Exciting News – I’ll Be Curating An Anthology!

Yeah, you read that right – I’m a curator now!

Writing short stories has always been one of the best things about being an author. Sure, writing a novel is fun and exciting, but writing short stories is fun and exciting! Get what I mean? Probably not. It’s just that there’s something special with short stories, flash and micro fiction. You get to bend the rules, to experiment, to take a break from your massive magnus opus 5-book fantasy novel series that you’ve been planning since you were twelve, and just live a little. Also, couple that with that fact that short stories – at least if you submit them to anthologies or online – often come with a prompt that asks for something specific, you’ve got a whole new exciting way of writing, right there.

I’ve been doing this for a while now, writing short stories, I mean. I’ve been writing for anthologies, magazines, websites, webzines, collections, podcasts – you name it! Some of them have actually sold as well! I’ve landed one fantasy short in Lost Boys Press’ Empire of Beasts. It’s called The Hunt, and it’s freakin’ awesome, if I dare say so my self. I’ve also published with Black Hare Press, a story called They Came From Nowhere, in their 500-series CONTACT, and I’ve sold a story to a podcast currently in production by Inked In Gray and sold a short story called Time of Death to Dark Recesses Press. Recently, I even won an award for my contribution to the 42 Stories Anthology!

My point is – I love short stories! I submit more than I can count (that’s a lie, I have a very detailed spreadsheet), and I love doing it, even if only a fraction of them are accepted and sold. But even when they’re not selling, they sometimes lead to opportunities.

After submitting to a contest – I can’t even remember what the theme was or which story I ended up sending in – but I found myself sitting there, waiting for a response. Usually, it can take a few months before you hear back (but don’t worry, I was doing other things in the meantime, like eating and sleeping). Eventually, I got the familiar rejection. Fine, alright, it happens, actually, it’s what almost always happens, so it’s no biggie. But then, months again after that, I got a new email.

The publisher reached out to me, because they needed a judge. Someone to read through short stories, submitted to the same contest I had taken part in (by now, that was a year earlier), and they needed someone to handle the thriller and horror genre. I thought about it for maybe a day, then I immediately said yes.

It was great fun! Who doesn’t want to sit and read cool, unique short stories, and measure them up against each other. Sure, it’s a difficult job (because honestly, there are a lot of good writers out there), but it’s a valuable skill! I did it again the year after, by now we’re in 2024, and although there were fewer entries, it was still really fun.

Then, came another email.

The publisher reached out, because they were looking for another collaboration. This time, it was for something different, however. They were putting together a collection – a thriller/horror anthology – and they were looking for a curator. I actually had to think about it for a little while. Being a judge is one thing – it’s fun and exciting, and opportunity to develop myself while at the same time getting to read some cool stories. But it’s also a one time deal. When it’s over, it’s over, and you can step back. You hand off your evaluation to the people in charge, bid them good bye, and hope you’ve done a good job.

Being a curator is something completely different.

There’s much more responsibility. I have to decide which stories make the cut and which don’t, and I have to get the authors onboard. I have to advise on revisions, edits, formatting, illustrations – of course I have the backing of a whole publishing house to help me out, I’m not doing this all by myself – but still… It’s a lot.

Of course, I said yes!

I’m already looking through entries, we’ve discussed a working title, and I’m imagining the cover. We’re a long way away from seeing this thing to life, but I’m really excited for the road ahead. As an author, a writer, a person with a creative outlet that sometimes seem to be bursting at the seams, this is a very exciting opportunity for me.

I can’t wait to share more about it with all of you.

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