Blogs

Multi-award-winning author and editor, Kristine Kathryn Rusch is curating a Storybundle of hand-picked writing guides, on both the creative and the business side, available starting today and ending on April 18 at midnight EDT.

The new edition of my Playing the Short Game is one of three "exclusives" in the bundle, meaning this is the only place you can get those books right now.

Storybundles are always amazing deals, available worldwide. For US$5 (or more, if you're feeling generous), you'll get the basic bundle of four ebooks:

• A Freelancer's Survival Guide to Maximizing Your Success, by Kristine Kathryn Rusch
• Becoming an Everyday Novelist, by J. Daniel Sawyer
• Researching History for Fantasy Writers, by Dayle A. Dermatis
• Life Along the Way, by B.A. Paul

If you pay at least the bonus price of just $20, you get five more ebooks and a video lecture, for a total of 10, including three StoryBundle exclusives:

• The Pop-Up Series Workshop: Fear of Success, by Dean Wesley Smith
• The Productive Indie Fiction Writer, by Tracy Cooper-Posey
• A Book in Hand, by Mark Leslie Lefebvre (Exclusive)
• Playing the Short Game, 2nd Edition, by Douglas Smith (Exclusive)
• Make Me Read! by Dean Wesley Smith (Exclusive)
• Kickstarter for Authors, by Anthea L. Sharp

For full details, read Kris's blog post on the bundle. If you're a writer and serious about improving your craft and business knowledge, you need to check it out this excellent bundle.

My writer's guide, Playing the Short Game: How to Market & Sell Short Fiction, has been called "a classic in the field" by no less than multi-award-winning author and editor, Kristine Kathryn Rusch.

The first edition of the guide came out a decade ago in 2014. Ever so much changes in any decade, and that includes short fiction markets.

So I'm publishing a fully revised second edition that addresses every change in the short fiction landscape in the past decade. In her brand new intro, Kris says “Doug has gone through this new volume carefully, updating every possible detail. That makes this second edition as indispensable to the short fiction writer as the first.”

The ebook, paperback, and hardcover editions will release on all major retailers on May 15. You can preorder the ebook now from your favourite retailers for the special pre-release price of US$4.99.

However, if you don't want to wait, see this blog post for a way you can get the new edition now, plus a bunch of other excellent writing guides.

Want to win some incredible souvenirs and swag from the Marvel superhero movies, plus a package of ten awesome superhero-inspired fantasy books?

All you need to do is click here and subscribe to some author newsletters. The more authors you follow, the more entries you'll get in the grand prize draw.

The Marvel Movies swag pack includes:

• Marvel Legends Socks for Boys & Men
• Retro Comic Panels Tote Bag
• Marvel Hat (adjustable)
• Marvel Men’s Short Sleeve T-Shirt
• Marvel Logo Insulated Tumbler
• Vintage Leather Sketchbook / Journal / Writing Notebook
• Marvel Comics
• Deadpool Clock
• Hulk Fist Bottle Opener
• Silver Buffalo Marvel Comics Retro Throw

The promo runs from now until April 7 at midnight.

I am thrilled to announce that my story "If I Should Fall Behind" has been selected for The Year's Best Canadian Fantasy & Science Fiction, vol 2, edited by the award-winning writer and anthologist, Stephen Kotowych.

This story first appeared in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction last fall, giving me my first appearance in my dream short fiction market. So this little tale is doing all right so far.

(For the Canadians on this list, "If I Should Fall Behind" is eligible to be nominated for the Aurora Awards this year under the short fiction category. More information about that here.)

The anthology is being funded via KickStarter. It's already hit its minimum goal plus several stretch goals, so the anthology will definitely come out, and with at least 125,000 words of short fiction. In case, you don't know, that is a BIG anthology.

But you can help make it even bigger and better by becoming a backer yourself. Click the button below to check out all the reward options for being a backer.

Support the Kickstarter here!

Astound TV interview — Host Artie Freeman interviews me on his Cultural Bridges show on the Astound TV network in the US about The Dream Rider Saga trilogy and my writing. Each part is about ten minutes long: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3.

The nomination period is now open for the 2024 Aurora Awards, recognizing the best of Canadian SF & Fantasy published in 2023.

This year, I have three works that are eligible to be nominated:

BEST YA NOVEL:

• The Crystal Key: The Dream Rider Saga, Book 2

BEST SHORT STORY:

• "If I Should Fall Behind" (The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction)
• "Oregon Shooters" (On Spec Magazine)

Any Canadian citizen or permanent resident may nominate for the Auroras. If that's you, I'd truly appreciate any consideration you'd give to nominating me.

I explain how to nominate below, but first, let me talk up my works, because all have received a lot of critical notice.

The Crystal Key: The Dream Rider Saga, Book 2

The sequel to The Hollow Boys, which won the Aurora Award last year. This second book in my new trilogy has received universal praise, sitting at between 4.8 and 5.0 stars on all the major retailers plus garnering great reviews from top book review sites:

"Editor's Pick: The richly inventive Dream Rider adventure continues... always enlivened by the Smith hallmarks of crack dialogue, fun sleuthing and puzzle-solving, a strong through-line of emotion, a swift pace…and a principled refusal to settle for the familiar. Be ready for memorable beasts, weird magic, and fantasy worlds that are truly fantastic… For all the wonders, though, the series is also compellingly engaged in Toronto street life and its characters’ very human hearts. Takeaway: This thrilling superpowered urban fantasy series continues to grip." —BookLife (Editor's Pick)

"The engrossing second installment ... Smith continues to demonstrate an ability to expertly weave multiple complex fantasy elements into a cohesive whole. … This fast-paced story delivers in a big way." —Blueink Review (★ Starred review)

"The author’s sequel to the excellent The Hollow Boys (2022) ups the ante for adventure and suspense and continues to deftly fuse superhero and fantasy tropes. ... Smith excels at strong action sequences, worldbuilding, and humorous dialogue. …There is plenty here to entice readers to return for the grand finale. A fun and engrossing superhero sequel." —Kirkus Reviews

"An ethnically diverse cast and strong female characters. Smith's take on superheroes and serials is both modern and original ... High adventure leavened with romance and mystery. … [Smith] keeps things moving at a fast clip. No spoilers, so all I can say about the plot is that it involves the multiverse, astral travel, ancient cults, hypnotic powers, criminal gangs, private mercenaries, romance, and betrayal. … Overall, great fun. ... The Crystal Key has everything that made The Hollow Boys work and turns it up a few notches." —Ottawa Review of Books

If you haven't read The Crystal Key but would like to, here are some options.

• You can read the first three chapters for free here.
• I am also offering a discount from my website store. Use the coupon code "AURORAS24" at checkout to get the ebook for $0.99 (Regular $4.99 US / $6.99 CAD). Note: this coupon expires when the nomination period ends April 22.

"If I Should Fall Behind"

(first appeared in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, Sept/Oct 2023 issue)

The story that finally let me break into my dream market, The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction. Some reviews:

“The story has great emotional appeal and the plight of the two lovers is sure to touch the reader’s heart. … [A] powerful tale.” —TangentOnline

“One of my very favorites of the year. ... with an idiosyncratic but compelling prose style that puts the reader right in the lead’s head... [The ending’s] an emotionally satisfying cap on a tremendous tale, a tale which itself is a tremendous cap on the September/October issue of F&SF...  but the voice is what makes this one exceptional.” —Tar Vol’s 2023 Recommended Reading List

During the nomination period, you can read a PDF of "If I Should Fall Behind" online here.

"Oregon Shooters"

(first appeared in On Spec Magazine, #124, July 2023)

My private eye / SF mash-up, told with tongue somewhat in cheek:

"Quite entertaining. … Can this be the real reason H.P. Lovecraft was so terrified of sea food? I like to think so. Have the feeling he would wholeheartedly approve.” —R. Graeme Cameron, Amazing Stories

During the nomination period, you can read a PDF of "Oregon Shooters" online here.

HOW TO NOMINATE IN THE AURORAS

To nominate, you need to be a member of the Canadian SF & Fantasy Association (CSFFA), the organization that administers the awards. If you've nominated or voted in 2021-2023, you're already a member and can just jump down to "Already a Member?" below. Else...

How to Register:

• Go here and click on "Not a Member Yet?"
• Fill out your name, email, and home province
• Select a username and password for the site. One weirdness with this form: the password box will be filled with black dots. Just click in the box, hold down the "DELETE" key until they disappear, then enter your new password there and in the box below to verify it.
• Registration is CA$10, which lets you nominate (this step) and vote on the final ballot. Not much to pay to support Canadian SF & fantasy, right?
• Once you're logged in, click on "Pay Membership Fee with PayPal." Don't use PayPal? You can also pay by debit or credit.

You're registered! You'll then be taken back to the Aurora Awards site so you can nominate (see below)!

Already a Member?

• Go here, click on "Log in" under "You Are A Member?" then enter your username (or email) and password to access the Awards main page.
• If you haven't paid for 2024, click on "Pay Renewal Fee with PayPal." Don't use PayPal? You can also pay by debit or credit.

How to Nominate

• Select "Nomination" from the middle of the screen to access the online nomination form.
• To nominate a work, just click on one of the boxes under the category and select the appropriate title of the work you wish to nominate from the drop down list of eligible works.
• You can nominate up to five works in each category, but you don't need to nominate in every category or that many in any category.
• When you've finished nominating in a category, make sure you click on the "Update nominations" button for the category, then move to your next category.

Again, my eligible works this year are:

• The Crystal Key is eligible under "Best YA Novel"
• "If I Should Fall Behind" is eligible under "Best Short Story"
• "Oregon Shooters" is eligible under "Best Short Story"

The nomination period closes at 11:59 pm on Saturday, April 6, 2024.

Thanks again for any consideration you give to nominating my writing!

Fellow author, Ed Willett, interviews me here about The Dream Rider Saga and my writing process on his ongoing and excellent The Worldshapers podcast.

I hope you'll give it a listen, and while you're at it, subscribe to Ed's podcast. It's a great way to meet authors and discover new reads.

Another great review of THE LOST EXPEDITION, the concluding book in The Dream Rider Saga trilogy, this one by Kelly Jensen at SF Crowsnest Reviews.

"Epic ... it exceeded every expectation. I enjoyed every minute I spent with these characters, and I will miss them now that their story is done."

Nice! Read the full review here.

Barnes & Noble has picked THE LOST EXPEDITION: The Dream Rider Saga, Book 3 as a "Top Indie Favorite" under Teen & YA (but I wrote it for adults, too, wink wink). Check it out, along with one of the most insightful reviews of the book I've come across.

Ok, if you know me, you know how much of a Buffy fan I was (am). So this bundle was a natural for me to throw a book into (The Lost Expedition).

I’ve teamed up with 15+ fantastic authors to give away a huge collection of paranormal novels to 2 lucky winners!

It's a great chance to win a bunch of books and some cool Buffy swag valued at $450USD, just for following some authors on Bookbub and their newsletters. The more authors you follow, the more entries you get in the draw.

Enter the giveaway by clicking here.

Hope you'll try it out. Good luck!