Traction on Kindle

The Spring issue of The Colored Lens is out, featuring Traction, a story of model railway clubs, treachery and Greek gods (three signifiers that have never, to my knowledge, appeared together before). I hope you will enjoy it. It’s available on Kindle at the moment, but will appear online in the Summer.

Books in Hands

It’s strange, given that words are such insubstantial things, but nothing pleases an author (or at least this author) more than getting his hands on the first copy of his new book. So I was delighted when a parcel arrived this morning with my writer copies of Imam Al-Ghazali: A Concise Life. I’d seen a pdf, but nothing beats holding the actual paper in your hands, and I spent the day quietly indulging in the usual fantasies of best-seller lists and huge sales. However many copies the book does sell in the end. Yosef Smyth, my editor, and Louis Mackay, the designer, have done a wonderful job of turning woods into a finished book.

Rejection Notes – No.5 in a series

Dear Edoardo,

Thank you for giving us the opportunity to consider your story, “Through the Dart.” After reading and discussing it, we have decided that it does not work for us. Good luck placing it elsewhere.

To tell the truth, we’re just plain getting tired of seeing vampire stories. Even clever and original ones, like yours.

Not this one, but definitely, we’d like to see more stories from you.

Acceptance Notes – No.3 in a series

After discussion and final voting among the editorial staff, we’d like to publish “Traction” in our Spring issue of The Colored Lens which will be released in mid-March.

If you have any other questions for me, feel free to ask, otherwise I’ll pass you over to Daniel.  Thanks again for the submission, and good luck with the rest of your writing.

Acceptance Notes – No.2 in a series

Following hot on the heels of no.1 in the series, here’s no.2!

Edoardo,

We would like to publish your story, “The Dream of the Night-Shift Power Worker”, in Daily Science Fiction.  We’ll email a contract to you shortly for your approval. A sample email, including any edits to your story that may be necessary, will come later.  The edits will be sent with enough time for your feedback, so we may resolve any issues and present the best possible story to our audience.

Acceptance Notes – No.1 in a series

It’s been a long, lean period, so this email was really welcome!

Dear Edoardo Albert,

Thank you for sending us “Neighbour From Hell.” We love it and would like to publish it in the Trust and Treachery Anthology. We will be in touch in a few weeks with details and to discuss the editing process. In the meantime, please confirm receipt of this letter and send us a short bio (150 words or less) so we can post it on our website.

Thanks again, and we look forward to working with you!

Rejection Notes – No.4 in a series

Dear Edoardo Albert,

Thank you for sending us “The Dream of the Night-Shift Power Worker”. Unfortunately we will not be able to use this work. We receive many well-written, compelling, stories, but can only take a very limited number due to constraints of space and style. We wish you the best of luck in placing your story elsewhere.

P.S. It was a pretty good story. Sorry to say no. This is not our customary rejection.