pbray

You'd think this would be obvious, but recent evidence suggests not.

First, never assume that your cover letter is going to stay attached to your manuscript. This is especially true for electronic submissions, where your attached file may be downloaded and stored separately from the email. Always include your contact info on page 1 of the submission.

Second, always include page headers with the page number and either your name or the story title, preferably both. I received multiple submissions without page headers of any kind, and it was a freaking pain in the butt when the printer spit pages on the floor and two of those stories got mixed up. Not to mention that later I'll wind up adding page numbers to make it easier to discuss the story with my co-editor, e.g. "The scene that starts on page 4 is..." What makes it even more inexplicable is that these stories were submitted in Microsoft Word where adding page headers is a basic function.

Even stranger was the story where the author had forgotten to put their name anywhere in the manuscript. Just a bare title, no name, no contact info, presumably they assumed that I'd be happy to hunt back thru the emails to figure out who had sent it in.

Finally spell check is your friend. Proofreading is your friend. Take that extra hour for one last pass before you send your story in. And if you know you're terrible at catching your own mistakes, have someone else take a look at your work.

Remember, first impressions count. A poorly formatted story sends the signal that you can't be bothered with the details, and will be difficult to work with. Don't give the editor a reason to be cranky before she reads a single line of your story. Because if it comes down to a choice between two stories that are equally good, the editor is going to pick the one that didn't make her sigh with annoyance. Trust me on this one.

Team humans or Team Aliens? Team Patricia or Team Joshua? You have until Friday morning at 11:56 EDT to join our army of supporters by backing Clockwork Universe: Steampunk vs Aliens edited by Patricia Bray and Joshua Palmatier. The anthology will include stories by Bradley Beaulieu, Caitlin Kittredge, Gini Koch, Scott Lynch, Gail Z. Martin, Seanan McGuire, Ian Tregillis, and others.

We've already reached the minimum funding level so the project is a go. Now we're on the bonus jeopardy rounds, with cool extra awards being unlocked. Make your pledge and reserve your copy now, and we'll add your name to the list of those who will be under our protection when the zombie hordes begin their rampage.

Isn't it shiny? The proposed cover for CLOCKWORK UNIVERSE: STEAMPUNK vs. ALIENS featuring the gorgeous artwork by Alex Broeckel.




This is preliminary because we're still tweaking the backcover copy. And, of course, the list of authors won't be final until we've selected the remaining seven authors whose stories will round out the anthology.

And in case you've somehow missed hearing this, there are only 9 days left before the Kickstarter closes. Visit the kickstarter webpage to learn how you can preorder your copy.

Ever wondered what it is like to launch your own small press? What you need to run a successful kickstarter? Or even what exactly this CLOCKWORK UNIVERSE: STEAMPUNK vs ALIENS Kickstarter is all about? ZNB LLC founder Joshua Palmatier has been on a publicity blitz, so check out the links I've posted below.

DJ Grandpa's Crib Podcast (Mon Aug 5th) includes interview with Joshua Palmatier on launching Zombies Need Brains press and CLOCKWORK UNIVERSE: STEAMPUNK vs. ALIENS.

Joshua Palmatier on SF Signal on How to Create a New Small Press.

Announcement of Zombies Need Brains press on SFScope.

Guest blog on Disquieting Visions.

5 Questions with Joshua Palmatier on Black Gate.

Kickstarter announcement on silobreaker

CLOCKWORK UNIVERSE press release on Crowdfunding PR.

And finally don't forget to visit our Kickstarter page .

Today's question to ponder-- if the Daleks invaded an Earth defended by Captain Nemo, would humanity survive? Nemo has the advantages of an undersea base, while the hive mind tells me that Daleks haven't been seen swimming since the Classic Who episode The Dalek Invasion of Earth (1964). But the Daleks have shown the ability to assemble overwhelming armies....

[Poll #1925504]

Nemo is the original Steampunk antihero, so I'd like to think that humanity had a fighting chance. And Daleks even look Steampunk in appearance, so they'd fit right in the set of the old films. I'd like to see James Mason* facing off against them.

Alas, I can't bring you Nemo versus the Daleks. But I can offer up a collection of Steampunk vs Aliens stories for your reading enjoyment. Want to know if your favorite authors are on Team Humans or Team Aliens? Visit the Clockwork Universe kickstarter page to find out how you can help make this project a reality.

*James Mason played Captain Nemo in the 1954 film 20000 Leagues Under the Sea.

I took Friday off and headed over to the lakes, where sightseeing included mandatory stops at independent bookstores. Then yesterday I hit a couple of local bookstores for the sake of variety. In two days I've purchased more books than I've managed to read so far in 2013. Optimism, it's the new black.

Though in my defense, several of the books were debut novels by first time authors, and I'll generally buy any first book that looks at all interesting, as a gesture of support.

I love books. I love discovering new authors. I love reading science fiction and fantasy and mysteries and cold war spy thrillers and nautical fiction and books that are pretentiously shelved under Litfic. I'll wander over into horror and romance and westerns and read YA as much for my own enjoyment as I do to pickup recs for my nieces. The only thing better than discovering a great story is getting to share that story with others. ("You must read X! It's fabulous!")

Putting together an anthology combines so many of my favorite things. It's getting the chance to read great stories and to share them with others. It's the opportunity to work with a fantastic partner-in-crime jpsorrow and an outstanding group of authors. It's the battle of Team!Patricia versus Team!Joshua as we each strive to bring the very best stories to the table.

Now, with your help, we're getting to do it again. The CLOCKWORK UNIVERSE: Steampunk vs Aliens anthology will have fourteen original stories by Bradley Beaulieu, Caitlin Kittredge, Gini Koch, Scott Lynch, Gail Z. Martin, Seanan McGuire, Ian Tregillis and others, brought to you by the newly launched small press Zombies Need Brains LLC. Team human versus team alien, dirigibles against spaceships, steam power versus lasers. Can't wait to read it? Then follow the kickstarter link above and help make this project a reality.

CLOCKWORK UNIVERSE STEAMPUNK vs ALIENS is the first anthology being launched by Zombies Need Brains LLC, a small press founded by friend and frequent partner in crime Joshua Palmatier.

We've been talking about this project for months, so I'm thrilled to finally be able to share this with you. This is going to be an awesome anthology featuring an incredibly talented lineup of authors.

Visit the kickstarter webpage to find out more about the project, and how you can become a backer. As a special bonus for supporters we have a limited number of Tuckerizations available, and we expect these to sell out fast.

CLOCKWORK UNIVERSE: STEAMPUNK vs. ALIENS. When aliens reach Earth, they encounter the clockwork mechanisms and Victorian sensibilities of a full-blown steampunk civilization. Inspired by the classic science fiction adventure tales of the nineteenth century, leading fantasy and science fiction authors will bring us tales of first contact with a twist, as steam power meets laser cannons . . . and dirigibles face off against flying saucers. Edited by Patricia Bray and Joshua Palmatier, it will contain approximately 14 stories with an average length of 6000 words each. The anthology will include short stories by: Bradley Beaulieu, Caitlin Kittredge, Gini Koch, Scott Lynch, Gail Z. Martin, Seanan McGuire, and Ian Tregillis, and others.