Anyone interested in doing an anthology?

[Andy]

Sounds good, I’m only 1,000 words in on first draft, so it will be a little while yet...

[Faith]

Andy wrote: "Sounds good, I’m only 1,000 words in on first draft, so it will be a little while yet..."

Thanks Andy. I've received 4 now and there's a lot of writing time left, so am confident this is on track.

[Adrian]

Writers in Lockdown? What about something more hopeful like...After the Plague?

I'll contribute if you still need stories.

[Faith]

Hi Adrian. If you have a vision of hope, please write it. It would be good to settle people's minds (including mine).

[Hákon]

Faith, I just saw the cover image you sent, and wanted to say how much I like it. It comes out quite well, both front and back.

[Faith]

Thanks Hakon. The design isn't what I expected but I like it too.

[Faith]

This is just an update to say 13 stories are ready for publication and there's a month to go so hopefully we can reach 20.

[Leticia]

I think I won't be sending a story this time. Mine is still not ready and the deadline is June, right?

[Faith]

Hi Leticia. Yes, 20th June.

[Faith]

Hi everyone. This is an update to say that ten days before the submissions deadline we have 20 stories across a broad range of subjects, totalling 71,558 words and 208 pages. I can fit in a couple more before this goes to press.

[P.L.]

Thank you!

[Leticia]

I got my act together and finished the short story. I'll be sending to you right now, let me know anything that should be revised.

[Adrian]

Hello, I did suggest I would write something but I decided to enter it in a prestigious competition here in Oz...sorry.

I've had a look through my other recent-ish bits and pieces, looking for something hopeful, but it seems I don't really do hope.

There is one piece which heralds a kind of hope. I think it very funny but some will find it confronting. Feel free to look at it and reject it if too far from the central theme of hope / general tone of the collection.

[Faith]

Adrian wrote: "I've had a look through my other recent-ish bits and pieces, looking for som..."

Hi Adrian. Yes please. A funny story would be very welcome, as it's a good foil for the drama pieces. Confrontational is also okay, as long as no one's going to come to my building with a can of paraffin while I'm sleeping*. Can you email a Word doc to me? Thank you!

*They should really wait 'til lockdown's over.

[Adrian]

No-one will come to burn your building, but they might want to burn mine - me being an Australian lawyer.

You'll see what I mean...

[Adrian]

Changed my mind and sent you something different.

[Faith]

Thanks everyone for taking part. The anthology has now been published:

[M.L.]

Thanks, Faith, for pulling the anthology together.

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

Alexa, this has already been published! I'll let Faith say if she plans to do a sequel.

[Faith]

Alexa wrote: "Faith, I'd like to participate..."

Thanks for wanting to be involved! It's great that this caught on so quickly and attracted many talented writers, including newcomers. The 2,500 rule wasn't enforced consistently in the end, as quality comes ahead of rules in my view. I recently heard that one of these stories is going to be filmed (so excited for the author!). At the moment we haven't quite broken even on the production costs for the publication but when that happens I could be talked into another project. One of the authors from the first book plus yourself and one other have asked about a sequel. The main cost in the first volume was the cover design, so thanks for the offer to help cut that. If my main editing job cools down in 2021 or if I get laid-off, which could happen, it's possible again. Can I send you a copy of the ebook? Send me a PM with your email address.

Writers in Lockdown: A collection of short stories

[David]

I just purchased a copy. It looks amazing; I am looking forward to reading each story. I'd be pleased to be considered as a contributor to any sequel.

[P.L.]

That's fantastic news, Faith, about the short being picked up as film. So awesome!

The reviews on the anthology look great. I've not yet read it (been busy on my latest novel and some beta reading for a number of friends) but I'll probably dial it up on KU this afternoon... the reviews make me so insanely curious about a few of the stories!

I'll happily contribute to a companion book if you decide to pursue it. :)

[Hákon]

Same here, I'll be happy to contribute to a companion book, if you decide on making one. :)

Just out of curiosity, which story is going to be filmed? Or is that a secret until the project is further along the way? :)

[Faith]

David wrote: "I just purchased a copy. It looks amazing; I am looking forward to reading each story. I'd be pleased to be considered as a contributor to any sequel."

Thank you David. I hope you like the book. I won't forget to let you know if there's a decision to do the sequel. It's a little early but it would be multi-genre again as I think that's the way to go, so if you have a good idea now on any subject, there's more time to form it.

[Faith]

P.L. wrote: "..."

Thanks PL. I'd be delighted to see you involved again as it turned out so well last time. The strangeness about the stories is that different readers said which stories they liked best and they were completely different to the ones other people noticed. Jenny's was mentioned more often, perhaps because of the way people are feeling solidarity in the crisis, like a feel-good effect.

[Faith]

Hákon wrote: "Same here, I'll be happy to contribute to a companion book, if you decide on making one. :). Just out of curiosity, which story is going to be filmed?.."

Thanks Hákon! On the sequel option, it looks like I'm the only one holding this up. I'll see what I can fit in and when.

The story being filmed is Alpha Centauri (sci-fi short) with Ian Hylands as Director https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2513409/ , which was a originally a script written during lockdown, adapted at the last minute to short-story form to go in the book. With deepest respect to the author, it is one of the last ones I would have chosen to put in the hands of actors but I can see that with a very small cast (one on screen and three voices) it would be economical to make. The scale model of the solar-sail space ship is being built, news I heard a month ago, so I guess this is on the way. I can't wait to see a picture. I will ask the author to see if any of their contacts would like to read any of the other stories, but that's a remote hope on my part, especially if they haven't been adapted. I can't see any film people being interested in mine, but there are more compact ones in the collection with clearer story arcs. I think the difference is that writing stories involves a lot of words and film involves big images. Alpha has limited dialogue and brief description for a piece of artistic prose but could do better as a visual piece, e.g. the opening image, if they get the right actor (someone who is really good at pauses?). - Ignore me, I'm so jealous.

[Hákon]

I can see how Alpha Centauri could make an interesting short. I'd like to see it when it comes out. There are a some stories in this collection that I think could be made into films. You never know. :-)

[M.L.]

Hi folks! I thought I'd start here with this info since a number of authors who contributed to the anthology are SF authors.

You probably know about #SPFBO started by Mark Lawrence. It's a blog-off competition open to all as long as the novel is fantasy (no SF) and self-published. This year's competition opened for submission on May 14 and was filled and competition closed the next day.

However - and the reason for this post: :)
A number of writers have asked for the same type competition for SF and for the first time there will be one this summer by Hugh Howey. Pretty cool!
Info is here:
https://hughhowey.com/the-spsfc-begins/

Check Hugh Howey's link for details re submission dates, length of MS, etc.

Good luck and hope everyone is busy writing! :)

**************************************

More info from Hugh Howey's link:

WRITING
The SPSFC begins!
Welcome to the Self-Published Science Fiction Competition! Or the spussfic, as we like to call it around here. What in the world is the SPSFC? It’s an opportunity to shine a great big laser beam on wonderful works of self-pubbed science fiction.

For a few years now, Mark Lawrence has been organizing a contest known as the Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off. Science fiction authors and bloggers have been clamoring for something similar. So with Mark’s blessing and science fiction’s habit of looking to its sister genre for inspiration, we are going to run this pretty much the same way.

Ten book bloggers, up to 300 science fiction novels, a year of reading and reviewing. We will end up with ten finalists and one winner. Next year, we will do it all over again.

The winner gets a badge and a blaster set to “stunning.” Most importantly, they get heaps of recognition and bragging rights. All the finalists and many of the entries will naturally get more eyeballs on their books, which is what authors and eye-eating aliens crave the most.

Some rules:

1) Your book must be a standalone or the first in a series.
2) One book per author. So send your best!
3) It must be a novel, not an anthology.
4) The book must be self-published and available for purchase now.
5) Works must be at least 50,000 words.

Phase 1 (June 30th – November 30th):

Each blogger will be assigned up to 30 novels. They will read as many as they feel compelled to finish. They then choose a finalist to send through to the end. They are of course encouraged to review any book they enjoy along the way.

They will also choose three books with their favorite cover art for a separate contest.

Phase 2 (December 1st – May 31st):

Each blogger will now read the other 9 finalists and vote for their favorite. They are encouraged to review any of the other finalists as well.

Phase 3:

We will announce an SPSFC winner for the best novel and best cover art. There will be much rejoicing and the making of merry. Unlike our fantasy friends, the ending will be swift and there will only be one curtain call.

What authors need to know:

On June 3oth, we will open to submissions. So mark your calendars now! Ebooks will need to be sent in .mobi or .epub format. If we get over 300 submissions, we will winnow them down based on a very subjective slush-pile criteria. All entries will be listed and linked to on an upcoming announcement page.

What bloggers need to know:

Applications are now open to be one of our ten reviewers! Simply click here and fill out the form. As a former book blogger and reviewer, I know what you’re in for. It will be a lot of work, but if you enjoy helping readers find hidden gems, it will be rewarding.

[Faith]

M.L. wrote: "Hi folks! I thought I'd start here with this info since a number of authors who contributed to the anthology are SF authors.

This is a great initiative for independent sci-fi authors. On the reviewing side, it would be heavy input to review 30 novels between June and November, then read another 9 of the 10 shortlisted. Skimming isn't fair on the authors, so reviewers should only put their name forward if they have the time to do this properly.

[Leticia]

That is an awesome thing for self published sci-fi authors!
As a blogger, it is really a challenge to read so many books in such a short time.

[M.L.]

It's great - and a high fun factor - always important to me. :)
The bloggers doing the Fantasy competition are amazing! I looked at each one's body of work and it's incredible. They put on their agent hat and they are the judges - and the real stars of the show. Most are bloggers and a few are booktubers.

I picked a couple at random - Fantasy bloggers. SF bloggers still TBD
https://fantasy-hive.co.uk/
https://booknest.eu/

[M.L.]

M.L. wrote: "It's great - and a high fun factor - always important to me. :)
The bloggers doing the Fantasy competition are amazing! I looked at each one's body of work and it's incredible. They put on their ag..."

I'm going to add one more blogger here - and again this is for reference only since this is a fantasy blog team and the SF blogs are still pending, as far as I know. It's definitely outside of my comfort zone to do something like this (for fantasy) but it came down to either do it and enjoy learning about it - or don't do it and wish I had. :)

This link/team goes into the thinking and the team members. It's fun reading the process - I'm always curious about process and how things work. Enjoy! :)

https://fantasybookcritic.blogspot.co...

Oh, and since there are a number of fantasy authors in the anthology, they'll be doing the fantasy competition next year. Never too early to think about it!