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Apologies
The
Specusphere is back in business. Sorry for the delay in
sending out the newsletter but other commitments have muscled
into the production picture. We’ll try and produce this
newsletter in a more timely fashion from now.
Upgrades
and Changes
10 Most Recent: We now have a “10 most
recent articles” section on the front page of the magazine.
This is in-line with reader feedback and will make it easier
for you to see what has recently been added to the site.
The
Directory: The directory is now functional. You can
now add your name, blog, business or organisation to the directory.
Click here
to check it out!
The
idea behind the directory is so that we can create a “map”
of speculative interest in Australia. Ideally, it will evolve
into a “yellow pages” of all speculative industries
so that readers can find, research or contact a person or organisation
relevant to the genre.
Ultimately,
the concept will enable a writer, say, who wants to know about,
for example, sword making, to be able to view the directory
and find a relevant authority who can give the information the
writer seeks. Further, if you wanted to join a fan group, the
directory will provide a profile of all the fan groups you seek.
It
is still a long way from being able to do that, of course, but
with your help we can make it work. Please feel free to add
your contact details to help us create a comprehensive database
of the genre.
People:
We have commenced a project to profile people in the
speculative world. At this stage profiles are being compiled
on the basis of recommendations from the last person profiled.
So far, Richard Harland, Rob Hood and Sean Williams have been
interviewed. Their profiles can be found in the People
section of the magazine.
If
you wish to volunteer to either be profiled or to become the
person to compile the profiles, contact
Stephen Thompson and register your interest.
Personnel:
The Specusphere welcomes Satima Flavell Neist as our
fiction reviews editor. Heather Gammage is set to join as multimedia
editor. J.L. Cooper is set to join as music editor.
Shayne
Hall has left the magazine as the New Age editor but may return
as our science editor.
The
magazine is always open to people who would like to take on
responsibility for editing any aspect of speculative industry.
If you have a special interest, be it music, horror, monsters
or dance, and it has some connection to any speculative trope,
we’d welcome you as an editor at the magazine.
One
of the great aims of The Specusphere concept is to
build up a co-operative of editors, who are responsible for
their own particular interest, to create a varied and expansive
coverage of the genre in all its incarnations. Feel free to
contact us if you have an urge to help or to join The Specusphere
team.
Fiction:
Another project under way is to publish extracts from novels.
A couple of self-published works have taken advantage of this
project. See the Fiction
pages. In future times, we may even entertain the idea of
a serialised novel.
Advertising:
We are aiming to expand the number of advertising spots
on the website. At this stage, advertising is free. We are happy
to advertise and promote any speculative project, business,
book, film, website, or… well, anything. Have a look at
the adverts on the Reviews
page of the magazine for size and shape of the adverts.
Collaborations:
The Specusphere is pursing a link with the Australian
Horror Writers Association, with a view to linking to the
greater horror community. More news as things develop.
As
part of the linkage we will promote each other’s projects
from time to time (see below).
Submissions
Open
Submissions:
are now open for Macabre:
The New Era in Australian Horror.
This
anthology, edited by Angela Challis and Marty Young, and endorsed
by the Australian
Horror Writers Association, is anticipated to be a
landmark publication for Australian horror. It will feature
some of the darkest 'classics' written by Australians, alongside
the finest of the current generation of writers.
Reading
period: 1 October 2005 to 31 March 2006.
Length:
Up to 15,000 words (query if longer).
Payment:
$50 advance on shared royalties.
Full
details are available at the Macabre
website.
Submissions: for the 2006 Australian shadows
close December 31st. This annual award is for the best horror
story written by an Australian and published either in Australia
or overseas. Full details can be found on the AHWA website at
http://www.darkanimus.com/austshadows.htm
The Writing
Show's first annual 14 Days of Halloween special began October
18. Catch AHWA members Rob Hood, Stephen Dedman, Josephine Pennicott,
Bill Congreve, David Schembri and more reading excerpts from
their work, one author a day, with the (~10-15 minute) podcasts
made freely available from the Californian-based website. Some
of the readings will have added sound effects, much in the fashion
of the radio shows of old, and should provide some definite
chills for brave listeners...
Visit http://www.writingshow.com/
Finally
Again
apologies for the hiatus, the real world has a habit of intruding
on our lives. Volunteers to help run the site and drive it to
new levels of creativity would be appreciated. Whatever you
want to do, whatever projects you want to explore, we’ll
find a way of helping you do it.
Speculatively
yours,
The
Specusphere Team
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