Ben LeRoy started and ran two critically acclaimed independent publishing companies—Bleak House Books and Tyrus Books—until the latter was sold to Simon & Schuster in 2017.
Books published by the two companies won or were finalists for a variety of awards including the Barnes & Noble Discover Award, the Edgar Award, the Lambda Award, and many others. He was a frequent speaker at writing and publishing conferences. He was named to Publishers Weekly “40 Under 40” list of people making a change in the publishing industry. He is the former Executive Director of the Independent Publishers Caucus.
Personal Philosophy
I’m a Midwest dude whose been to and made friends in all 50 states. I’ve slept on couches and had dinner at the kitchen table in most of them. What I care about is bearing witness to others to give comfort and better understand the world I’m living in. I always joke that editing and writing has given me a chance to be an unlicensed therapist and collarless priest. I always joke.
But also, I mean it.
I don’t know how long I’m here. I’m not interested in stacking money or social media fame. I’m just as awed by the questions of why we’re here and what we’re supposed to do about it as I’ve been since the day I was born and found myself inheriting the space among the rest of you.
While we’re here trying to make sense of it all, if I can help you make sense of the things bouncing around inside, let me know. I’m a phone call or an email away.
I’m on the board of two non-profit organizations — Common Wealth Development & Wrath Bearing Tree. Additionally, I volunteer time reading the creative writing of the currently incarcerated.
Seeker. Pilgrim. I’m a Wikipedia rabbit hole enthusiast. As fixated on what is not as I am on what is, both domestically on Earth and the universe outside its boundaries. Definite proponent of exploratory modalities like Reiki, sensory deprivation, light manipulation, sound chaos, and others in pursuit of the brain’s lesser understood capabilities.
Jason Buchholz is the author of A Paper Son, published by Tyrus Books in 2016, and The Cartographer of Sands, scheduled for release in fall of 2025, from Green City Books. He has ghostwritten books and book proposals in a variety of genres and as an editor he has guided the development of dozens of manuscripts, both in fiction and nonfiction. He has also worked as a journalist, covering technology and finance, and as a travel writer, in eastern Europe. His current writing project, a memoir, explores the intersections of wilderness, solitude, movement, and memory. Jason holds a BA in psychology from UC Berkeley and an MFA from the University of San Francisco.
Personal Philosophy
Our stories are the bonds that hold us humans together. By sharing them, we build relationships, establish intimacy, fall in and out of love, incite one another to action, and find the places where we belong in the world. But so many of us struggle to understand our own stories, let alone find places to share them where they will resonate and become part of our collective dialogue. As someone who has studied the art of writing and the craft of storytelling over my whole career, it’s a supreme honor to have the opportunity to help others find their voices, craft their stories, and find their audiences.
An important part of my creative process is getting away from words and noise, so I’ve developed a habit of spending extended stretches of time alone in the wilderness, hiking and kayaking through the wild spaces of my home state of California. My best ideas tend to arrive when I’m not staring at my computer screen, so I treat my brain and soul to regular doses of nature, silence, and solitude. I’m far from a hermit, though—I was initially drawn to editing because of my desire to be in connection with others. I have two children, and I’m a regular classroom volunteer. I play soccer with my team on Monday nights and I’m a member of the East Bay Judo Institute, where I train and serve as a volunteer instructor in the kids’ classes. I’m in constant awe of the richness and variety of the human experience, and of the ways we understand and interpret the world around us, the events of our lives, and the products of our imaginations.
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