Our first anthology is officially underway

Final author roster, cover details, and latest publication news

The author roster

Storyletter XPress Publishing’s first anthology, “Take Me There: A Speculative Anthology of Travel,” is now moving to the next stage of the publication process. After many months of preparation and open calls, the stories have been chosen, and the book is happening!

I want to thank every writer who took the time to submit their stories for consideration. It was competitive, not only because there were limited slots but because the stories themselves were so varied and uniquely compelling. I had a lot of fun reading your work.

Alas, 24 stories by 24 authors were chosen to be featured in this travel-themed collection. You can find the official author roster below (the promotional image is not indicative of the final cover design by the artist):

Brian Reindel, Brylle Gaviola, Christopher Deliso, Clarice Meneses, C.R. Langille, Daniel W. Davison, Devon Field, Galia Ignatius, H. A. Titus, Iris Shaw, J.M. Elliott, Jack Massa, James Castor, Joe Golden, LB Waltz, M.S. Arthadian, Melissa Rose Rogers, Olivia St. Lewis, Pamela Urfer, Randall Hayes, Shaina Read, Shannon Aaron Stephens, Victor Sandiego, Winston Malone.

Please let me know if your name or pen name is not represented how you’d like on the final book, and I’ll try to make the adjustments. The sooner, the better, since the artist must know this change before finalizing the cover. Thanks!

The next phase

I’ll review each story and provide structural and copyediting suggestions for consideration. This will likely take the entire month of March to complete, but I’m giving myself plenty of room so that authors can respond and make corrections as needed.

If you’re curious about when this book will be published, I haven’t set a hard date yet. I’m expecting Summer 2024, but it all depends on the speed of the editing process. I’m shooting for the end of May or early June timeframe.

The cover

I’ve hired UK-based artist Eoin Ryan to design the cover. His work is both timelessly classic and yet abstractly beautiful. I immediately knew I wanted to work with him when I saw his art style. His art has been seen on covers of Penguin Classics such as The Restored Fennigans Wake, as well as the Vintage Classic reprint of Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale.

I’m very excited to reveal the final cover once it’s completed. I’ve seen the initial drafts and am pleased with Eoin’s work.

The campaign

The book is technically already funded by our Substack paid subscribers and will be printed regardless of additional patronage. However, I’ve tweaked the Founder’s tier to include a special perk that will allow additional support for this project and all future projects.

• First Class: You will receive a signed (numbered) edition of the Take Me There hardcover, a signed paperback copy, and an exclusive Take Me There bookmark. Your name will also be included in the book on the member page as a shoutout for supporting independent authors.

  • You will receive this perk automatically if you’re an author featured in this anthology.

• XPress: Annual subscribers will receive a signed paperback copy of Take Me There and a Storyletter bookmark. Your name will also be included in the book on the member page as a shoutout for supporting independent authors.

  • If you’re a monthly subscriber, you will receive the ebook upon release, with access to any previously published ebooks by SXP in your Welcome email.

• Free: There will be posts announcing the release date for the anthology in bookstores and online. Purchasing the book directly this way is always appreciated, regardless of your subscription plan.

Funds go to the authors, the cover artist, and upfront publication and shipping costs. Thank you so much for your support! ~ WM