It should return in a couple of weeks, and then the zombie minions will start stuffing envelopes and get them in the post.

This week John O’Neill and I will be heading to Archon/Nasfic, which is in St. Louis for those too bored to click the link. We should both be there at the Black Gate table by Thursday afternoon, and will be staying until Sunday. I hope that we’ll see some of you there. If the Black Gate hydrofoil hadn’t been damaged during my last encounter with the Zeppelin Master I’d be there even faster, but I’m falling back on the utility van.

This last weekend John put a sneak preview of the issue on the Black Gate web site, so drop by and take a look.  If you haven’t subscribed, why not? Waste no time! 

I know it’s been said a million times, but it bears saying again, so pardon me if I sound repetitious. You can’t look on markets ONLY as places to get published. Support those markets that publish the kinds of stories you like to read so that they’ll keep going. I’m not saying this because Black Gate is in any sort of trouble (in truth we’re stronger than ever) but partly because it’s so clear, from the kinds of slush I get, that around 75% of the subs I receive are from people who’ve never read a copy of the magazine. I’m probably preaching to the choir, as the folks who are crazy enough to read this blog surely know what Black Gate is about. Hopefully you’re subscribers as well. Your support can only mean there’s more money to buy more stories with. And that’s a good thing, right? With even more support I could spare even more of my time editing the mag, and then response times would be even faster, and who wouldn’t want that! Plus I could afford more sushi. In summary, if you want more good adventure fiction and want to ensure that I can afford sushi lunches, be sure to subscribe.

Next week I will dive straight back into the submissions pile, and so will John.

Best,
Howard