade of animals would sniff and scratch a morning greeting. Then we get dressed for a hike at pilot mountain. Depending upon our mood/energy that could be most of the day until the drive back and planning for dinner.

The next day we could take in the historic district and museums while getting the midday meal at the best Mexican restaurant in the Piedmont area. With full hearts and bellies we may stumble into an afternoon walk with dogs. In the early evening we can drive to the triangle if any concerts appeal. Staple venues with great schedules are Cat’s Cradle, King’s, Motorco, The Lincoln Theater, and the Ritz.

On the third day we may spend most of the daylight working on a shared project and live in our own universe for the day.

The fourth day will need some balance. If we didn’t leave the house the day before we can venture to the downtown area and float from restaurant to restaurant (or smoothie shop or arcade). Sparking conversations with strangers can lead to new revelations or quick stops. We would be open to it all with that downtown spirit.

The fifth day would be a family and friends hang. An all day barbecue in a rural oasis. in every direction there will either be beautiful scenery or laughing chatter.

The last day will bring on tight lasting hugs and nostalgic soundtracking on the way to the airport/train station/hot air balloon field/marina.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
We’re grateful to have an extensive list of kind support and guidance in my life. We have very supportive family and friend circles that have been with us at every step. A special shoutout to everyone in our personal orbit for encouraging us to reach and take risks.

A few key people come to mind that have had lasting influence beyond my personal network. John Mathis is someone I met in my mid twenties. We both had a few near death experiences and conversing with him during an informative time in my really helped my perspective.

Going back further, I learned an amazing balance of being kind and bold through my grade school drama teacher, Elizabeth Wheeler. She’s an incredible human being. I observed her igniting the greatest potential in all her students and she spent most of her time and love on others. Mrs. Wheeler also seemed like she had endless energy. I feel there’s a correlation of how she shined in the world and how the energy reflected back to enhance her spirit. Pardon the cosmic speculation.

The Sirens of Titan by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. and The Phenomenon of Man by Teilhard de Chardin have been historically integral in my life. As I age through different phases, these two works bloom in new ways with each read.

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Image Credits
All photos credited to Michael, Christina, and Brent DeParis.