Friday, June 12, 2020
Thursday, June 11, 2020
Selecting Stories for an Anthology: An Editor’s Point of View: Guest Post by Judy Penz Sheluk
Selecting Stories for an Anthology: An Editor’s Point of View
I’ve been on all sides of the anthology fence, as a story submitter, a publisher, editor and judge. I’ve felt the thrill of acceptance and the disappointment of rejection (as the intake coordinator for Passport to Murder, the Bouchercon Toronto anthology, I had the dubious distinction of sending a rejection letter to myself). I’m also an avid reader of short mystery fiction. Love it. And so, in October 2018, I sent out my very first callout under my recently formed Superior Shores Press imprint for The Best Laid Plans: 21 Stories of Mystery & Suspense, published June 18, 2019. Buoyed by the critical acclaim and commercial success of Plans, and convinced that this time around I’d be able to streamline the process somewhat, I sent another callout in October 2019, this time for Heartbreaks & Half-truths: 22 Stories of Mystery & Suspense, which releases on June 18, 2020. Now, with Plans, I’d received a total of 71 submissions, and I was expecting about the same number this go-round. Not so. In all, 105 submissions were received for Heartbreaks, representing authors from Argentina, Australia, France, Germany, Scotland, the UK, US, and Canada.
But, how does one make the cut from 105 to 22? The truth is, reading is subjective. I’ve yet to read an anthology where I’ve liked every story in the collection (my own anthologies excluded). The best you can do is even up your odds. Here are some questions to ask yourself before you submit:
Does it meet the theme?
Most anthologies have an underlying theme. In this case, the theme was heartbreaks and half-truths. That’s pretty broad, and yet, some stories didn’t have so much of a hint of either. Bottom line: No matter how good a story is, if it doesn’t meet the theme, it won’t be accepted.
Does it meet the word count guidelines?
Some anthologies are very strict about word counts; one word over and you’re out. For Heartbreaks, I requested stories from 1,500 to 5,000 words, though this was “somewhat flexible,” meaning a few less or a few more words wouldn’t mean an automatic rejection. I did, however, draw the line at one submission of 7,800 words, which I didn’t take the time to read. Bottom line: There’s somewhat flexible and then there’s being an Olympic gymnast.
Does it meet the criteria?
For Heartbreaks, the callout stated: Traditional, locked room, noir, historical and suspense will be considered; however, do not submit stories with overt sex, violence, or excessive bad language. And yup, you guessed it, I received some with all of that and more. Bottom line: Submit to a market that isn’t looking for a PG rating and give yourself a chance.
Did you format according to the publisher’s specifications?
I requested: Times New Roman 12, double spaced, 1” margins, .5” indent (no tabs), no header or footer. Word .doc or .docx only. About 50% of authors paid attention to this (headers/footers being the one thing no one wanted to give up). Bottom line: Will you be rejected for submitting in Calibri 11, single-spaced, with headers and footers? Probably not, at least not if your story is good. But why not show the editor that you can read as well as write?
Don’t be last minute
You don’t have to be first out of the gate. In fact, if you submit on day one, I’m pretty sure you’re sending me something out of your slush pile. That doesn’t mean sending it in on the last day, or in some cases, in the last hour. Because (and again, I can’t speak for other publishers/editors/judges), I’ve read each story as it came in, and I’ve already started my long list. Bottom line: No one wants a long list that’s, well, too long.
And now, a bit about Heartbreaks & Half-truths: 22 Stories of Mystery & Suspense, available in trade paperback and on Kindle (Kobo, Nook, Apple Books to follow at a later date).
Lovers and losers.
Whether it’s 1950s Hollywood, a scientific experiment, or a yard sale in suburbia, the twenty-two authors represented in this collection of mystery and suspense interpret the overarching theme of “heartbreaks and half-truths” in their own inimitable style, where only one thing is certain: Behind every broken heart lies a half-truth. And behind every half-truth lies a secret.
Featuring stories by Sharon Hart Addy, Paula Gail Benson, James Blakey, Gustavo Bondoni, Susan Daly, Buzz Dixon, Rhonda Eikamp, Christine Eskilson, Tracy Falenwolfe, Kate Flora, John M. Floyd, J.A. Henderson, Blair Keetch, Steve Liskow, Edward Lodi, Judy Penz Sheluk, KM Rockwood, Peggy Rothschild, Joseph S. Walker, James Lincoln Warren, Chris Wheatley and Robb T. White.
Judy Penz Sheluk (editor/author) is the bestselling author of two mystery series: the Glass Dolphin Mysteries and the Marketville Mysteries. Her short stories appear in several collections, including Live Free or Tri and The Best Laid Plans: 21 Stories of Mystery & Suspense, which she also edited. Judy is a member of Sisters in Crime National, Toronto, and Guppy Chapters, the Short Mystery Fiction Society, International Thriller Writers, South Simcoe Arts Council, and Crime Writers of Canada, where she serves as Chair on the Board of Directors. Release Date: June 18, Kindle and trade paperback.
Wednesday, June 10, 2020
Tuesday, June 9, 2020
THEAKSTON OLD PECULIER CRIME NOVEL OF THE YEAR SHORTLIST
My Sister The Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite
Worst Case Scenario by Helen Fitzgerald
The Lost Man by Jane Harper
Joe Country by Mick Herron
The Chain by Adrian McKinty
Smoke And Ashes by Abir Mukherjee
Have your say. Vote for the ONE shortlisted book that you feel most deserves to be crowned the 2020 Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year. Voting closes on July 19. Winner will be announced on July 23 in a digital awards ceremony.
Go here to Vote.
2020 marks the 16th year of the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year award. The prize was created to celebrate the very best in crime fiction and is open to UK and Irish crime authors whose novels were published in paperback from 1 May 2019 to 30 April 2020. The award is run in partnership with T&R Theakston Ltd, WHSmith, and The Mail on Sunday.
Monday, June 8, 2020
2020 ANTHONY AWARD NOMINEES
2020 Anthony Award Nominees
BEST NOVELYour House Will Pay, by Steph Cha (Ecco)
They All Fall Down, by Rachel Howzell Hall (Forge)
Lady in the Lake, by Laura Lippman (William Morrow)
The Murder List, by Hank Phillippi Ryan (Forge)
Miami Midnight, by Alex Segura (Polis Books)
BEST FIRST NOVEL
The Ninja Daughter, by Tori Eldridge (Agora Books)
Miracle Creek, by Angie Kim (Sarah Crichton Books)
One Night Gone, by Tara Laskowski (Graydon House)
Three-Fifths, by John Vercher (Agora Books)
American Spy, by Lauren Wilkinson (Random House)
BEST PAPERBACK ORIGINAL**
The Unrepentant, by E.A. Aymar (Down & Out Books)
Murder Knocks Twice, by Susanna Calkins (Minotaur)
The Pearl Dagger, by L.A. Chandlar (Kensington)
Scot & Soda, by Catriona McPherson (Midnight Ink)
The Alchemist’s Illusion, by Gigi Pandian (Midnight Ink)
Drowned Under, by Wendall Thomas (Poisoned Pen Press)
The Naming Game, by Gabriel Valjan (Winter Goose Press)
BEST CRITICAL NON-FICTION WORK
Hitchcock and the Censors, by John Billheimer (University Press of Kentucky)
The Hooded Gunman: An Illustrated History of the Collins Crime Club, by John Curran (Collins Crime Club)
The Mutual Admiration Society: How Dorothy L. Sayers and her Oxford Circle Remade the World for Women, by Mo Moulton (Basic Books)
The Trail of Lizzie Borden: A True Story, by Cara Robertson (Simon & Schuster)
The Five: The Untold Stories of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper, by Hallie Rubenhold (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)
BEST SHORT STORY
“Turistas,” by Hector Acosta (appearing in ¡Pa’que Tu Lo Sepas!: Stories to Benefit the People of Puerto Rico)
“Unforgiven,” by Hilary Davidson (appearing in Murder a-Go-Gos: Crime Fiction Inspired by the Music of the Go-Gos)
“The Red Zone,” by Alex Segura (appearing in ¡Pa’que Tu Lo Sepas!: Stories to Benefit the People of Puerto Rico)
“Better Days,” by Art Taylor (appearing in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, May/June 2019)
“Hard Return,” by Art Taylor (appearing in Crime Travel)
BEST ANTHOLOGY OR COLLECTION
The Eyes of Texas: Private Investigators from the Panhandle to the Piney Woods, edited by Michael Bracken (Down & Out Books)
¡Pa’que Tu Lo Sepas!: Stories to Benefit the People of Puerto Rico, edited by Angel Luis Colón (Down & Out Books)
Crime Travel, edited by Barb Goffman (Wildside Press)
Malice Domestic 14: Mystery Most Edible, edited by Verena Rose, Rita Owen, and Shawn Reilly Simmons (Wildside Press)
Murder A-Go-Go’s: Crime Fiction Inspired by the Music of the Go-Gos, edited by Holly West (Down & Out Books)
BEST YOUNG ADULT**
Seven Ways to Get Rid of Harry, by Jen Conley (Down & Out Books)
Catfishing on CatNet, by Naomi Kritzer (Tor Teen)
Killing November, by Adriana Mather (Knopf Books for Young Readers)
Patron Saints of Nothing, by Randy Ribay (Kokila)
The Deceivers, by Kristen Simmons (Tor Teen)
Wild and Crooked, by Leah Thomas (Bloomsbury YA)
** This year, there are two categories with more than five nominees. This is the result of a tie for fifth place. When this occurs, according to Bouchercon standing rules, all of the authors who have tied become nominees.
Bouchercon, the World Mystery Convention, is a nonprofit, all-volunteer organization that holds an annual convention attended by readers, writers, publishers, editors, agents, booksellers, and other lovers of crime fiction. Its annual Anthony Awards are named for writer and book critic Anthony Boucher and are one of crime fiction’s most prestigious and coveted awards.
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