I'm involved in Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine
Since Easter last year I've been a member of the cooperative that puts out Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine, an Australian-based sf and fantasy small press magazine. Unlike most of the people who are in the co-op, I'm not aiming to become a published fiction writer, but am really interested in editing fiction, and how you get the best out of touchy fiction authors (sorry, dudes, but you are - my last partner was a full-time writer and at least part-time obsessive). In my academic life I've done a fair bit of reviewing and editing of academic articles, and feel some confidence in doing that, but fiction -- it's so different, so unstandardised. So frustrating and fascinating.
Over 2006 I did a bit of slushing (reading anonymous submissions) and proofreading, and generally got used to small fiction, which isn't something I've ever been a big reader of. Since 2007 started I've stepped up my involvement a tad - helping a little with selecting material for the ASIM collections, becoming a Director (gosh wow!), and since late March have taken over from
zarabee as slushmistress. It's not a difficult task -
ethanthescribe, our Executive Editor, has created a nifty piece of software that helps in the process of acknowledging submissions (short stories, poems, interviews & other non-fic), de-identifying submissions, sending them out for blind feedback from readers, collating feedback, rejecting not-good-enough submissions, putting good-enough submissions into the slushpool for potential selection by each issue's editor(s), keeping authors informed throughout...
What's interesting are the individual differences: in the submissions (some authors write verbose cover emails describing their writing history, which I ignore, while others make me hunt for their contact details, and too few authors follow the submission guidelines very closely - just like academics), in the readers' styles of commenting, and in the authors' reactions to success or failure. We don't get enough Australians (and New Zealanders, who also count as 'locals') submitting, which is a pity, as one of the reasons ASIM was set up was to provide encouragement and another publishing opportunity for locals. So if any locals out there reading this have a half-forgotten short story out there, why not brush it off & send it to us?
In the meantime, here's some info about the latest issue of ASIM, which tries to prove me wrong by featuring a lot of locals...
Issue 28 has (finally) left the launch pad.
Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine issue 28, edited by Zara Baxter, is now available.
Why finally? Issue 28 has changed places in the publication schedule TWICE. Originally slated to be released as issue 26, then 27, this glorious issue was munched up by the space/time continuum and has only now been spat out! At last you can read the wonderful works filling this issue, which include:
Fiction
Grace . . . Ian McHugh
Sweet Potato Woman . . . Chris Barnes
Polish . . . Kaaron Warren
Rest Stop . . . Marissa K Lingen
The Dark and What It Said . . . Rick Kennett
The Eradicator . . . Ben Cook
The Bluebell Vengeance . . . Tansy Rayner Roberts
House In Love . . . Gail Kavanagh
Special Features
This is How the World Ends - Not with a Bang but with a Rip . . . David Clements
The Art of Balance - Interview with Trudi Canavan . . . Gillian Polack
Retro-Review . . . Ben Cook
With cover art by Daryl Lindquist, issue 28 is available in print or PDF from http://www.andromedaspaceways.com. NOW. Don't miss out, remember PDF availability is strictly limited
Over 2006 I did a bit of slushing (reading anonymous submissions) and proofreading, and generally got used to small fiction, which isn't something I've ever been a big reader of. Since 2007 started I've stepped up my involvement a tad - helping a little with selecting material for the ASIM collections, becoming a Director (gosh wow!), and since late March have taken over from
zarabee as slushmistress. It's not a difficult task -
ethanthescribe, our Executive Editor, has created a nifty piece of software that helps in the process of acknowledging submissions (short stories, poems, interviews & other non-fic), de-identifying submissions, sending them out for blind feedback from readers, collating feedback, rejecting not-good-enough submissions, putting good-enough submissions into the slushpool for potential selection by each issue's editor(s), keeping authors informed throughout...
What's interesting are the individual differences: in the submissions (some authors write verbose cover emails describing their writing history, which I ignore, while others make me hunt for their contact details, and too few authors follow the submission guidelines very closely - just like academics), in the readers' styles of commenting, and in the authors' reactions to success or failure. We don't get enough Australians (and New Zealanders, who also count as 'locals') submitting, which is a pity, as one of the reasons ASIM was set up was to provide encouragement and another publishing opportunity for locals. So if any locals out there reading this have a half-forgotten short story out there, why not brush it off & send it to us?
In the meantime, here's some info about the latest issue of ASIM, which tries to prove me wrong by featuring a lot of locals...
Issue 28 has (finally) left the launch pad.
Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine issue 28, edited by Zara Baxter, is now available.
Why finally? Issue 28 has changed places in the publication schedule TWICE. Originally slated to be released as issue 26, then 27, this glorious issue was munched up by the space/time continuum and has only now been spat out! At last you can read the wonderful works filling this issue, which include:
Fiction
Grace . . . Ian McHugh
Sweet Potato Woman . . . Chris Barnes
Polish . . . Kaaron Warren
Rest Stop . . . Marissa K Lingen
The Dark and What It Said . . . Rick Kennett
The Eradicator . . . Ben Cook
The Bluebell Vengeance . . . Tansy Rayner Roberts
House In Love . . . Gail Kavanagh
Special Features
This is How the World Ends - Not with a Bang but with a Rip . . . David Clements
The Art of Balance - Interview with Trudi Canavan . . . Gillian Polack
Retro-Review . . . Ben Cook
With cover art by Daryl Lindquist, issue 28 is available in print or PDF from http://www.andromedaspaceways.com. NOW. Don't miss out, remember PDF availability is strictly limited