I am very excited to present to you the first episode of a brand new season of Blood Magic, the short story series that I've been publishing for over a year now on IGC Publishing to minimal fanfare. If you're not already familiar with it, I encourage you to go over to the main Blood Magic page or any of my myriad posts on the subject to learn more. Better yet, I encourage you to start at the beginning, and read the first episode. We even have a newly revised edition here on the site, newly re-released for 2021.
Good Reading
Despite the fact that I run a website, and encourage people to share said website on social media platforms and with their friends, families, and enemies, I personally live under a bit of a digital rock. Though that's really an understatement - it's probably a digital boulder - but I couldn't resist putting in that subtle "bit" pun. Even though I know that engaging on social media is among the best ways for me to continue growing the audience for IGC Publishing, I just haven't been able to bring myself to do it.
New Novella
If I had to describe this story, I would probably say that it's whimsical surrealism in a science-fiction context, with elements of horror and metaphysics. It is, most certainly, weird. Whatever else it is, that last might be the only completely accurate descriptor, and it is still a really compelling story. Whatever meaning you decide to take, or not take, from The Hunt, I hope that you consider giving it a read soon. Available right here at IGCPublishing.com.
Blood Magic Episode 2 Preview
If you recall, these episodes go live at the end of each month, so we're gearing up already for the launch of the second story in the series, titled Here There Be Dragons? Just in case you weren't eagerly awaiting it because you didn't get enough Blood Magic in the first episode, here's a preview of what you might see in the second one.
Blood Magic Series Update
There's still a lot of work that needs to be done. I've made two drafts of the world map, but it still needs refinement: mountain ranges, river systems, political boundaries...you know, the little things. I also have a preliminary symbol for the series, which you can see on the main Blood Magic page. Expect me to start releasing previews for the series in the coming weeks...hopefully they'll drum up some reader excitement.
Business Musings
There is a reason that this site is called "IGC Publishing." Despite the online format, I'm largely modeling my efforts after traditional publishing methods, wherein I go through the steps of writing a story, advertising it, formatting it, building the front and back matter, and then selling the story as a stand-alone piece of work, available for download at a prescribed price point. That is, I am treating my stories as products.
Outlining
With most of my writing, I tend to be a post-outliner. I'll discovery write my way through a piece, and then go back and outline it in detail before embarking on the revision process. Ever since I did a massive outline for a world and then had no story to tell in it, I've found … Continue reading Outlining
What’s Next?
With any luck, you enjoyed my debut short story. I'm working hard to get more stories revised, formatted, published, and released for you, but since this isn't my actual job just yet, that process can sometimes be a bit slow. However, I have a couple of good prospects for our next publication.
The Grounds Warden Release!
It is now available for purchase, exclusively at igcpublishing.com, as a digital download. For only $1.99, you too can own a PDF copy of The Grounds Warden, readable from your phone, your tablet, your computer, your Amazon Kindle, or any other devices that support PDFs.
The Grounds Warden Cover
For now, everything here at IGC publishing is done by me. Writing, revising, formatting, publishing, copyrighting, website maintenance and setup...everything. That includes cover design. Now, I'm an engineer, not an artist, and I don't have a marketing background. I know what I like in other covers in my genre, so I work from there with what I have. So I'm proud to share with you the final cover design for The Grounds Warden:
IGC Publishing 