Storyteller: A Tanith Lee Tribute Anthology

Four Days Left! Plus the Audio Magazine Pseudopod's Tanith Lee Edition!
4 months ago – Mon, May 27, 2024 at 01:26:31 PM

Four Days Left!

In four days, on May 31st at 11:59 pm EDT, the STORYTELLER Kickstarter will close. As of ten minutes ago we had 323 backers and were more than 25% of the way to our next stretch goal increasing the author pay rate to $.10 a word! I thought I was dreaming big, and yet your energy and enthusiasm, your belief in what I and the rest of this scrappy team are pushing toward, has both amazed and delighted! I truly can't thank you enough. You are helping to bring a trailblazer, an iconoclastic foremother for so many writers, into the light.

I make books, whether I'm publishing the work of others under Essential Dreams Press or writing my own work, because I feel an emotionally charged compulsion for that specific project. In my role as publisher and editor, there are aspects of the job, especially around promotion, that take me far out of my comfort zone, but your interest and response makes all that effort worth it. STORYTELLER is going to be an amazing book because of you! 

And I've learned a lot along the way. From international shipping strategies, to livestreaming, to video editing, to producing a temporary tattoo, it wouldn't have happened if not for STORYTELLER!

An Audio Production for Interested Minds and Ears!

If you're looking for a great story to listen to on your commute into work tomorrow, try this Tanith Lee classic "The Gorgon!" The audio magazine Pseudopod reached out to me a few weeks ago excited about both STORYTELLER and this Kickstarter. They offered me a guest host spot to help promote the Kickstarter and paired it with Tanith's title story from her collection Gorgons and Other Beastly Tales, a fave from my early teens. Pseudopod generosity is yet another example of the genre community at its best! 

We are almost at the finish line of the Kickstarter. I and the rest of the team are getting ready to switch focus and concentrate on making this anthology truly memorable, which is exactly what you, Tanith Lee, and all her fans deserve.

-julie

Today is the Anniversary of Tanith Lee's Passing
4 months ago – Fri, May 24, 2024 at 09:14:06 AM

Today is the ninth anniversary of Tanith Lee's passing, and I wanted to take a moment to focus on Tanith and her work. Legacy is such a static- seeming concept, but in truth, but those six letters express the dynamic interplay of readers and writers across the generations. Legacy is about incorporation and transformation. Like culture or family or love, it's a concept that encapsulates growth and change, though it's caged inside a hard, defined shell. I adore the truth behind each of these words, the powerful change agents they each exemplify. Tanith Lee was a change agent during her lifetime. She was unerringly focused on what she saw as possible rather than what the world--the world of books, the world of genre, the world she physically inhabited--reflected back to her at any particular moment. She saw those at the margins as natural protagonists with all the agency that implies. She approached creative endeavors, not as a specific "type" of story, but more as a dream or vision she felt compelled to manifest into the world. She was not quiet in her fiction or her life. And looking around at all the strong and unique authors who claim her as theirs, that dynamic energy called "legacy" is still very much at play.  

I recorded this video yesterday but held on to it a beat for both a technical and an emotional reason. The former was an issue with the audio track (I've had to up my tech game quite a bit as a result of running this Kickstarter). The latter was a desire to share a dynamic legacy moment in a way that didn't allow it to get lost amongst a crowd of headlines. 

A New Reader. A New Fan. A New Conversation That Bridges Time.

Legacy and Next Month's Infinity Award

If you happen to be at the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association (SFWA)59th Annual Nebula Awards® Ceremony on June 8, raise in glass in Tanith's memory. She will be the second recipient of the SFWA's Infinity Award, a posthumous award focused on authors and the preservation of their legacies. (Select the image below to read the full article.)

 --julie

Thank you! 1st stretch goal met, 305 backers, and 8 days left!
4 months ago – Thu, May 23, 2024 at 04:44:47 PM

Thanks to you,Storyteller has met the first stretch goal—which means we have space in the book for two additional stories! In addition to the work from our eight invited authors, our open call in July will be looking for eight new pieces of fiction. I'm so appreciative, as are my two co-editors, Craig Laurance Gidney and Carina Bisset, and the Essential Dreams Press intern, Julia DeRidder! In a publishing world that can be rather brutal, even to authors as established as Tanith Lee, finding such a wide and enthusiastic audience early on is incredible. Crowdfunding steps up once again, bringing creators and readers together with a focus on the actual creative work!

We Are "Pressing" Ahead 😉

We currently have 305 backers! With eight days left in the Kickstarter campaign, I'm committed to reaching as many potential readers as possible and to focusing on the creators in this book. The next two stretch goals are all about the authors and the stories. From the beginning, I was committed to treating the authors well. As an author myself, I understand the importance of paying authors a professional rate, which is currently $.08 a word. But I'd really like to do better than that. That's why our next stretch goal involves increasing the author pay rate to $.10 a word. And we've already started that climb! We are 10% of the way to that goal.

In anticipation of the end of this Kickstarter, I've also started setting up BackerKit, the pledge manager Essential Dreams Press will be using for this project. Yet another first for me! The volume of videos, posts, stories, reels, and shorts I've been creating to help get out the word is also something of a first; a family member told me they've seen more of me online this month than they have in the last year! 

Storyteller is Already Something Special

The invited authors are right now revising their stories, and we'll be reading them soon after the Kickstarter ends. This book is already something special, and its only going to be strengthened by the new authors who join us in July. I can't wait to see how the work of all these amazing creators fits together! Personally, it's a real thrill to feel the rhythm of a book of short fiction settling into place. And I know my two co-editors are going to bring something unique to the mix that will, again, only strengthen the book.

A Temporary Tattoo of Tanith Lee as Illustrated by Author and Illustrator Kathleen Jennings!

As well as the sticker version of this illustration now available when you back the project at the Louisa the Poisoner tier, we now have a temporary tattoo version in the add-on section of Kickstarter. As I've learned during this month, even if you've already backed the project, you can change your backer tier and add additional items until the Kickstarter closes. 

The Project's Beating Heart

With eight more days to go, this campaign has already drawn far more interest than I expected, from both new and old Tanith Lee fans, as well as fans of our incredible authors. I want to thank you all for your belief in what we're doing.

I'll close with this quote from a post Terri Windling made on Instagram yesterday. 

This, to me, is the beating heart of Storyteller.
--julie

Storyteller has over 280 backers & we're closing in on stretch goals to add more authors! Plus a bonus podcast!
4 months ago – Mon, May 20, 2024 at 04:52:47 PM

Thank You! 

My heart is full. We currently have 287 backers and are closing in on our first stretch goal with 10 days left until the Kickstarter ends! (And yes, I did set the campaign for 24 days. This thrill ride stops on May 31 st at 11:59 pm EDT.)

Thank you--again--for both your encouragement and your effervescent delight in this project! Each of the authors in STORYTELLER brings their unique creative vision and approach to fiction. STORYTELLER's authors reside in a variety of genre neighborhoods. Most have never before been published in the same magazine issue or book. STORYTELLER's table of contents is a true powerhouse and one that would never have happened if not for both the authors' love of Tanith Lee's work and your belief in this book. Your interest reminds me that those of us who love words do so because of the profound joy authors and their stories offer each and every one of us. 

Pushing Forward! We've Almost Added 2 More Stories!

Carina, Craig, and I want STORYTELLER to release like a flash of lightning across the sky, both illuminating and inescapable. I know the authors already associated with STORYTELLER are going to offer up some amazing fiction.  But there are so many areas of genre and so many authors impacted by the work of Tanith Lee. Her legacy is truly expansive. Right now we  have six slots for our open submissions call. In an ideal world, I'd like to double that number, and with your help, we're getting closer. We're closing in on the first stretch goal: adding two more open slots for a total of eight!

Tanith Lee, Julie C. Day (yes, that's me), and the Outer Dark Podcast

Looking for something to listen to while you fold the laundry or head out for an emergency dog food run? The latest episode of The Outer Dark Podcast includes:

1) A 16 min interview with me about STORYTELLER, Tanith Lee's legacy, & this fabulous Kickstarter. [Feel free to skip ahead. I’ll never know!] 

2) A broadcast of the roundtable we held on Tanith Lee and her legacy back in January. 
[Co-sponsored by The Outer Dark and Essential Dreams Press.]
As moderator I can declaratively state that it was an amazing panel. How could it be otherwise when it included Terri Windling, Craig L. Gidney, Lisa Kröger, and Melanie R. Anderson, plus a guest appearance by C.S.E. Cooney? If you have the time, give it a listen.  Both your laundry and your dog will thank you!

Thanks to you, STORYTELLER fully funded in less than a week!
4 months ago – Mon, May 13, 2024 at 06:42:00 PM

A Huge Thanks to All of Our Backers!

Thank you so much for your interest in and support of this project! Thanks to you 241 amazing humans, STORYTELLER, our Tanith Lee tribute anthology, is now more than a drafted plan; it's a fully formed creative path. Kickstarter is both a surreal and wonderful experience. This is a first for me, and it's pretty damn amazing!

We're Not Done Yet

There are so many working authors who have a deep connection to Tanith Lee. As well as our amazing lineup of invited authors, I budgeted an initial six open slots. As authors, it was important to Carina and Craig as well as myself that we offer professional rates. Our first stretch goal, reaching $10,000, will create two more open slots for a total of sixteen stories, eight of them from from our invited authors and eight from an open call. I think this goal is attainable. ( I very much hope this goal is attainable!) There are so many genres and so many authors that have been influenced by Tanith Lee; we know the number of gifted and passionate writers who will be sharing their work is going to make it hard to only select a handful. 

I've already planned a number of stretch goals, just in case, and many add even more fiction, but I don't want to get ahead of myself. You, the backers of STORYTELLER, have already given myself and the entire team a true gift. This is going to be one amazing book, and it's all thanks to you!

Timing of the STORYTELLER Open Call

Now that we're fully funded we can share some more details regarding the open short fiction slots. There will be more details on the open calls in the next few weeks, but I wanted to get the word out ASAP. We are going to be running two week-long open calls.  We currently have slots for six open-call stories at 2000 to 5000 words and 8 cents/ word. The pay rate and number of slots may change depending on how many stretch goals we reach.

We're interested in work by authors influenced and inspired by Tanith Lee. We are definitely not looking for fiction in the style of.  One of the unique aspects of Tanith's legacy is the breadth of genres she influenced. We'll be asking all those interested in submitting to include a statement on their connection to the work of Tanith.

Call #1
July 16-22 
Limited Demographic: For historically marginalized groups, including but not limited to sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, religion, gender identity & expression, and physical ability.

Call #2
July 23-29
Open to all.

My Own Core Tanith Influences

These three books, The Silver Metal Lover, The Gorgon and Other Beastly Tales, and Electric Forest, are all from my early-to-mid teens. All completely immersive and gorgeously written, they found an immediate connection with younger me. I was at exactly the right age and in exactly the right frame of mind for Tanith's stories to burrow so deep they remain with me to this day.

Thank you once again! I can't wait to see STORYTELLER finally take shape!

-julie