You may recall back in October when I launched the news about my short story anthology. If not, here’s the recap: I’m creating a short story anthology.
These are all the stories that caught the attention of magazine editors but never quite made it to acceptance and publication. Stories I believed in. Stories I loved. Stories that other people loved too.
I’ve commissioned the cover artwork. I’ve signed off on the initial sketches and concept. The sketch is now being inked and painted. I’m excited!
I’m also still working my way through the rewrites and edits. I have two stories left. Once I’m done on my end, I’ll send the manuscript off to an editor. It’s important to me that this book not only looks amazing but also reads amazing.
My target is still October this year, hoping to have these stories available for readers before Halloween 2026. I still haven’t decided how to market this thing. A launch party? A cover reveal? Friends and family pimping this thing to their friends and family?
This is the first time I’ve ever done something like this, so it’s still new to me. I’m sure I’ll learn some valuable lessons that I might apply to next time. If there is a next time. If I can afford a next time. I want to have something tangible, something I can hold in my hands and show people and say, “Hey! I made this thing!”
Sure, it would’ve been nice to sell these stories and seen them printed in professional magazines out there in the wispy ether of the interweb. But my options were: 1) leave them in a drawer to never see the light of day, 2) keep sending them out over the next decade and hope that, one day, they maybe might find a home, or 3) flip a big fat middle finger to the gatekeepers and just print the thing my own darn self.
I think I’d like to do some kind of cover reveal and discuss the stories and the process and maybe do some kind of interview. Or something. I dunno. Like I said, I have zero experience with this sort of thing. I guess we’ll see.
If you have ideas or suggestions, leave them in the comments. Further information as events warrant!
