R L Bowden

Ahhhh a new Claire North book is coming out #takemymoneynow

A photo of three books borrowed from a public library: Unraveller by Frances Hardinge, The World We Make by N. K. Jemisin, and Bookshops and Bonedust by Travis Baldree

Have I said how much I love my local library? Not only does it help feed my son's voracious reading habit (20 books at a time!) but I can also request titles from across the whole county network - latest includes Unraveller by the incredible Frances Hardinge and The World We Make by N. K. Jemisin 👑

Aaaah amazing news, many congratulations! 🚀💫🙌

Hello, lovely book folk. Just a quick reminder, as I don't post on here much - I'm a freelance editor with over 24 years in the industry. I specialise in SFF and Horror, and you can find my website here: www.jonolivereditor.co.uk Get in touch if you need some of that there editing.

Ah this is super cool 🤓

Brilliant news 🥳

Submissions - Seize The Press Submissions Guidelines Seize The Press Magazine is an anticapitalist publication looking to publish dark speculative fiction. Bleak sci-fi, dark fantasy, horror and all kinds of weird, messy, genre-de...

Writers, please send us more fantasy! Particularly dark sword & sorcery, historical horror, grimdark, but anything you think falls under dark fantasy and all the weird stuff you can't truly pin down.

Big congrats to our very own Ana Sun for her story 'The Scent of Green' that made it into the Best of British SF anthology 2023! 👏 @singingtotigers.bsky.social

This thing has been flying and revealing wonders since I was 5 years old. My cellphone won't make it to next year. Amazing job, JPL folks!

AI (whether it's art, writing, narration, video, anything) is NOT inevitable. It's a grift and only people profiting from the grift push the inevitability line. Standing against it at every turn is the only ethical choice and it works.

Yep 🥳 seems to have been done pretty well, from episode 1 at least

Well X-men 97 is everything I needed right now - got genuine chills from the epic Storm take-down, loved the soundtrack and refreshed characters, and yes Gambit your abs are indeed a superpower

Final question at the publishing panel at #Gollanczfest was about how to find your writing community - perfect segue to plugging @spectrumwriters.com - our hybrid online & in-person SFF writers group offering critique sessions, special events and more - new members always welcome #amwriting

More great reminders from @garthnix.bsky.social - you can increase your probability of success through your actions, but getting published is still usually a matter of luck, so just keep going; there will always be writers better than you, so focus on your work & try not to compare #Gollanczfest

Loved hearing more about @dhonielle.bsky.social's writing process as well - Dhonielle said she writes herself a pitch/blurb for a new project first, to check the idea has enough of an 'engine' - @garthnix.bsky.social does similar with a prologue and first chapter #Gollanczfest

Second time it's been mentioned today that duologies are currently easier to sell than trilogies/longer series #Gollanczfest #amwriting (but as always, things change and don't try to write to trends)

Fun analogy from @jjbker.bsky.social - if your book is a tin of beans, your synopsis is the list of ingredients on the side - and if you can't summarise the plot on one page, that's probably a sign it's too chaotic #Gollanczfest

Several reminders about the need to approach submissions professionally - Sarah Shaffi from Future Worlds Prize says everyone in the room is a writer - what you want to be is a published author #Gollanczfest

Great session on submitting a manuscript just now at #Gollanczfest - loads of helpful tips and advice, highlights include @jjbker.bsky.social saying general rule of he wants to see your 4th draft - the first draft is often called a 'junk' draft for a reason

Love this approach - @dhonielle.bsky.social first builds the world, then looks for the character who will "cause the most trouble" in it #Gollanczfest

In terms of popular tropes and character archetypes in romantasy, Lauren Dedroog says a hero will give up love to save the world, but a villain will give up the world for the one they love #Gollanczfest

Romantasy as a genre is more comfortable with having female lead characters who learn and grow, says Jennifer Delaney #Gollanczfest

Why romantasy has surged in popularity in the past couple of years - @dhonielle.bsky.social says one reason is readers looking for escapism and healing post-pandemic #Gollanczfest

A photo of the Gollanczfest logo on a projector screen in the main auditorium

Let's gooo! #Gollanczfest #amwriting @spectrumwriters.com

A banner featuring a multicolored frame around the words "Celebrating over 2 MILLION copies in print!" To the right is a stack of all my published novels, spine facing the viewer.

Actually looked at the numbers Orbit was sending me and realized I hit a milestone! 2 million total copies of my books in print!

Very much looking forward to the 2024 Gollanczfest this Saturday - I was able to get one of the limited writing track tickets 🙌 will be posting some of the tips and intel that I hear throughout the day #amwriting

SFF Poetry Workshop with Brandon O'Brien, Wed, Mar 13, 2024, 7:00 PM | Meetup Ever wonder how poetry and science fiction or fantasy intersect? Have you wanted to dip your toes in the format but not sure how to begin? Are you interested in infusing yo

Just two days to go till our SFF poetry workshop with @therisingtithes.bsky.social! Wednesday 13th March at 7pm GMT - come learn how to infuse your poetry with speculative beauty and weirdness, even if you haven't tried writing poetry before! Tickets available at £12 through MeetUp ⬇️

Hello Bluesky! We are Spectrum London, the UK's biggest SFF writers' group.

We offer:
⭐ Online & in-person events
⭐ Critiques of short stories
⭐ Novel feedback groups
⭐ Workshops
⭐ An annual short story contest
⭐ A vibrant Discord community
⭐ Social outings to the cinema, theatre, or the pub

SFF Poetry Workshop with Brandon O'Brien, Wed, Mar 13, 2024, 7:00 PM | Meetup Ever wonder how poetry and science fiction or fantasy intersect? Have you wanted to dip your toes in the format but not sure how to begin? Are you interested in infusing yo

Interested in writing speculative poetry, but don't know where to start? Come to our first speaker event of the year, a 2 hour hands-on workshop led by @therisingtithes.bsky.social!

17 March at 7pm GMT. Tickets are available through MeetUp. We'd love to see you there!

Huge thanks to the lovely team at Gollancz for this update on the second round of their unagented open submissions window - and for all their time and energy in persevering with the subs 🙏 💪
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