Mini-Edition: Anthology Pre-launch + Exclusive Sneak Peeks
An anthology, an exclusive peek, a new feature, and a special treat
Greetings readers & writers,
Good ideas start out as a mere seed. Engagement, skill, collaboration, and hard-work can bring them to fruition.
Back in November, folks from my Viable Paradise cohort were chatting on discord about how few pro-paying markets there are for science fiction and fantasy short fiction. And then someone floated the idea of us crowdfunding our own anthology.
One writer works for a small press that regularly crowd-funds anthologies. Another, co-runs a start-up that uses Kickstarter to fund narrative games. Others have self-published their own books or read slush for literary magazines or are artists. I, as you know, write and market things. Specifically: books. We also have very generous VP instructors (thank you Elizabeth Bear and Daryl Gregory for contributing stories!) And most of all, hard-working, over-achieving, very talented writers.
So with our powers combined, we settled on the theme, New Year, New You. We could see so many potential stories emerging from that prompt, and boy, do these stories deliver: queer and diverse tales of body and mind alterations that interrogate desire and self-image; trauma processing through simulations, distorted realities, and time travel; and the growth found in challenging new and old relationships… and the status quo.
(Me? I tried to layer in the prompt in as many ways as I could. My story is about time travel and therapy and deep time and temporal interference and Y2K and the Pleistocene and, ultimately, meeting yourself where you are. Sometimes, literally.)
With a theme like this, we knew we had to launch in January 2024. If you’ve ever launched a book, you know a three-month turn around to launch is… not ideal. But Kickstarter (and having knowledgable folks at the helm) affords us some benefits, namely time: we don’t have to have the book printed or even edited before we launch, though we do have to have all the pieces in place to do so if (when!) we fund.
I haven’t worked on a group project like this in a long, long time. We all know how isolating and solitary writing can be. It’s why we join writing groups, writing centers, and apply to workshops (APPLY!) To be in active collaboration with committed individuals on the same writing project, has felt both refreshing and invigorating.
And so… New Year, New You: A Speculative Anthology of Reinvention now has a Kickstarter pre-launch page! If it sounds up your alley, please follow and share widely.
Plus, because I love you (and I designed all these graphics), you’re getting an exclusive sneak peek of some of our finalized Kickstarter rewards.
For those prepping your query package or considering applying to a workshop: the Lion’s Mane Jelly tier includes a query or workshop application package review by one of us VP23’ers. I’ve been in workshops with these folks and they are good. There will be a limited number available, so if you’re interested, be sure to get on the notification list so you can snatch one up.
What’s this? A new feature? Absolutely! Alternating monthly(ish) with Book Marketing Now, you’ll be getting mini Book Magic Now issues, focusing on the ways books and stories cast magic on our lives, from some of the most thoughtful people writing (and reading) today. The only thing these issues will have in common, to paraphrase the great Levar Burton, is that they inspire me.
For our first feature, writer and bestie-extraordinaire, Annie Cardi (author of Red and The Chance You Won’t Return), will be sharing some magical moments from her writing career, plus her three favorite inspirational tools (and tea of course!)
My favorite thing right now: Chocolate Tahini
As a kid, my French neighbor introduced me to Nutella slathered on bread and it has always been a rare, nostalgic treat. But as an adult, even though I still love Nutella every once in awhile, I find it to be rather sweet. Enter: Chocolate Tahini.
You. Guys. This is my new favorite desserty condiment. A teaspoon tucked inside a date; a dollop smeared on a graham cracker; or a heaping spoonful stirred into oatmeal. I have also been known to just spoon —> jar. It has 1/3 the sugar of Nutella and doesn’t contain palm oil or extra things: just tahini (sesame paste), powdered sugar, and cocoa. The slight bitterness of the sesame makes the cocoa truly shine.
I’ve been digging into Wegman’s version, but I think Soom is available widely! Enjoy!
Stay-tuned for some critical advice and resources for planning your own Kickstarter publishing project, coming next week! Thanks, as always for your support!
~Allison
Writer & Marketing Coach
Keep Writing, Keep Connecting! Substack | Facebook | Website | BlueSky
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