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In the premiere episode of DISRUPTOR, Jon talks to Johnny Temple -- acclaimed punk musician and founder of the cutting-edge publisher Akashic Books. Listen in as Johnny talks about his plan to "reverse gentrify" the publishing world and give voice to the underrepresented. If you're looking to do some disrupting of your own, Johnny is a true inspiration. Every week, DISRUPTOR celebrates the rebels, mavericks and weirdos of the publishing world, and encourages you to disrupt in your own way. Subscribe now! Links of Interest for Episode 1: Akashic Books: http://www.akashicbooks.com/ Akashic on Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akashic_Books Girls Against Boys (Johnny's band): http://www.gvsb.com/ Ian Mackaye bio (musician/entrepreneur Jon & Johnny discuss): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ian_MacKaye FULL TRANSCRIPT IN PDF FOR DOWNLOAD Episode 1_ Johnny Temple, Akashic Books TRANSCRIPT OF FULL INTERVIEW: NOTE: Transcript may include errors. Refer to the original recording for most accurate info How did an acclaimed punk rock musician start one of the most innovative and talked about small presses on the planet and how did he manage to take a book whose title can't even be said on television and turn it into one of the biggest runaway bestsellers in years? You're about to find out. Greetings one and all. I'm Jon Bard and this is DISRUPTOR, episode 1, featuring Johnny Temple of Akashic Books. I've been in the publishing world for close to 30 years and I've seen a lot of things change, but maybe they haven't changed fast enough. And so I asked the question, are there disruptors out there? Are there people and companies that are really changing things in publishing, pushing us into the future, throwing out the old rule book and creating a new one all their own? I went in search of that and I've found them. And every week here on DISRUPTOR, you'll meet them. Welcome to the journey. It's time to disrupt. Today's episode of DISRUPTOR is brought to you by Writing Blueprints, the breakthrough step by step system for writers that creates truly great books. To learn more about the most disruptive way ever to become a successful author, visit writingblueprints.com and use the code DISRUPT to save 10 percent off everything on the site. The writing world has been shaken. Meet the earthquake. Writing Blueprints. This is how you write a book. Johnny Temple had already conquered the world of punk rock, with his acclaimed band Girls Against Boys, when he turned his attention to publishing. He founded Akashic Books in 1997, seeking to redefine how a small press chooses its titles, promotes its authors, and serves its readers. Akashic's author roster reads like a who's who in cool featuring among others, Dennis Cooper, Ron Kovich, Melvin van Peebles, Lydia Lunch, Richard Hell, Lawrence Block, and Elizabeth Nunez. Temples' punk DIY ethos has led to a catalog of wildly eclectic, always fascinating works, presenting viewpoints often unheard elsewhere. In 2011, Johnny published a racy children's book parody, not because he thought it would sell, but because it made them laugh. Within months, Go the F**K To Sleep was number one on Amazon. Proof that a little disruption can sometimes yield a huge payoff. I spoke to Johnny from Akashic's headquarters, a converted can factory in the heart of Brooklyn, New York. JON: Well, thank you Johnny Temple for joining us on DISRUPTOR. It's an honor. I'm a fan and I've been a fan for awhile of your music and your publishing. Let me begin by asking you the question we always like to ask here on DISRUPTOR. We are here to celebrate the rebels, the mavericks, and the weirdos of the publishing world. Which one of those words best fits you and why? JOHNNY: Weirdo, Weirdo disguised as a rebel. I just, I've always felt very weird, very strange, very odd ball. And I mean, I think that most people are weirdos, you know?