“Through the Machine” has now been long-listed for the BSFAs so you can read that one if you’ve yet to do so. But if you have read it, there are 15 other stories here to keep you busy. Thanks for reading!
Book cover of Island of Dreams by Jaye Viner and the text 2026 awards eligibility YA novel.
Hard to believe the Island of Dreams has only been out since July. Feels like years. Anyways, if you read it and liked it, please consider it for award season!
Congratulations to North of North!
When the Writers Guild of Canada announced the nominees for its 30th annual awards, North of North appeared five times, sweeping every nomination for the Comedy Series category.
redpopnews.com/north-of-nor...
#redpopnews #northofnorth #indigisky
Against a background of dark violets and green leaves is shown the illustrated cover of Enchanting the Fae Queen, in which a mischievously grinning woman with long blonde curls, a moonstone crown, a pink dress and bare feet, sits perched in a tree teasing the uniformed general who stands before her, his expression determined and one of his hands around her closest leg while she pokes his strong nose with one finger. Above that cover image is this snippet of text: No one was allowed to kill the Golden Beacon on her watch! ...No one apart from her, obviously. But that was different.
This week's Friday snippet comes from my enemies-to-lovers fantasy rom-com Enchanting the Fae Queen, which arrives in just 11 days! Preorder now for some light kidnapping, a deadly fae tournament, and 2 obsessed protagonists:
stephanieburgis.com/books/enchanting-the-fae-queen
#romancelandia
Lovely seeing SHOESHINE BOY & CIGARETTE GIRL on this list of “Can’t Miss” indie press books for January and February. Many thanks to Tobias Carroll and @reactorsff.bsky.social for shouting out indies like @starsandsabers.bsky.social.
CAN YOU STAY LATE?
Trapped in a corporate office after hours, a burned-out receptionist must survive a deadly zombie outbreak by battling her toxic coworkers as she fights her way down sixteen floors.
Here’s what #BlackList had to say…
#ScreenPit #Fea #Ho #AC #Co #Div #SeRe #scriptsky #WoWr
While you’re at it, subscribe to @adventitiouswords.bsky.social to support this brand new market (that, yes, accepts novelettes!) and get all the great fiction they’ll be publishing.
The cover of Snowspelled, by Stephanie Burgis, shows a young woman in Regency-style clothing under a long and gorgeous coat holding a lantern amidst swirling, magical snow. Above and around that cover image is this snippet from the book: There were shadows under his eyes now that I hadn’t seen two months ago. His light brown cheeks, still dusted with dark stubble from his journey, looked disconcertingly hollow. But I would not worry about him. I would not. Instead I looked pointedly from his tangled hair to the branch that lay at his feet. “You were in too much of a hurry to protect Lady Cosgrave’s hedges? Not very well-mannered for a houseguest.” He arched one dark eyebrow, his narrow lips quirking into a half-smile. “And you’re worrying about propriety now? You really have changed, Harwood.” The familiar name ran like a knife beneath my ribs, making me suck in a breath. “Miss Harwood,” I said icily, “if we’re worrying about propriety. We’re no longer affianced, if you recall.” “Oddly enough,” said Wrexham, “I have no difficulty at all in remembering that small detail.”
In honor of the winter solstice, this week's Sunday snippet comes from my frothy romantasy novella Snowspelled, which is set at a Winter Solstice house party in an alt-19th century England (ruled by the Boudiccate). It's available in ebook & paperback now: books2read.com/snowspelled
#romancelandia
With Nebula and BSFA nominations happening (and Auroras coming soon), I’m once again asking anyone reading for awards to consider this short story that’s very special to me. Thank you.
Also, Reactor is looking for votes for the best SFF of the year. If this story ticks that box for you, show your love here: reactormag.com/cast-your-vo...
The header and footer at the top of the image read: “Kindle Daily Deal” and “99c today only!” In the center of the image (which has a background of lush crimson rose blossoms) is the front cover of Stephanie Burgis’s A Marriage of Undead Inconvenience, which shows an ominously closed entrance-gate at the top of the cover and a bat with its wings outspread at the bottom, all framed by climbing roses. Four arrows point at the cover with four chunks of text, reading: “Beauty and the Beast, but he’s a vampire” “She’s brilliant, and he loves it” “Tea is very important” and “She *really* loves libraries.”
For one day only, my cozy-spooky romantasy novella A Marriage of Undead Inconvenience is 99c in the US!
The @nytimes.com called it "a charmingly subversive treat." 🦇
Check it out!
www.amazon.com/Marriage-Und...
#romancelandia
Three paperback advance reading copies of Enchanting the Fae Queen are piled in a cardboard box. The illustrated cover for Enchanting the Fae Queen, by Stephanie Burgis, shows a mischievously grinning woman with long blonde curls, a moonstone crown, a pink dress and bare feet, sitting perched in a tree teasing the uniformed general who stands before her, his expression determined and one of his hands around her closest leg while she pokes his strong nose with one finger. Vines of leaves sweep magically out from the tree around her to draw him towards her. The tagline reads: All’s fae in love and war.
I'm offering up a signed ARC of Enchanting the Fae Queen in the Bid4Sudan auction!
Bid now to raise money for a vital cause AND get early enemies-to-lovers fae mischief: app.galabid.com/creatives4su...
#romancelandia
I’m working on a feature about a disabled barista who ends up in a situationship with her tech bro boss who thinks biohacking will turn her into the perfect baby momma for his child of the future.
Image of novel cover, The Island of Dreams with text that announce awards eligibility for YA novel
I had a book come out this year that you can vote for! The Island of Dreams is a dark YA fantasy inspired by Peter Pan that focuses on disability and ageism and our assumptions about whose dreams are eligible for paradise and a chosen path to the good place.
This image shows thirteen book covers around the text: The Leading Ladies Fantasy Bundle: November twelfth through December fourth. The books are: Stephanie Burgis's The Harwood Spellbook: The Complete Series, Intisar Khanani's Sunbolt, Tansy Rayner Roberts's Power and Majesty, Tilly Wallace's The Stormborne Vine, Jacquelyn Benson's The Stolen Apocalypse and Empire of Shadows, Victoria Goddard's The Sisters Avramapui Omnibus and The Redoubtable Pale Avramapui, Charlotte English's Hell and High Water, Krista Ball's The Dark Abyss of Our Sins: the Complete Series, Suzannah Rowntree's Tall and Dark, and R.J. Blain's Silent Stalker and Blood Bound.
Oh hey, my complete Harwood Spellbook boxed set usually costs $9.99/£7.99, but right now, you can snap it up in the Leading Ladies @storybundle.bsky.social along with 9 to 11 other books for just $25 in total! Check it out:
storybundle.com/fantasy
#romancelandia
Headshots of Mara Wilson and Lindsey Dorcus with the cover of Lighthouse. 4.99 audiobook Black Friday sale. 11/17-12/3 apple, libro, chirp, audiobooks dot com
AUDIOBOOK BLACK FRIDAY SALE!
This audiobook is beautiful. @audiofilemagazine.bsky.social calls it “immerse and imaginative storytelling.” And I am telling you @marawilson.bsky.social and @lindseydorcus.bsky.social are perfect and a dream team. @torbooks.bsky.social @macmillanaudio.bsky.social
Cover of the book IGNORE ALL PREVIOUS INSTRUCTIONS by Ada Hoffmann. The title is written in bright, colorful block letters and the author's name is below it in a handwriting-like font. A tiny robot peeks out from the "S" at the end of "Instructions." Below the title and author there is a cartoon depiction of the planet Jupiter, against a starry background, with a cartoon spaceship flying up from it. There is a small Jolly Roger flag on the spaceship.
BEEP BEEP BEEP WE HAVE A COVER
John Wiswell 2025 Awards Eligibility Post Novel: WEARING THE LION (DAW Books) Novelette: PHANTOM VIEW (Reactor) Short Story: An Asexual Succubus (Of Shadows, Stars, and Sabres) Non-Fiction: Breakout, Ripoff, Genre: How Fiction Outgrows Originality (Uncanny Magazine)
I published some pieces I'm deeply proud of this year. My second novel, one of my most personal novelettes, one of my weirdest short stories, and an essay on an idea that's been nagging me for years.
the cover of THE DEATH OF MOUNTAINS is off to the left of this image. the rest of it is text on a dark blue background. it says: AWARDS ELIGIBILITY The Death of Mountains from Lethe Press ELIGIBLE FOR: the Nebula, the Hugo, the Locus, and other novella etcetera LISTEN: if you want to think of this book during awards season? great! thank you very much! are there too many things to think about right now? of course there are. way too many things. i am making this graphic while also internally screaming and procrastinating dinner. so. i get it.
eligibility post time!!!!
this year i published two things:
novella: THE DEATH OF MOUNTAINS from @lethepress.bsky.social
short story: "The Messengers of Despair" from @bcsmagazine.bsky.social
🧵
I didn’t realized this had gone live but it seems that you can now read my flash, “What Happened That Night,” at Short Edition.
short-edition.com/en/story/sho...
The no chairs ableism in public spaces is such a giant evil vibe.
Agreed. I am diving in this morning on revisions.
It was so surprisingly wonderful. Also…I have not lived by granola bars alone in years. I wasn’t even hungry.
Back at the office today after #AFF is such a Crash, I’m exhausted but all I want to do is go home and write, I want to ping all the new people I met and ask them what what ideas have taken hold. I was feeling so down on writing coming into Austin, now I have hope, energy #scriptsky
Congratulations!!
It was amazing. I’ve never been to an event where the default was to chat with strangers.
I just love her.
It’s them not you.
Hey folks! I know people are stretched a little thin right now but I wanted to boost this fundraiser for @siwc.bsky.social -- which as some may know cancelled this year so as to avoid crossing the picket line for the con hotel staff. (But now they are broke!)
Shares appreciated!
I recently received a note that my characters sound too much alike. What are yall’s strategies for voice in dialogue? Especially if you have several people with similar jobs/backgrounds. #scriptsky #scriptwriting
