The Azreal Deception

By Steve Weddle

I got the chance to chat with Chad Rohrbacher about his newest book, THE AZREAL DECEPTION.

THE AZREAL DECEPTION


After the Restructuring, the Planetary Control Group (PCG) brings order and safety to the nation, but at a cost. The only people who get to see nature are those who can afford to buy it. Real food is a luxury. Desperation is rampant. What happens when the people want out of that contract?


"Simultaneously heroic and tragic, the flawed heroes of Chad Rohrbacher’s Azreal Deception fight to survive in a world where trust is a luxury no one can afford. Tough, soulful, brutal, and insightful, these six gritty tales will keep you on the edge of your seat. Cyberpunk at its finest." – Bill Olver, Big Pulp

You Caught Me

Yeah, you got me.

It's the end of Memorial Day weekend, and I got stuck with the "It's due Tuesday" post.  I've just gotten in from a day of BBQ, beer, and cookies (damn good cookies--which you'll hear about here on Thurday.), and now I have to write a blog post.

The Yankees are on.  They're on the West Coast and they're winning.  And I'm tired.

I've been writing, just about 1000 words a day.  A new book.  It's fun.

But it's summer. 

The summer is upon us.  I've got a kid on the way, in less than 3 months.

And you want a blog post.

Whelp, buddy boy, here it is.  I'm enjoying my days off.  I'm sitting here, trying not to think to hard about e-books, or plagiarism, or Kindles, or book stores, or the Big Six.

And to be honest, you don't want to read about that this morning.

You probably want something to distract yourself from your desk job that you've just gotten back to.  Some YouTube video of a cat saying something funny and spelled incorrectly.

So why are you here?

Come back tomorrow. 

Wait for Weddle.  Wait for Stringer.

Better yet, wait for me, next week. 

I have better stuff to offer and some of it's coming next week.

But not today.  I'm tired.

Did I mention the Yankees are on?

Publishing will live on another day.

Books will still be here.

So will all kinds of storytelling.

Get back to work.

Or go to some silly I CAN HAZ page.

But give me a break okay.  I have a few more hours of a long weekend to enjoy.

Advice to someone thinking of starting a zine

The online short crime fiction community leans more towards support (which is fine) not criticism so make sure there is a firm editorial hand on the controls. Edit the holy hell out subs and everything about the site. Offer critiques and a myriad of suggestions. Hone in on the "why" if a story isn't working. Be honest. Be honest. Be honest. With your writers and with yourself. Your heroes, your friends and your peers don't walk on water so say no to friends if their shit doesn't cut it. Don't make excuses for a writer or a story, if what you're reading is weak then it's weak. None of this means you have to be rude. The editorial process is a filter and the real writers won't be offended and will come back for more.

It's easy to publish the people you know but if you want to discover someone then you are going to have to work the slush. That means opening subs far and wide instead of inviting people to submit. That also mean sifting though hundreds of stories (if not more) when you'd rather be doing some thing else.

Set the bar for acceptance ridiculously high. Read to reject not to accept and the stories that blow your hair back really will.

What are your goals (be honest with yourself). To raise your own profile? To discover new writers? To put out a great zine? To get back in the habit of working again after taking some time off? All of the above?

That's just the tip of the iceberg but you get the idea. It's a lot of work but has the potential for great payoff so make sure you are up to it.

Snubnose Press News: We just released Sandra Seamans debut collection, Cold Rifts and it is FREE for the next couple of days. Go get some!

Currently reading: Submissions

Currently listening: Father John Misty