In October at a nice lunch at Café Paloma, Shelf Awareness's local Seattle haunt, G. Xavier Robillard talked--between bites of a Hungry Artist Roll-Up (not kidding)--about the rigorous training he underwent researching his new novel, Captain Freedom (Harper, $13.99 original trade paper, 9780061650680/0061650684, February 2009), a satirical look at the life of a fame-hungry caped crusader.

Captain Freedom started as a skit Robillard created for Live Wire! Radio. Fittingly the idea grew to epic proportions, and he knew there was a book to be written from it. After a frenzy of writing over six months, he sent the manuscript to a few agents. What followed was a familiar story for many first-time novelists: a series of polite but firm rejection letters. He started taking the revision process seriously and eventually the book found its way to literary agent Helen Zimmerman. She knew she had a funny manuscript on her hands and worked together with Robillard on editing it over the next year.

Eventually Zimmerman felt that she needed a second opinion--a guy's opinion. So she sent the manuscript to Carl Lennertz, v-p of independent retailing at Harper, author and occasional editor. He had excellent news: the book had found both a publishing house and an editor, and Lennertz had found his first Harper acquisition.

He also sent back the manuscript with the first 150 pages covered in notes. Robillard said that the editing process was very collaborative, helped by Lennertz's great sense of humor. Structurally the novel hasn't changed much, but Lennertz did extensive editing, spicing up the manuscript with more pop culture references and helping with comic timing. In fact, Robillard and Lennertz spent a weekend last January together giving the book a good once-over. (Imagine a superhero training montage here, with music chosen by Lennertz.)

From his day job as blogger for two Comedy Central websites--Indecision 2008, which covered the 2008 political race, and Inside, covering comedians--Robillard is immersed in current culture and the art of comedic delivery. And in his free time, he leaps tall mountains in a single bound--he has some pretty intense stories about mountain climbing.

Asked how Lennertz's background in sales and marketing seemed to influence his role as an editor, Robillard responded that Lennertz kept his editing hat firmly on while they worked together. Having written himself, Lennertz just wanted to make the book as entertaining as possible, Robillard continued. However, now that the book has gone to the printer, Lennertz has put his sales and marketing hat back on. As part of the effort to promote the book, at the fall Northern California Independent Booksellers Association meeting, Robillard gave a funny speech about his "research" for the book and his own desire to live the superhero lifestyle. And the week he spoke with Shelf Awareness, he was visiting many independent booksellers in the Pacific Northwest, meetings arranged primarily through Lennertz's connections. It's difficult for first-time novelists to get the attention they deserve, but with Lennertz's deep understanding of the indie market and Robillard's pithy writing, the book will certainly find a super welcome at bookstores.--Melissa Mueller