New publications like buses

It’s a funny old game, this writing business. High highs and crushing lows. Hours of toil for seemingly no return, wondering why we bother, then something happens that reminds us exactly why we bother. And I don’t know if this is the case for other writers, but my career seems to always be a fluctuation of flood and drought. Right now, I’m very happy to say, it’s a bit of a flood.

I’ve been banging on about Dark Rite the last week or so, as that book has just been published. I won’t say more on that for now, other than to mention that at the time of writing it’s sitting at #39 in bestsellers for horror on Amazon. That’s great news, so thanks to all who bought a copy.

I’ve also had some excellent news in other areas too. In order of happenings, I’ve sold my contemporary fantasy story, Roll The Bones, to Crowded Magazine. Crowded is a new pro-paying magazine in Australia with a very funky idea on crowdsourcing its content. Do check it out whether you’re a reader (as it has some excellent content!) or a writer (pro rates!) That should be out around the middle of the year.

Secondly, I’ve sold my wild west ghost story, Not The Worst Of Sins, to Beneath Ceaseless Skies, due out around the northern autumn. I’m very excited about this one, as BCS is one of my favourite pro-zines and I’m really happy to get published there.

And, as if all that wasn’t enough, I can announce today that my story, Tiny Lives, originally published at the end of last year in Daily Science Fiction, has made the cut to be reprinted in the Year’s Best Australian Fantasy & Horror 2012, due out soon from Ticonderoga Publications.

See what I mean about a flood? It’s a flood of fucking awesome, is what it is. These are the times you have to remember when the slog is getting you down and the rejections are threatening to drown you. Hard work and perseverance pays off, as long as you have the pig-headed determination to never give up and to always work on improving your craft.

I’m sharing some amazing company in the 2012 Year’s Best. Here’s the full ToC:

Joanne Anderton, “Tied To The Waste”, Tales Of TalismanR.J. Astruc, “The Cook of Pearl House, A Malay Sailor by the Name of Maurice”, Dark Edifice 2Lee Battersby, “Comfort Ghost”, Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine 56Alan Baxter, “Tiny Lives”, Daily Science FictionJenny Blackford, “A Moveable Feast”, BloodstonesEddy Burger, “The Witch’s Wardrobe”, Dark Edifice 3Isobelle Carmody, “The Stone Witch”, Under My HatJay Caselberg, “Beautiful”, The Washington PastimeStephen Dedman, “The Fall”, Exotic Gothic 4, PostscriptsFelicity Dowker, “To Wish On A Clockwork Heart”, Bread And CircusesTerry Dowling, “Nightside Eye”, Cemetary DanceTom Dullemond, “Population Management”, Danse MacabreThoraiya Dyer, “Sleeping Beauty”, EpilogueWill Elliot, “Hungry Man”, The Apex Book Of World SFJason Fischer, “Pigroot Flat”, Midnight Echo 8Dirk Flinthart, “The Bull In Winter”, BloodstonesLisa L. Hannett, “Sweet Subtleties”, ClarkesworldLisa L. Hannett & Angela Slatter, “Bella Beaufort Goes To War”, Midnight And MoonshineNarrelle M. Harris, “Stalemate”, ShowtimeKathleen Jennings, “Kindling”, Light Touch Paper, Stand ClearGary Kemble, “Saturday Night at the Milkbar”, Midnight Echo 7Margo Lanagan, “Crow And Caper, Caper And Crow”, Under My HatMartin Livings, “You Ain’t Heard Nothing Yet”, Living With The DeadPenelope Love, “A Small Bad Thing”, BloodstonesAndrew J. McKiernan, “Torch Song”, From Stage Door ShadowsKaren Maric, “Anvil Of The Sun”, AurealisFaith Mudge, “Oracle’s Tower”, To Spin A Darker StairNicole Murphy, “The Black Star Killer”, Damnation And DamesJason Nahrung, “The Last Boat To Eden”, Surviving The EndTansy Rayner Roberts, “What Books Survive”, EpilogueAngela Slatter, “Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean”, This Is Horror WebzineAnna Tambour, “The Dog Who Wished He’d Never Heard Of Lovecraft”, Lovecraft ZineKyla Ward, “The Loquacious Cadaver”, The Lion And The Aardvark: Aesop’s Modern FablesKaaron Warren, “River Of Memory”, Zombies Vs. Robots

And look at that fantastic cover art! You can pre-order your copy of the Year’s Best here. In addition to the above incredible tales, the volume will include a review of 2012 and a list of highly recommended stories.

I’ll be sure to let you know when these publications come out.

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