Call for pitches: Cranky Ladies of History

October 21, 2013 ~ Tehani ~ 3 Comments

*Tsaritsa Sophia Alekseyevna of Russia, who inspired the cranky ladies…*

GUIDELINES:

In 2014, FableCroft will publish an anthology of historical short fiction inspired by cranky ladies of history. Co-editors Tansy Rayner Roberts and Tehani Wessely are immediately seeking expressions of writerly interest in submitting to the anthology.

Authors are invited to submit a story pitch detailing story idea/historical personage. We are aiming for a diverse range of backgrounds, nationalities, time periods and reasons for notoriety in the book, and are particularly interested in stories that are firmly grounded in historical fact. We welcome stories that utilise elements known about the lives of the characters, but are not averse to artistic license either.

Some fabulous cranky women of history include (but definitely are not limited to):

Ada Lovelace, Ahhotep I, Amelia Bloomer, Amelia Earhart, Anne Bonney, Annie Oakley, Artemisia I of Caria, Bina Das, Boudicca, Caroline Chisholm, Caterina Sforza, Catherine de’ Medici, Catherine The Great, Daisy May Bates, Eleanor of Aquitaine, Elizabeth Kenny, Fu Hao, Fulvia, George Sand, Grace O’Malley, Gudit, Harriet Tubman, Isabella of Spain, Joan of Arc, Katharine Susannah Prichard, Livia, Lucrezia Borgia, Mary MacKillop, Mary Queen of Scots, Nancy Bird Walton, Nancy Wake, Nellie Melba, the Pankhursts, Rosa Parks, Sarala Devi Chaudhurani, Susan B. Anthony, Tamar of Georgia, Trieu Thi Trinh, the Trung Sisters, Tsaritsa Sophia Alekseyevna of Russia, Vida Goldstein, Vivian Bullwinkel, Zenobia…

From the list, you may note that our definition of “cranky” is rather broad, and stems somewhat more from a tendency to buck societal standards of the era than a true inherent crankiness. Though that’s good too!

HOW TO SUBMIT

Please email to fablecroft@gmail.com a story outline of no more than one typed page that clearly identifies your cranky lady of history and your proposal. In your cover email please use the subject heading CRANKY WOMEN PITCH [your chosen historical figure] and in the body include your own details and a short writing resume.

We will be regularly updating this page with historical women already spoken for, so please check back frequently, and get your pitches in as early as possible.

We are not specifically seeking young adult fiction, but we do want the book to be suitable for a high school audience, which will restrict explicit sex and graphic violence elements.

Open to authors worldwide.

Word count: fairly flexible.

Payment: 1 cent per word, capped at AUD$75.00 + contributor copy of print and ebook. Further royalties will apply for e-book revenue – information about royalties will be provided in contract negotiations with successful authors and is dependent on final book details.

Approximate timeline to publication

October 21, 2013 – December 31, 2013: open to pitches

January 2014: finalise pitch acceptances.

June 2014: deadline for stories to be submitted.

We are particularly looking for original work, but please query to fablecroft@gmail.com if you think you have a suitable reprint story.

FableCroft thanks Liz Barr for her inadvertent prompting of this project idea.

Ink Black Magic is nearly at the printer!

October 20, 2013 ~ Tehani

The final book of Tansy Rayner Roberts’ Mocklore series, Ink Black Magic, will be released just as soon as we finalise the very beautiful cover (soon…!). While this book is an excellent standalone novel, it does have ties to Splashdance Silver and Liquid Gold – have you read them yet?

What people have said about the Mocklore Chronicles (some of these reviews are from when the books were first released in paperback, 15 years ago!):

“…made me laugh out loud on a bus full of people…” (Fran, Goodreads)

“…an undiscovered gem in my opinion. Funny, intricate and exciting – Kassa and her band of merry pirates are such a wonderful team of misfits in a world for misfits.” (AlexEatsBooks, Goodreads)

“Magical. Such detail. A bloody blast.” (Lisa Gormley, Goodreads)

“…this is comic fantasy, and very much in the Pratchett vein. There are witches and pirates, eccentric characters, and other odds and ends – the novel even opens with a view of Mocklore from space ala Pratchett. What is important, though, is that Roberts entertains. This kind of fiction depends upon inventiveness and timing – the author has to be able to produce a non-stop flow of new and interesting characters and situations, while never forgetting that the point is to make us laugh. It is something that Terry Pratchett had made his stock in trade, and it’s a skill that Roberts is clearly learning.” (Jonathan Strahan, Eidolon)

“Tansy Rayner Roberts should be a name we’ll be hearing for a long time to come.” (Jonathan Strahan, Eidolon)

New book announcement: “Unbound” by Jo Anderton

October 12, 2013 ~ Tehani ~ 4 Comments

FableCroft Publishing is pleased to announce the acquisition of Unbound by Jo Anderton. Unbound is the final book of the Veiled Worlds series, completing the story of Tanyana and the strange world she inhabits.

Editor Tehani Wessely has been a fan of Jo’s work for several years, and published her debut short story collection in May 2013. Jo has placed several stories with FableCroft in the past and says, “Tehani is a fantastic editor, who has supported and encouraged me from the very beginning of my writing career. I’m absolutely thrilled to be working with her, and FableCroft Publishing, on Unbound.”

The grand city of Movoc-under-Keeper lies in ruins. The sinister puppet men have revealed their true nature, and their plan to tear down the veil between worlds. To have a chance of defeating them, Tanyana must do the impossible, and return to the world where they were created, on the other side of the veil. Her journey will force her into a terrible choice, and test just how much she is willing to sacrifice for the fate of two worlds.

Tehani is very excited to be working on this novel with Jo, which will form part of FableCroft’s fledgling original novel range.

Unbound will be published in early 2014. Watch this space for a pre-order special offer later this year!

Coming Soon: Path of Night by Dirk Flinthart

October 9, 2013 ~ Tehani

We’re in the final layout/proofing stage of FableCroft’s first original novel release, Path of Night by Dirk Flinthart. This is a very exciting time for us at FableCroft, and we can’t wait to share this book with you! Dirk Flinthart is a favourite author of ours (you might know him from his prodigious short story output, as seen in Epilogue, After the Rain and Worlds Next Door, and his work in the world of New Ceres from Twelfth Planet Press, among many other things!) and it has been a great experience to have him as our first novel author. Path of Night is the first of the Night Beast series, and I guarantee you’ll be wanting more after this!

Michael Devlin is the first of a new breed. The way things are going, he may also be the last.

Being infected with an unknown disease is bad. Waking up on a slab in a morgue wearing nothing but a toe-tag is worse, even if it comes with a strange array of new abilities.

Medical student Michael Devlin is in trouble. With his flatmates murdered and an international cabal of legendary man-monsters on his trail, Devlin’s got nowhere to hide. His only allies are a hot-tempered Sydney cop and a mysterious monster-hunter who may be setting Devlin up for the kill. If he’s going to survive, Devlin will have to embrace his new powers and confront his hunters. But can he hold onto his humanity when he walks the Path of Night?

Path of Night will be released in print and ebook later this month.

Cover by Adam Branch

Lovely new reviews

October 6, 2013 ~ Tehani

A couple of lovely new reviews around the ridges recently.

Mieneke over at A Fantastical Librarian gave a comprehensive look at One Small Step, saying (among lots of other very nice things): “a very strong collection of stories showcasing the talents of eighteen very talented women.”

Tsana at Tsana Reads & Reviews took advantage of our super World Fantasy Awards discount on To Spin a Darker Stair (just $5 including postage anywhere in the world! Ends 31 October!) and very generously then reviewed the book, saying it “punches above its weight class.”

And although this is a little while ago, I wanted to point out Michelle E. Goldsmith’s glowing review of The Bone Chime Song and Other Stories at Vilutheril.Michelle is very definite about her recommendation: “I urge anyone who loves dark, strange and beautifully written stories to read this collection.” Thanks Michelle!

Coming Soon: Gilfeather by Glenda Larke (Isles of Glory #2)

September 21, 2013 ~ Tehani

We are in the final throes of production for the first ever ebook of Glenda Larke’s excellent Gilfeather, book two of the Isles of Glory series.

The unassuming Sky Plains healer Gilfeather is drawn into the adventure of a lifetime, as he joins a warrior and a sorceress on a quest to overcome a ruthless dunmagicker whose lust for dark power places the entirety of the Glory Isles in danger.

Book one of the series, The Aware, is already available at your favourite e-tailer for around $3.99.

The Aware by Glenda Larke Kindle / Kobo / Wizard’s Tower Books / Weightless Books

Coming soon from FableCroft and Tansy Rayner Roberts…

September 20, 2013 ~ Tehani

Ink Black Magic by Tansy Rayner Roberts is in the final stages of production here at FableCroft. Ink Black Magic is a Mocklore novel and we will be releasing it in ebook and paperbook very soon!

Kassa Daggersharp has been a pirate, a witch, a menace to public safety, a villain, a hero and a legend. These days, she lectures first year students on the dangers of magic, at the Polyhedrotechnical in Cluft.

Egg Friefriedsson is Kassa’s teenage cousin, a lapsed Axgaard warrior who would rather stay in his room and draw comics all day than hang out with his friends. If only comics had been invented.

Aragon Silversword is missing, presumed dead.

All the adventures are over. It’s time to get on with being a grownup. But when Egg’s drawings come to life, including an evil dark city full of villains and monsters, everyone starts to lose their grip on reality. Even the flying sheep.

Kassa and Egg are not sure who are the heroes and who are the villains anymore, but someone has to step up to save Mocklore, one last time.

True love isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.

Happy endings don’t come cheap.

All that magic is probably going to kill you.

You really can have too much black velvet.

All this and more in the third and final adventure of The Mocklore Chronicles!

I love that this book works very well as a standalone novel, but if you’re keen to find out more about Kassa and her past, you might like to start with Tansy’s first two books, Splashdance Silver and Liquid Gold, available for around $3.99 each from your preferred ebook retailer!

Splashdance Silver by Tansy Rayner Roberts Kindle / Kobo / Wizard’s Tower Books / Weightless Books

Liquid Gold by Tansy Rayner Roberts Kindle / Kobo / Wizard’s Tower Books / Weightless Books

New book, coming soon! Focus 2012: highlights of Australian short fiction.

September 18, 2013 ~ Tehani

We are delighted to announce a forthcoming ebook-only production conceptualised to showcase the best of Australia’s award-nominated short speculative fiction. The first of an annual series, the anthology collects an elite selection of work which has received acclaim via national and international Awards shortlisting. In creating this collection, we anticipate bringing international attention to the very best of Australian speculative fiction.

"Imagination" by Kathleen Jennings — “Imagination” by Kathleen Jennings

Focus 2012: highlights of Australian short fiction features work by…

Joanne Anderton

Thoraiya Dyer

Robert Hood

Kathleen Jennings

Margo Lanagan

Martin Livings

Jason Nahrung

Kaaron Warren

We anticipate release in early October 2013 at all good ebook retailers.

With thanks to Deborah Biancotti, for thinking out loud.

Random(ish) Links

August 29, 2013 ~ Tehani

Realised I started this post some months ago but somehow forgot to finish it! A few random links that are pertinent to our interests 🙂

Kathleen Jennings shares some sketches related to her wonderful story in One Small Step, “Ella and the Flame”.

Zena Shapter interviews editor Tehani Wessely about the editing process.

Joanne Anderton talks about the story behind The Bone Chime Song and Other Stories at Upcoming4Me.

Awards news!

August 27, 2013 ~ Tehani

In addition to the fantastic news that Kathleen Jennings is on the World Fantasy Awards ballot for Best Artist (see our special offer for To Spin a Darker Stair here – just $5!), over the weekend the Washington Science Fiction Association’s Small Press Award shortlist was announced, and we’re VERY excited to see Jason Nahrung’s Epilogue story “The Mornington Ride” on it! This story won the Victorian Chronos Award for Best Short Story earlier in the year, and we’re just delighted to see it recognised on an international ballot.

The WSFA Small Press Award is perhaps my favourite award, because not only does it recognise the very best of small press around the world, but the process by which the shortlist and winner are decided is very special. Stories are read “blind” by a panel (meaning the author and publication details are unknown) who select the shortlist. The shortlist is then read by the members of WSFA (again, completely blind), and the winner voted on. Which means the stories are judged completely on merit – marvellous!

Huge congratulations to Jason for making such a prestigious shortlist and fingers crossed for the announcement of the winner!

Want to read the story? Print stock of Epilogue is almost sold out (get your copy here while you can!), but the ebook is available from Kindle, Kobo, Wizard’s Tower and Weightless Books!