In my previous SleuthSayers post, I wrote about how little I’ve been able to accomplish this year because I’ve been unable to establish a routine and stick to it. While I still feel like a slacker, I’ve apparently done enough that I’m having to split my 2024 Year in Review post into two parts. I’ll discuss writing and other things next post; this time I’m concentrating on editing.
The anthologies include:
Chop Shop, volumes 1 and 2 (Down & Out Books)
Janie’s Got a Gun: Crime Fiction Inspired by the Music of Aerosmith (White City Press)
Malice Domestic 18: Mystery Most Devious, co-edited with John Betancourt and Carla Coupe (Wildside Press)
Mickey Finn: 21st Century Noir, Vol. 5 (Down & Out Books)
Murder, Neat: A SleuthSayers Anthology, co-edited with Barb Goffman (Level Short)
Notorious in North Texas (North Dallas Chapter of Sisters in Crime)
Private Dicks and Disco Balls: Private Eyes in the Dyn-O-Mite Seventies (Down & Out Books)
Scattered, Smothered, Covered, and Chunked: Crime Fiction Inspired by Waffle House, co-edited with Stacy Woodson (Down & Out Books)
Outside the mystery world, I edited six issues of Texas Gardener, a bi-monthly consumer magazine, and 52 issues of Seeds, a weekly electronic newsletter for gardeners that, incidentally, published five short stories.
Adding all the editing projects together (excluding the Bouchercon anthology, for which my participation was more as first reader than an editor), in 2024 I had the honor of shepherding or helping shepherd 191 short stories and novellas through to publication.
RECOGNITION
This year, several stories from projects I edited or co-edited were recognized:
“Real Courage” by Barb Goffman, Black Cat Mystery Magazine #14, nominated for Agatha, Anthony, and Macavity Awards
“Troubled Water” by donalee Moulton, Black Cat Weekly #75, nominated for a Derringer Award (Long Story) and a Crime Writers of Canada Award of Excellence
“Supply Chains” by Andrew Welsh-Huggins, Black Cat Weekly #89, nominated for a Derringer Award (Flash)
“Dogs of War” by Michael Bracken & Stacy Woodson, Mickey Finn: 21st Century Noir, Vol. 4 nominated for a Derringer Award (Short Story)
“One Night in 1965” by Stacy Woodson, More Groovy Gumshoes: Private Eyes in the Psychedelic Sixties, nominated for Macavity and Thriller Awards and included in The Best Mystery Stories of the Year
“An Honorable Choice” by Smita Harish Jain, Black Cat Weekly #96, nominated for a Thriller Award
“Making the Bad Guys Nervous” by Joseph S. Walker, Black Cat Weekly #102, nominated for a Shamus Award
“Lovely and Useless Things” by Nils Gilbertson, Prohibition Peepers: Private Eyes During the Noble Experiment, included in The Best American Mystery and Suspense and The Best Mystery Stories of the Year
“El Paso Heat” by Peter W.J. Hayes, Black Cat Mystery Magazine #14, included in The Best Mystery Stories of the Year
“Memorial” by Robert Lopresti, Black Cat Weekly #95, included in the list of “Other Distinguished Stories” in The Best American Mystery and Suspense
“The Waning Days” by Sean McCluskey, Mickey Finn: 21st Century Noir, Vol. 4, included in the list of “Other Distinguished Stories” in The Best American Mystery and Suspense
“Off the Shelf” by Joseph S. Walker, Mickey Finn: 21st Century Noir, Vol. 4, included in the list of “Other Distinguished Stories” in The Best American Mystery and Suspense
FORTHCOMING
While I have no control over publishing schedules, I anticipate two issues of Black Cat Mystery Magazine and 52 issues of Black Cat Weekly in 2025, and I have already delivered the manuscripts for Mickey Finn: 21st Century Noir, Vol. 6, Party Crashers, and Sleuths Just Wanna Have Fun as well as all six novellas for season two of Chop Shop. I’m also editing or co-editing several additional anthologies I hope to deliver to publishers this year, and I have a few more concepts I hope to pitch after I move some of these projects off my desk.
OPEN SUBMISSION CALL
Of all the projects in the pipeline, only one currently has an open call: Mickey Finn: 21st Century Noir, Vol. 7, is open for submissions during February 2025. Complete submission guidelines available at https://www.crimefictionwriter.com/submissions.html
Based on all of the above, it’s safe to say I’m now more editor than writer.
And that’s not a bad thing.
I hate to ask this here, but I've looked around for somewhere that has a list of open submissions, but haven't found it. Does anyone know of it?
ReplyDeleteRyan, there's no single source for a list of all open submission calls, but the Short Mystery Fiction Society keeps a list that members can access (it's free to join), there are Facebook groups that post open calls (different groups for different genres), and mastering the search capabilities on your favorite search engine can yield numerous opportunities.
DeleteBe sure to check out Duotrope, a valuable resource for open calls. We usually post ours there as well as on our site and through SMFS.
DeleteThanks!
DeleteI'm going to have to take a nap - you may think you're a slacker but reading all of your accomplishments editing made me exhausted! Congratulations!
ReplyDeleteTemple and I had a discussion about this recently, and we determined that I measure productivity by how much I write, not by the other things I do. Having been a writer all my life, it's hard to use a different measuring stick.
DeleteWow- I say, WOW! Michael, I am awed. What an incredible list (lists) of accomplishment. Thank you for all you do - Melodie
ReplyDeleteThanks, Melodie.
DeleteCongratulations on another amazing year in the publishing world! You're truly a force to be reckoned with, and I'm so glad we were able to have your talents as part of our lineup this past year.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jay. I'm certain we'll be working together again soon.
ReplyDeleteSounds like you had one hell of a good year, Michael. Congratulations
ReplyDeleteMichael, I owe a lot to you and I’m really thankful for the opportunities to work with you in 2024. I’m thrilled for you in all your successes this past year, and hope 2025 brings even more wonderful things your way. All the best, Ashley-Ruth Bernier (not anonymous!)
ReplyDelete