Demain Publishing Archives

2021 Writing and Publishing Plan

I’m writing this at the end of February 2021 so I hope everyone is doing as well as they can. In the UK, the vaccination programme is going well and 21st June is the date that we hope to be able to move about freely again. Definitely something to look forward to.

2020 was a busy year for me, book wise at least, I had five stories published in anthologies, three of them in Harvey Duckman Presents books. They were Harvey Duckman Presents Volume 5, Harvey Duckman Presents Volume 6 and Harvey Duckman Presents … Special Pirates.

2021 is probably going to be a much quieter year for me. I’ve had one urban fantasy novella, The Raven King, published by Demain Publishing in January 2021, my very first novella to be published. I have, or will be, submitting a couple of short stories to anthologies but I’m planning to spend most of 2021 writing a novella or possibly a couple of novellas.

When I say writing, I really mean rewriting as there are two short novels that I completed as part of Nanowrimo that I want to look at again and see if I can turn them into novellas worth publishing. But before I do that, I’m taking part in an Imaginary Worlds worldbuilding course run by Megan Kerr of The Writers’ Greenhouse – www.thewritersgreenhouse.co.uk It’s a six week course and I’m enjoying it very much so far. It’s certainly given me some ideas for my stories.

I’m also planning to publish a print version of Quirky Christmas Stories later on in the year and perhaps a couple of Christmas themed short stories.

Update on short stories June 2020

Time for an update. I’m pleased to announce that my short horror story’A Monster Met’, no 7 in the Short! Sharp! Shocks! series, is now available in print on Amazon. It also contains a bonus short story, ‘Mason’s Revenge’, a horror story about a minor character in Jane Eyre.

I’ve been told that Volume 5 of Harvey Duckman Presents will be coming out this month. My short story, ‘The Perfect Ham Sandwich’ is in that one. I’ve also had a short story, ‘Tully and the Geese’ accepted for Volume 6 of Harvey Duckman Presents. That volume should be coming out some time this year. The publishers, Sixth Element Publishing, aim to get two to three volumes out every year.

Book cover for Harvey Duckman Presents Volume 5.

I’ve also had a short story, “Mirror in Her Hand”, a dieselpunk version of “Snow White” accepted for the Fairytales Punk’d anthology. Very excited about that.

I’m still waiting to hear the fate of a couple of other short stories that I’ve submitted. Fingers crossed.

Short Stories Accepted April 2020

The Chinese have a curse, “May you live in interesting times” and it certainly applies now with all the fear, grief and uncertainty caused by the Corona virus. I’m staying at home and trying to be productive. I’ve recently had some good news about a couple of short stories, which cheered me up enormously.

The first story, “Scared of Girls,” a short horror story has been accepted by Demain Publishing for the second series of Short! Sharp! Shocks! and should be appearing sometime later this year. I’ve also been told that my story, “A Monster Met”, which is Short! Sharp! Shocks! No 7, will be appearing in print form sometime fairly soon this year. The print version will include an extra one, “Mason’s Story”, a horror story about a minor character in “Jane Eyre”.

I’ve also recently heard that another short story, “The Perfect Ham Sandwich”, a comic alternative history story, has been accepted by Sixth Element Publishing for the fifth volume of the “Harvey Duckman Presents” anthology.

I have two more stories out on submission at the moment so will update when I have further news, good or bad. Don’t hold your breath. The Corona virus is taking its toll on the publishing industry too.