Modern Gothic submissions, sunshine and stories from Fly on the Wall Press
Will we be reading your work this year?
A very happy Easter to you Scribblers, I’m loving the Spring sun and seeing Manchester sunbathe in 15 degrees Celsius (hats off to you, got to get that vitamin D somewhere!) In this newsletter we have an events round up, SUBMISSIONS claxon for ‘Modern Gothic’ and a very special short story sample from none other than Charlie Hill, our satirical author of ‘The State of Us’, which we can’t wait to see on bookshelves April 28th!
Events:
Saturday, April 29 · 11:30am - 3:30pm BST
Northern Publishers' Fair 2023
The Northern Publishers are out in force at Manchester Central Library! Books and networking.
Manchester Central Library Saint Peter's Square Manchester M2 5PD
May 12
18:30 - 20:00 BST
Blackwell's Bookshop 146 Oxford Road Manchester M13 9GP
THE ONES WHO FLEW THE NEST Book launch – PERFECT if you are about to submit to the Modern Gothic anthology, and follow in these curated anthology authors’ footsteps!
ONLINE COURSE
May 11
Author Branding on Social Media (Instagram, Twitter and Facebook)
For aspiring and published authors.
Dates for Course (Times in UK time, GMT)
Thursday 11th May 7.30pm Instagram
Thursday 18th May 7.30pm Facebook
Thursday 25rd May 7.30pm Twitter
You want an ‘author brand’ in 2023 but what is author branding, and why does it matter? Whether you're an aspiring or published author, your presence and personality online is super important for approaching a publisher or agent (your professionalism and commitment to your craft evident by your online presence) and for selling more books (connecting with readers).
This course from Kenyon Author Services will focus on building you a community of supportive fellow authors and giving you practical skills, advice and mentoring along the way from Isabelle Kenyon.
Sign up here or email isabellekenyon@hotmail.co.uk to attend a singular session
Modern Gothic!
In 2023, we will be moving our curated anthology series (see Of Myths and Mothers and The Ones Who Flew The Nest, as well as our 2021 shorts season) into a call out with a particular theme. This year, we are preoccupied with the gothic, and what that can reveal about society and the taboos we hold. Think Angela Carter, psychological thriller meets literary fiction and above all, bring us characters with deeply complex fears and desires that keep us up all night.
Anthology submissions: 22nd April - 28th May, midnight GMT
THE STATE OF US
Sample of ‘Taking Back Control’ from The State of Us, a short story collection by Birmingham’s Charlie Hill:
TAKING BACK CONTROL
Nigel woke, as he did every day, in an inexpensive guesthouse and to the promise of a long drive. Today – if there were no developments before he left – he was travelling from Morpeth to Plymouth Hoe, a journey of some 400 miles. In many respects this was the optimum distance, necessitating only the most minor of diversions. Sometimes his destination would be closer by and he’d have to plan more significant detours, wasting half the day on roads he didn’t need to travel. Once he’d struggled terribly with a nightmare trip of barely 60 miles. That morning, as he did every morning, Nigel plugged in his laptop, checked his email for overnight developments. There were none, and no new messages on his mobile either. So today was a done deal: Plymouth Hoe it was. He switched on This Morning, clipped his nose hair and took a shower.
Nigel got his information from a network of contacts he had nurtured over two decades of life on the road. For twenty years he had traversed the cities and shires of England, selling driving gloves, car coats, handbrake covers, thermos flasks and heated seat cushions. He was retired now and had nothing to sell but he had taken care to keep in touch with his former customers. Because although there were websites that supposedly offered the same intelligence, Nigel was in no hurry to announce his intentions to The Surveillance State. And Nigel had unfinished business.
Fancy reading on? Grab a copy from our shop or from your local bookshop or library! Then tag us in a picture of the book on social media and we’ll give you 30% off your next order, yum!
On a personal note, I really appreciate your support as a newsletter subscriber. We have always operated as a completely unfunded Press with ethical and sustainable operations, and it is tough in an environment of rising costs. If you enjoy a book from FOTW, do tell all your friends about it: it makes a world of difference!
Until next time Scribblers!
Take care,
Isabelle