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Call for submissions: Upside Down anthology (Apex)

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Apex really are doing their damnedest to keep us writing throughout the winter… Now that their Christmas flash contest has ended, why not have a crack at a story for their new anthology?

The anthology will be edited by Monica Valentinelli and Jaym Gates and is called Upside Down – and it’s a fascinating concept. The idea is to pick an SF/F trope (i.e. an idea that’s seen so regularly in stories as to become a lazy shorthand or even a cliché), then subvert it. A bunch of stories have already been commissioned, so check the list to make sure you don’t tread on anyone’s toes.

You don’t have long, though! The deadline is the end of December. Find out all about the anthology and submissions on the Apex website.

Call for submissions: Harper Voyager Impulse

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HV logoIt seems like every publisher’s on the lookout for novel manuscripts at the moment…

This time it’s Harper Voyager Impulse (USA). While the imprint publishes ebooks within all fantasy, science fiction, and horror sub-genres, this submission call is particularly geared around urban fantasy and military science fiction. If you’ve a completed manuscript in that vein, and it’s between 60,000 and 90,000 words in length, why not give it a shot? You’ll have to move quickly though – the submission window closes on 6th Nov!

Head on over.

Call for submissions: Stephen King short story competition

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Stephen KingThe Guardian and Hodder have announced a new short story contest which ought to interest any writers of genre fiction…

The maestro of modern horror, Stephen King, will judge the contest and the winning story will be published on the Guardian website. The winner will also get to take part in a Guardian Masterclass run by King’s editor, Philippa Pride.

Stories must be 4000 words or less, previously unpublished, and inspired by the following (admittedly vague) brief by Stephen King:

“There’s something to be said for a shorter, more intense experience. It can be invigorating, sometimes even shocking, like a waltz with a stranger you will never see again, or a kiss in the dark, or a beautiful curio for sale at a street bazaar.”

Get all the details on the Guardian website.

Gollancz unagented submissions window

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Guys! Guys! Gollancz UK is opening for non-agented submissions in January!

Submissions will be open from 4th-22nd January 2016. They’re accepting hard copy only, but as long as your postmark checks out as within those dates then you’ll be OK.

They’re interested in seeing SF, fantasy, horror or YA crossover novels, as long as they’re complete and over 80,000 words. You’ll need to send the first 50 pages, a cover letter and a synopsis.

Just scroll down the list of authors on the Gollancz blog, then tell me that this isn’t an incredible opportunity…

You’ll find all the details here.

Call for submissions: Apex’s Christmas Invasion

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Apex banner

If you’re a fan of SF, fantasy or horror, then you’re probably also a fan of Apex magazine. And if you write SF, fantasy or horror, then it’s very difficult to imagine a good excuse why you wouldn’t submit a story to their most recent writing contest.

The theme of this year’s annual Apex Christmas flash contest is CHRISTMAS INVASIONS, which ought to conjure up a ton of ideas. And to make things even simpler for you, the word count has to be under 250 words – so today’s lunch break ought to be just about long enough.

The deadline’s 16th Nov 2015. More details on the Apex site.

Announcement: a novel!

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I’ve been a little quiet recently, but now I can reveal what I’ve been working on…

I HAVE A NOVEL COMING OUT.

I’m thrilled to announce that my first full-length novel, YOU DON’T BELONG HERE, will be published by Snowbooks next year. It’ll be out in paperback and ebook in September 2016.

It’s a time-travel psychological thriller. Here’s a blurb, though almost certainly not the final one:

Daniel Faint is on the run with a stolen time machine. As the house-sitter of a remote Cumbrian mansion, he hopes to hide and experiment with the machine. But is the Manor being watched by locals, his twin brother or himself from the future? Daniel is terrified about what the future may hold but, as he discovers, there can be no going back.

I’ve previously posted about this book under its working title, The House-sitter. I started writing it in January 2014 and it’s changed dramatically over the course of eight drafts. Even though I’m now sick of the sight of it, I’m proud of it, too.

The book is in really good hands. Emma and the Snowbooks team have been lovely and I’m really looking forward to working closely with them over the coming months. And it’s wonderful to tell people about it, finally. So I’m going to write this out again, because it feels good:

I HAVE A NOVEL COMING OUT.

More details soon.

We Need To Talk anthology launch

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We Need to Talk launch

Last night I attended the South Bank launch event for the We Need To Talk anthology, jointly organised by The Eve Appeal, Kindred and Jurassic London. It was an excellent evening. I finally had face-to-face conversations with several people who’ve previously only been names attached to email conversations, and I also spoke to some Real Actual Proper Authors, who were all very welcoming and generous. And I was even asked to sign the book a few times!

We Need To Talk is available as a paperback direct from Foyles (currently only £4.99!), or as an ebook via Amazon.

Dark Lane Anthology Volume 2

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Dark Lane Anthology Volume 2 is now available as an ebook from Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk. You can also buy a print version from Lulu.com – and an Amazon print version will be out soon. (Update: it’s now available from Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk)

The anthology contains my story, ‘The House Lights Dim’. Though a version of the story appeared a couple of years ago in Sanitarium magazine (my first ever short story sale!), I’ve dramatically reworked it since. It’s better than it was, I think.

Pantheon #8: Nyx

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Pantheon Nyx coverThe print edition of Pantheon #8 is available now and includes a reprint of my story, ‘Finding Waltzer-Three’. This issue of the magazine is themed around Nyx, the Greek goddess of the night.

You can buy the print edition of Pantheon #8 from Amazon.com or Amazon UK – or buy direct from Createspace and use code CFAK5JBZ for a 15% discount. The ebook will be available soon.

We Need to Talk anthology acceptance

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We Need to TalkOh, I’m pleased with this one.

My story, ‘Cowardy Custard’, will be included in an anthology called ‘We Need to Talk’, which will be published next month . All proceeds will go to cancer charity, The Eve Appeal.

The book will be published by Jurassic London, a company that’s been at the top of my wishlist ever since I started writing short stories. Good grief, Jurassic London is SO ace.

The Singularity, issue 1

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The Singularity Issue 1 Cover

The first issue of the new UK SF magazine, The Singularity, has now been released. (And what a fantastic cover image!) It features a reprint of my story, ‘The Sleeper’. Having said that, the best possible reason to buy it is in order to read Andrew Wilmot’s ‘A Window Into The—’, which is one of the best short stories I’ve read this year.

You can get issue 1 of The Singularity in digital versions from Amazon.com and Amazon UK. Print versions will be coming soon, I’m told. (Update – print editions now available from Amazon.com and Amazon UK)

Game Over anthology

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GAME OVER cover - 27.07.15The Game Over anthology is published by Snowbooks today!

It features my story, ‘Lines of Fire’, about two teen boys, an old Bomberman arcade cabinet, and a dark secret.

The eleven other horror stories all feature arcade games in some way and are written by a pretty illustrious group of authors. I’m very proud to be hanging around with them and I’d like to thank editor Jonathan Green for a) picking my story, b) making excellent editorial changes and c) turning the project around with incredible speed.

You can buy Game Over direct from the publisher, or from Amazon UK (print / epub) or Amazon.com (epub).

Kitchen Sink Gothic

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KITCHEN SINK GOTHIC FRONT COVERThe Kitchen Sink Gothic anthology from Parallel Universe Publications is now available from Amazon.com (print/epub) and Amazon UK (print/epub).

It includes my story, ‘Tunnel Vision’, about one schoolboy’s dreadful Valentine’s Day. I’ve always been pleased with this story, so I’m very glad to have found it a home.

Kitchen Sink Gothic anthology sale

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KITCHEN SINK GOTHIC FRONT COVERMy story, ‘Tunnel Vision’, will be featured in the KITCHEN SINK GOTHIC anthology from Parallel Universe Publications, edited by David and Linden Riley.

I’ve always liked this story, but I was starting to wonder whether I’d be able to sell it. It’s quite personal, and doesn’t feature any SF or supernatural elements, yet it’s a little too creepy to be mainstream. In fact, ‘kitchen sink gothic’ is as neat a descriptor as I can imagine – so I’m delighted that it’s been selected.

KITCHEN SINK GOTHIC will be released as a paperback and ebook in July. You can see the full table of contents on the Parallel Universe Publications website.

Half a million words!

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First million words ometer 50

Yes, it’s an arbitrary figure. Yes, it ignores the many hours I’ve spent editing and revising. Yes, it took quite a lot longer than I expected.

But here it is anyway. As of today I reckon I’ve written 500,000 original words of fiction since I began in February 2011. It’s not quite enough to match the word count of War and Peace (587,000 words), but it’s still two Moby Dicks plus a Picture of Dorian Gray…

What’s most interesting to me is to take stock of the change in the quality of writing I’ve produced over this period. I’m an awful lot better at drafting and editing. Equally importantly, I’m an awful lot more efficient, to boot.

Anyway. The 50% mark is also a good excuse for a writing update. So far this year I’ve been funnelling my time into longer projects rather than short stories:

Short stories

  • The Forge (7300 words) – SF

Longer fiction

  • Blighters (16,300 words) – SF
  • Untitled medieval time-travel novel (40,000 words and rising, though only 15,000 of those words were written this year)

And, although the following are nothing to do with actual writing (as they’re all stories written during previous years) and all to do with the tenacious sending of submissions emails…

Publications and sales

  • Like Clockwork – SQ Mag Edition 18, Jan 2015
  • By the Numbers – The New Accelerator #3, Feb 2015
  • The Sleeper – Phobos, Issue 3, Feb 2015
  • Screaming His Scream – Perihelion, May 2015
  • The House Lights Dim – Dark Lane Anthology Volume 2, forthcoming
  • Finding Waltzer-Three – Pantheon Vol. 7, forthcoming
  • Read/Write Head – The Museum of All Things Awesome And That Go Boom anthology, forthcoming

Oh, and one other notable thing, for the sake of completion:

  • The Walls of Tithonium Chasma – Honorable Mention from the Writers of the Future contest (Q1 2015)