Some submission calls writers should keep an eye on — There are many presses out there publishing anthologies — collections of short stories from different authors. But most are only open for a few weeks or months at a time, and it can be difficult keeping track of which ones writers can currently submit to. With that in mind, I’ve…

My impression after the first episode — Welcome to the new Game of Thrones. That was my overarching thought as we zipped across the map of Middle-Earth (and beyond), zooming in on different groups of characters, each with their own problems. It’s clear that Amazon wants this to be truly epic in scope, covering multiple plotlines and…

Anthology submissions are now open — It’s exciting times over at the publishing house I work at — Lost Boys Press. As of today, we are officially open for submissions for our next anthology, Empire of Beasts! We’re asking for short stories containing and focusing on anthropomorphised creatures (If you don’t know what that means, it…

Examples of this game’s timeless beauty — I have a few points to make, but you need to see this game first. So. Let me tell you about a typical day in Valheim. (Through screenshots, of course.) It began with a moment of contemplation in the early morning — lingering in the hall I built, piece by…

You might have noticed a change in the way Grammarly advertises itself in recent years. Nowadays, its ads are aimed at students or professionals — people who are engaged in technical writing that needs to be perceived a certain way. They don’t target novel writers. Can Grammarly improve a short…

How do you know which editor is right for you? — Choosing an editor is one of the most difficult parts of putting a book together. After all, you’re trusting them to go digging into the deepest parts of your story with their editor tools and start turning dials and tightening screws. An inexperienced editor could actually harm a manuscript, or…

I’ve read submissions, and this is what I’ve learned. — At this point, I’ve been on both sides of the story-submitting divide — I’ve been writing and submitting shorts for close to a decade, and I recently joined a small press as part of their editorial team. …

Derbent, the Causasus, and the edge of the world. — George R R Martin says that he came up with the idea for his sprawling epic fantasy series, A Song of Ice and Fire, when he was on holiday in Scotland. He stood on Hadrian’s Wall and imagined what it must have been like to be a Roman legionary, standing…

There are two paths to ‘success’ on here, and only one is under your control. — When I first found Medium, I was bemused. I scrolled for a little while, passing post after post that promised to teach me ‘how to be successful on Medium.’ …