S.J.Budd

It's no use writing an absolute masterpiece if you fail at the first hurdle of  trying to get it published. Writing a great synopsis is a really big deal. It's also known as the elevator pitch where you have roughly thirty seconds to impress an agent or publisher. You'll need to showcase your prowess with words by first selling your manuscript. You need to convince all who read your synopsis that your book is going to be huge. So how do you do it? What is a Synopsis? In simple terms a synopsis is a brief description of your manuscript. It's not something to be overlooked it's need to be powerful and compelling so that the agent or publisher does not simply push it to one side and never look at it again. What does a Synopsis Look Like? The first part of your synopsis should begin with a brief summary of 35-70 words.  Just one or two sentences. The second part of your synopsis should give a more detailed synopsis of your work. This is where you c

I'm very happy to announce that my short story The Memory Chamber has been selected to appear in the Deadman's Tome: Book of Horrors Volume 1 Anthology which will be released in July 2016. Deadman's Tome is a horror magazine only for those who like their horror extra dark and extreme. So read at your peril! "Lost, but not forgotten. Discarded, but not abandoned. Rumor has it that somewhere deep in the dark abyss lies an ancient relic of wicked men, a product of madness. A tome of horrors so unimaginable, so unfathomable that a few lines was all it took for people to go mad. There are documented accounts of this book shattering families, tearing through the strongest of examples of love, causing mothers and fathers to devour…" You can pre-order your copy here and why not? It's a brilliant bargain at only £2.08 for the kindle version. You don't even need a kindle to read it as you can get free kindle reading apps for your phone or computer. Also featu

Aphelion is a non profit magazine that provides a lifeline for new writers and those more well known and allows writers to receive feedback on their work. I had been fortunate enough to have been published in a previous issue with my short story, The Tail of the Sea Upon the Thief's Path which you can read here. Aphelion is a monthly webzine that is packed with the latest tales of science fiction and fantasy that is packed with short stories, long fiction, poetry, features and flash fiction. You can read all the issues including this one for free here! This issue features seven short stories and for me the stand out super awesome tale has to be The Voice Catcher by Tyra Tanner. The Voice Catcher by Tyra Tanner Stacia is no ordinary child she has spent her life living on the edge of the forest which unites people together in fear. This is a forest that must be stopped before it destroys indiscriminately with it's voices and a small team of burners dedicate their

The Dark Magazine is a quarterly dark fiction magazine edited by Jack Fisher and Sean Wallace. which features great short fiction both in print in audio. These tales are of a very high calibre and totally absorb you into different worlds as you read. Each tale is wonderfully different but very similar in that they are all  deeply atmospheric. In Issue 12 of The Dark Magazine it's also great to see really good dark fiction by women who have been  for a long time an under-represented faction of horror writers. It's great to see that this is now changing www.vincentchong-art.co.uk This months issue features the brilliant artwork by Vincent Chong  an award winning freelance illustrator and designer. He has illustrated works by many authors including Stephen King and Ray Bradbury. The Haferbräutigam by Steve Berman We are intriduced to Pluschow a sexual predator whose libido feast on young male flesh as he makes his way across Europe back to his native German soil

Mary Williams was a superb ghost writer who after establishing a sucessful career as a romance writer turned to short stories dealing with the supernatural.  Born in Wales she moved to Cornwall where she spent most of her life and became deeply attached to the uniqueness of the ancient land she soon developed a passion for Cornish Legends and Folklore which provide inspiration for many of her short stories which are almost all set in Conrwall. Mary Williams went on to write 17 volumes of short story collections, Chill Company, The Dark Land, Ravenscarne and other stories, Time after time and other stories, They Walk at Twilight, Haunted Waters, Unseen Footsteps, Whisper in the Night, Where Phantoms Stir, Ghostly Carnival, Where no Birds Sing, Creeping Fingers and Other Stories of the Occult, Haunted Garden, The Haunted Valley, Trembling Shadows and other stories of the Occult, Creeping Fingers, The Dark God and The Secret Pool. Mary Williams remains just as mysterious as her tales.