Posted on by Chris Sarantopoulos

Published in the #redditwriters anthology

Just a quick note to let everyone know that the anthology I mentioned a couple of weeks ago is now live. You can get your copy here (for you in the US, and here for those of you in the UK). The title is TL;DR: A Redditwriters Mixtape Vol. 1

In its pages you will find thirty-one stories from twenty-six authors. There is no theme to the anthology, so almost everyone will find at least one story to his or her liking. There’s fantasy, crime, horror, and even comedy.

Why should you buy this anthology? Because that way you’d be giving to charity. The proceeds from this endeavour go directly to Doctors Without Borders. So, if you buy a copy, you won’t be giving money to us, but for a good cause.

 

I hope you enjoy it! Happy reading, everyone!

Posted on by Chris Sarantopoulos · 3 Comments

Published in an upcoming anthology

I’m between migrating from one computer to another. I could write a small horror story of how a certain operating system manufacturer found a way to piss off every user who wants to choose what operating system (OS) they install in their PCs. Believe me, I could. But, thanks to a friend who is by far more knowledgeable than I am, we managed to get around said OS’s locks, and I now have set up my PC with the operating system I wanted it to have in the first place.

But that’s not what this post is about.

About a year ago, I joined reddit. While there, I found and followed a community of writers known as RedditWriters. They all were at various stages in their careers, some with a readership of their own, some just starting out. At some point, one of the writers had an idea: create an anthology with our work, and put it out there. Everyone loved the idea, and almost everyone submitted pieces to the editors. I submitted one of my vignettes. A couple of months ago, the editors informed me that my piece was accepted.

The editor in charge of the project informed us yesterday that the collection will be available on 30 March 2018 from Amazon, as an e-book, as well as from CreateSpace as a hard copy. The e-book will cost £1.99 (about $2.77 at the time of writing this). Obviously the hard copy will cost more. The title will be TL;DR, which stands for Too Long; Didn’t Read, a typical internet acronym, often seen on Reddit and other message boards.

All proceeds from the anthology will be donated to Doctors Without Borders.

If you want to know more about the project and those who made it possible, visit Joe Butler’s site. I will get back to you with download links as soon as I have them.

Finally, if you’re looking for free books (sci-fi, fantasy, or horror), have a look at this giveaway I’m part of.

Sixty writers, veterans and newcomers, have joined forces for this. The giveaway ends on 26 March 2018.

Posted on by Chris Sarantopoulos · 4 Comments

Yet another update

I’ve been going over my new WIP’s plot structure. Turns out the story I have in mind may or may not be a mystery after all. To force it towards it may be catastrophic for the story. I mean, there are mystery elements in the story, a constant “who’s doing these things?” and “who’s behind everything,” but certainly not a clear whodunit plot. In the end, it may end up being a thriller rather than mystery. In my mind, I still consider it a mystery though. At least that’s how it plays out in my head at the moment, as I read through my notes. I’m just not sure how agents and editors would categorise such a story. I have a provisional title for it; Through Stranger Eyes. Yeah, I know, not the best title, but I absolutely suck at coming up with titles. Hopefully I will have found a better one by the time it’s finished. Now, I haven’t started drafting anything, just trying to make sure I have patched as many plot holes as possible early on. I’ll need to get to know the characters a little bit better as well before I start drafting scenes. So for the time being I have my plate full with this.

Oh, before I forget, the story I told you about last time, the one 9Tales Told in the Dark will publish, is due on 22 April. If you can afford it, and are willing to support new writers, then you can pre-order the issue here. If you’re interested in any of my other stories, you can find them under the link PUBLISHED WORK at the top of the page. I ‘ll update the page and include the link I gave you shortly.

Posted on by Chris Sarantopoulos

From getting an agent to getting published

I don’t know about you, but I have (or had, until recently) little knowledge of what happens AFTER an agent says yes to a manuscript, and before said manuscript gets published. I’ve never been published before, none of my friends has been traditionally published (except short stories and electronic magazines), so that area was rather vague and hidden behind a misty veil. Have you ever wondered what happens once an agent agrees to work with a writer? A few days ago, I stumbled upon the following article and I thought it’d be nice to share, even if you prefer to self-publish.  If nothing else, it will give you an insight as to what follows the oh-so-desperately-sought-after agent deal.

The article was found at http://writershelpingwriters.net/2015/01/10-editorial-steps-agent-call-published-book/ and it was written by Martina Boon. If you’re aiming for traditional publishing like myself, have a look at it. There’s a lot more happening after the agent says yes than you may have thought. Can you guess what it is?

If your answer was “more editing, Chris?” then the answer is a resounding YES! Because there’s never enough editing for a manuscript. Never! Seriously, folks, read the article.