First of all, thank you to all the authors who have submitted stories for Hiding Under the Leaves – there were hundreds of submissions and it has taken me some time to go through them all.
First, I aimed to get decisions made in April. Then I updated this to May. I was very confident of making May, but here we are in June.
Of all the anthologies I have ever worked on, this has been the most popular by at least a couple of hundred stories. That includes non-Slab anthologies too. Hence, my revised target date for making decisions by. However, no excuses, it should still have been in May, not June, and this has meant I have had a lot of very justifiable author queries to respond to. I know when I submit stories anywhere as a writer, I want to know as soon as possible, or at least within a reasonable timeframe, especially if the publisher demands no simultaneous submissions (I did not).
I have been able to contact some individuals today, but the majority of authors will hear from me tomorrow, or later in the week, as I have a couple of unrelated events I need to prep for this week.
As an olive branch for the wait, I offer you this superb cover art in progress by the wonderful artist, writer, and game designer, Kev Rooney.
I am so excited by this anthology, and keen to share with you all the fabulous stories I have selected. The authors have approached the theme from so many angles, from the fairy tale, to historical horror, to maritime and urban settings. The stories are uncanny, disturbing, darkly lush, creepy, and bittersweet.
Look for the signs…
The Slab Press 