Not Such Bad Guys
August 5, 2019
Writers are prone to complain about the treatment they get from editors, but sometimes they keep their promises and more.
Take Brad McNaughton, Kain Massin and Sarah Knight, editors of The Blend, a new anthology from Altair Australia Pty Ld. I have the privilege of having a story, 'No Man's Land', in the first issue. I wasn't kept hanging around for months, or even weeks, waiting for an acceptance or rejection. I received the proofs in good time, was paid in advance, and even though the publishers are based on the other side of the planet, I received a print copy in the post via Lulu.com within days of its release. What more could I ask for?
The issue includes stories by Gustavo Bondoni and Robert Stephenson, as well as poetry by William Joel and Anton Regis among others. They all have speculative or strange elements. There's no overt thread joining them, but for me they all concern something missing or left behind. Two of my favourites are 'Windows of the Soul' by Paul Bownsey and the anonymous tale, 'The Dead Dog Barked'. They range from the poignant to the creepy, and stay with you after you've finished reading. Even the cover art provokes questions.
Sadly, the artist, Conny Valentine, lost most of her work in a recent fire. To find out more about this, The Blend's submission requirements and how to get your copy, visit https://the blendinternational.com.au. At the moment, Altair Australia Pty Ltd. is running the Future Visions Award with a prize of $500 and publication in The Blend for a story representing what it considers the 'best future vision of the world or of people'. The closing date is 15th November 2019.
I hope that redresses the balance a little.
Take Brad McNaughton, Kain Massin and Sarah Knight, editors of The Blend, a new anthology from Altair Australia Pty Ld. I have the privilege of having a story, 'No Man's Land', in the first issue. I wasn't kept hanging around for months, or even weeks, waiting for an acceptance or rejection. I received the proofs in good time, was paid in advance, and even though the publishers are based on the other side of the planet, I received a print copy in the post via Lulu.com within days of its release. What more could I ask for?
The issue includes stories by Gustavo Bondoni and Robert Stephenson, as well as poetry by William Joel and Anton Regis among others. They all have speculative or strange elements. There's no overt thread joining them, but for me they all concern something missing or left behind. Two of my favourites are 'Windows of the Soul' by Paul Bownsey and the anonymous tale, 'The Dead Dog Barked'. They range from the poignant to the creepy, and stay with you after you've finished reading. Even the cover art provokes questions.
Sadly, the artist, Conny Valentine, lost most of her work in a recent fire. To find out more about this, The Blend's submission requirements and how to get your copy, visit https://the blendinternational.com.au. At the moment, Altair Australia Pty Ltd. is running the Future Visions Award with a prize of $500 and publication in The Blend for a story representing what it considers the 'best future vision of the world or of people'. The closing date is 15th November 2019.
I hope that redresses the balance a little.
Posted by K. S. Dearsley. Posted In : Competitions
