Seanan McGuire (seanan_mcguire) wrote,
Seanan McGuire
seanan_mcguire
  • Mood: excited
  • Music: Rika Koerte, "Yew Tree."

Short story sale: "The Prince is Right."

UPDATE: I will not be appearing in this anthology, and this is why.

I am pleased to announce the sale of "The Prince is Right" to the anthology Wicked Pretty Things [Amazon]|[Mysterious Galaxy], a YA collection of "dark fairy romance" to be published on August 2nd, 2011.

Questions I have been asked already:

Is your story set in the Tobyverse?

No. "The Prince is Right" is set in an entirely new fae-centric world, one that plays around with my fondness for seasonal monarchies and John Hughes movies. Salem Lyons must find the Harvest King and be crowned the new Harvest Queen, or everything she loves will pay the price. But what if she doesn't want the job?

Is your story a dark fairy romance?

It's a fairy romance that takes place almost entirely at night, which makes it dark. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it. I, um, sort of missed the whole "dark = grim" memo, and wrote a classic 1980s teen romance, complete with Molly Ringwald jokes and buckets of John Hughes references. Also, one of my central characters spends about half her time as a hairless cat. So the grim is not so present in this particular tale.

I am super-excited about this book, where I get to appear alongside authors whose work I respect and admire, like Rachel Caine, Tera Lynn Childs, and Lisa Mantchev. This is the first time Rachel (who is awesome) and I have been in a book together, and that's pretty much cause for celebration right there! Also, the cover is gorgeous.

Yay! Wicked Pretty Things!
Tags: good things, publishing news, short fiction
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  • 35 comments

spectralbovine

March 22 2011, 17:56:41 UTC 6 years ago

Congratulations!

I, um, sort of missed the whole "dark = grim" memo
Grim! Gritty! Depraved! FILL US WITH YOUR FAERIE DARKNESS.

seanan_mcguire

March 22 2011, 19:13:40 UTC 6 years ago

Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeah no.

ladymurmur

March 22 2011, 18:21:42 UTC 6 years ago

Hooray! *flailing Kermit arms*

seanan_mcguire

March 22 2011, 19:13:46 UTC 6 years ago

Hee.

priscellie

March 22 2011, 18:36:03 UTC 6 years ago

HURRAH! The story is a delight.

seanan_mcguire

March 22 2011, 19:13:59 UTC 6 years ago

And you were a lovely lovely influence.

la_marquise_de_

March 22 2011, 18:50:28 UTC 6 years ago

Congratulations.

seanan_mcguire

March 22 2011, 19:14:09 UTC 6 years ago

Thank you!

jnanacandra

March 22 2011, 18:53:21 UTC 6 years ago

Have you heard about this, though? http://jessicaverday.blogspot.com/2011/03/being-gay-is-okay.html

I'm not questioning your business decisions and I'm happy for your sale - but I'd hope it's an informed decision, knowing that the publishers are censoring the stories in this anthology.

seanan_mcguire

March 22 2011, 19:06:12 UTC 6 years ago

I had not when I agreed to sell them the story, and actually found the link shortly before making this entry. I was prepared to become EXTREMELY UPSET, until I reached the bottom of the post and saw the comment from the editor, who made the redaction based on her own reaction, and not that of her publishers.

I'm disappointed. I really am. But since it was not the choice of the publishers themselves, I don't want to hurt the rest of the authors in the book by pulling out at this juncture. If I'd known about this sooner, my response might be different. And if the submission guidelines had said "heterosexual couples only," my response would have been lesbian porn followed by a cheery "fuck you."

I am, however, now renewed in my desire to get the January O'Leary/Li Qin Zhou-O'Leary stories finished. In my copious spare time.

mskauri

March 22 2011, 19:25:11 UTC 6 years ago

And if the submission guidelines had said "heterosexual couples only," my response would have been lesbian porn followed by a cheery "fuck you."


Yet one MORE reason (as if I needed any more) I love you!! I couldn't agree more!

seanan_mcguire

March 22 2011, 19:40:44 UTC 6 years ago

I do hate it when crap like this sneaks up on us. By the time this came out, my contract was signed.

ex_kaz_maho

6 years ago

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seanan_mcguire

6 years ago

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ex_kaz_maho

6 years ago

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seanan_mcguire

6 years ago

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ex_kaz_maho

6 years ago

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seanan_mcguire

6 years ago

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kshandra

6 years ago

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dormouse_in_tea

March 23 2011, 00:18:49 UTC 6 years ago

I'm glad I read the comments first! Rather than being person number X to bring it up...

I am also glad, because I saw that link before the editor left the comment.

Still going to have to think about whether to purchase this. One the one hand, do not wish to penalize authors and publishers for the editor's bad decision. On the other hand...not happy with the editor. But it looks like rash assumptions rather than rampant homophobia.

So I will probably buy it.

Okay, done thinking out loud in your space! TL;DR -- congratulations on the sale!!!!

seanan_mcguire

March 23 2011, 00:34:59 UTC 6 years ago

Yeah. If I'd seen the link before the editor left the comment, I think this would be a much, much messier entry, accompanied by my editor trying to get me out of my contract. Such is life.

I would say...purchase the book, to show that there is support, and write a letter to the publisher, explaining why you almost didn't.

And thanks!

dormouse_in_tea

6 years ago

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mariadkins

March 22 2011, 19:18:11 UTC 6 years ago

nice!

seanan_mcguire

March 22 2011, 19:40:55 UTC 6 years ago

Yeah. :)

mskauri

March 22 2011, 19:22:23 UTC 6 years ago

YAY indeed! Love the 1980s teen romance angle...being a high school graduate from the Class of 1985 AND a big fan of the John Hughes universe, I TOTALLY get that! And yes, I pined for Jake Ryan!

seanan_mcguire

March 22 2011, 19:41:06 UTC 6 years ago

I'm pleased.

pola_bear

March 22 2011, 19:45:52 UTC 6 years ago

Congratulations! Will this be your first published YA? It makes me happy to see you getting some YA into the wild. Because you are good at it. And classic 1980s teen romance is extra awesome.

You have so many thousands of things being published. Wowsers.

seanan_mcguire

March 22 2011, 19:48:24 UTC 6 years ago

It will! I am finally entering the waters of YA. Next up? Let's see about some Babylon Archer.

pola_bear

March 22 2011, 20:24:06 UTC 6 years ago

Ooh. You have so many wonderful projects. I want them all to get published! Nowhere near as much as I'd like you to not fall apart from having too many things going on, but still.

dormouse_in_tea

March 23 2011, 00:25:20 UTC 6 years ago

That had just occurred to me, after I left my last comment. YAY THE YA WALL IS BREACHED!!!!

seanan_mcguire

March 23 2011, 00:35:17 UTC 6 years ago

Next up: WORLD CONQUEST!

dormouse_in_tea

6 years ago

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keristor

6 years ago

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yellowblackhaze

March 22 2011, 21:55:28 UTC 6 years ago

YA's not a bad place to go for a break once in a while. I'm not big on anthologies, but this one sounds like it will be worth a look and besides it's got Seanan in it, so how can it go wrong?

seanan_mcguire

March 23 2011, 00:35:51 UTC 6 years ago

Oh, I'm sure there are many ways it could go wrong. Go knock on some wood, quick! But I really love several of the other involved authors; I'm excited.