Per Crain's Chicago Business: "University of Chicago Press, best known for publishing scholarly nonfiction, is putting out a 700-page debut novel next month that its author self-published three years ago. This oddity among the press's 250 annual titles is also its chief selling point. . . .

"But the University of Chicago Press says it is not seeking new fiction. Because Mr. de la Pava's novel began as an Xlibris self-published work, they're treating it as a reprint."

The novel is Sergio De La Pava's A Naked Singularity, which I've made note of in the past due to its singular author bio.

So not all self-published novels are feculent after all! (Which I'm certain to be true; I just haven't had many exceptional ones sent to me at the office.)

I remain hopeful though. Just last week a local writer dropped off the second edition of his self-published book. After seeing the first edition, he was so appalled by the typos in the finished product that he determined it needed refinishing. I promise I'll read it.

Here's the cover of the Xlibris edition of A Naked Singularity: