Posts tagged Scott R Jones

The End of Martian Migraine Press…

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Well, it’s a sad day here at MMP HQ.

Hello, I’m Scott R. Jones. Normally I’d be writing this from the MMP-standard royal “we” (see pretty much every post for the past several years) but the time for full ownership has come. I’m shuttering the press for the foreseeable future. This is due to multiple factors that have, over the past year and a bit, contributed to the increasingly poor functioning of the press and the failure to live up to the admittedly meager ideals it was founded on. It’s painful to write this post, but necessary, and, seeing as I’ve essentially already written it (in a letter to the authors slated to appear in the two upcoming but now sadly cancelled MMP anthologies) I am going to attempt to save myself some further pain and so post portions of that letter below.

Good afternoon, everyone. Hope your weekend is going well so far. Unfortunately, I’m writing to relay a piece of bad news that a number of you have likely expected was coming, considering the delays in production on the upcoming MMP books you have pieces attached to.

It’s with considerable regret that I have to cancel both books and put the press on hiatus for the foreseeable future. This past year has been a bad one for me on a number of levels: personal, financial, and health concerns both physical and mental have combined to basically destroy my ability to do right by the press and the writers I work with. When I started MMP five years or so ago, one of my earliest intentions was to provide a level of basic courtesy and professionalism to the people I chose to work with. Given the “boutique”, one-man nature of the operation, this (for me) meant four things: writers and artists would be paid on time for their work, the books would drop in a timely manner, communication would be timely and transparent, and promotion for the titles would be the best possible given the resources available.

2019 has seen MMP fail on all four counts. Without going too much into the unpleasant details, I have run out of money, credit, time, and the increasingly important mental resources required to operate MMP in even the most bare-bones manner. As some of you have no doubt already noted, contracts as written and signed off on have not been honoured, payments have not been forthcoming, and communication on these matters has been slight and shamefully deferral in nature. Honestly, I had hoped that at least the financial aspect of this would turn around and allow me to move ahead with both Innsmouthbreathers and Monstrous Outlines, however haltingly, but that has not been the case despite a series of best efforts. Again, at MMPs inception, my intention was to not allow the press and its operation to impact my family’s already thin financial resources: with the increase of the usual costs of living, and the arrival of new and unexpected expenses, this has become impossible to do, and so the MMP project has to be sacrificed.

I’d also like to address here another aspect of the problem that I have little doubt will come up. Those of you who are attached to me via social media have likely noted that my personal writing career has seen some significant uptick in the past several months: I was approached about, and eventually sold, a collection of my short stories to another publisher, and my debut novel Stonefish which I’d been working on since mid-2018 has been purchased and is slated for release early in 2020. I recognize and regret the hypocrisy of this. Focusing on my own work had taken a back seat for so long, and the surge in attention and ability I experienced with the writing of the novel overtook me, to the detriment of MMP and, sadly, your own work as represented in MMP books. I have not been balanced in my approach to the work, and the cost has been high. I want to own this and apologize for any harm I’ve brought to you personally and your careers professionally. I should have done better, and I did not.

For all the above, I am deeply sorry. Thank you for submitting your amazing work to MMP, for your patience, and your understanding. All rights to your stories as contracted I now return to you fully in the hope that we may dissolve said contracts and separate peacefully and on good terms. I wish I could do more than just this, as it feels meager indeed, and you all deserved better. Looking forward, on the outside chance that I am at some point in the future able to reinvigorate MMP and restore it according to the framework of my original intentions for the press, I hope that you will consider becoming involved again with either the books being cancelled presently (should they be revived) or new and different ones.

I followed this with an assurance that I would keep my channels open to talk, as I want to foster open and clear communication with the writers I worked with regarding the decisions made. So far the response from writers affected has been gracious, understanding, and sympathetic, which is more than I deserve.

Martian Migraine Press has been in operation since, oh, let’s call it early 2014. Five years and change is not too bad in this wild west of a business, I’m told. I am grateful (as an editor, a publisher, a writer, and a human being, basically) for the experience. Working with established authors and brand spanking new writers of considerable talent and energy, collaborating with and learning from other editors in the field, soliciting gorgeous covers from unique artists and illustrators, and then hearing from readers both online and in person how much the MMP books were enjoyed has been wonderful and heartening. Most of the time, it seemed to me that I didn’t know what I was doing here, other than creating reading experiences I myself enjoyed, but that seems to have struck a chord within the horror and weird fiction communities, and for that I am supremely grateful.

All MMP titles in both TPB and electronic formats will continue to be made available here and from most major retailers.

Thank you, all, for your support and dedication to MMP. Comments will be left open below for questions or concerns.

Sincerely,

Scott R. Jones
editor
MMP

MMP Books and More in the New Lovecraftian Story Bundle!

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We here at MMP HQ know that discerning Migraineers like a certain je ne sais quoi vis a vis your Weird Fiction! It has to push boundaries, must strain at the gates of innovation, and above all, entertain in ways that your standard Lovecraftian narrative simply can’t! (This is the 21st Century, after all.) Which is why we’re very pleased to announce our humble inclusion in the new weird fiction bundle from StoryBundle! It’s curated by Nick Mamatas (’nuff said!) and features some of the best groundbreaking authors around, many of whom have appeared in MMP books. Six books in the Basic StoryBundle, and another six in the Bonus StoryBundle that riff on the themes in the Basic! We could go on (and will, over the course of the next couple of weeks) but this is a LIMITED TIME OFFER and we’d rather you not waste time listening to us jaw on! Instead, here’s Curator Nick Mamatas with the skinny! Links to purchase below as well!

The Lovecraft Bundle

curated by Nick Mamatas

H. P. Lovecraft is undoubtedly one of the most influential writers of the pulp era, leaving an indelible mark on the last hundred years of science fiction, fantasy, and horror. Not only is Lovecraft a central element of genre fiction today, he has ascended to the heights of mainstream literature, thanks to editions of his stories published by the definitive Penguin Classics and Library of America lines. Lovecraft was also a cult writer whose themes were explored in underground comics, in rock music, film, and fine art. And this all while being the sort of racist, anti-Semite, and homophobe that would exclude him from dinner parties…even during his own era.

For a long time, Lovecraft’s mantle was carried in the small press, where slavish pastiche and careful avoidance of his politics were rules to be carefully followed. These days, however, Lovecraftian fiction is wider and more diverse. His themes and voice are being remixed, detourned, and exploded by a new generation of writers, and his distasteful opinions critiqued and parodied. This Lovecraftian Literature bundle explores the Lovecraftian idiom in a diversity of ways, from intense erotica to beat literature, from neo-pulp fun to theological exegesis.

Among the goodies in this bundle is the World Fantasy Award-winning anthology of She Walks in Shadows edited by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, a bundle-exclusive collection Home from the Sea by pulp master William Meikle, the Pynchonesque (!) Lovecraftian military thriller duology Radiant Dawn/Ravenous Dusk by Cody Goodfellow, a real-life attempt at “keeping it R’lyeh” by examining the metaphysics of Lovecraft’s vision of the universe by Scott R Jones…and a whole lot more!

And StoryBundle’s a cool form of alternative publishing, letting indie and small press authors join together to present bundles that pack a whole lot of reading into a price that you choose (as long as it’s $5 or above). For that $5 you get the basic bundle of six books in any ebook format. $15 (or more if you want to support the writers even further) gets you the bonus books as well.

The initial titles in the Lovecraft Bundle (minimum $5 to purchase) are:

  • When The Stars Are Right by Scott R Jones
  • RESONATOR: New Lovecraftian Tales From Beyond edited by Scott R Jones
  • Gateways to Abomination by Matthew M. Bartlett
  • Sword and Mythos by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
  • The Nickronomicon by Nick Mamatas
  • Radiant Dawn by Cody Goodfellow

If you pay more than the bonus price of just $15, you get all six of the regular titles, plus SIX more!

  • Home From the Sea by William Meikle
  • Priestess: The Collected Blackstone Erotica by Justine Geoffrey
  • Cthulhusattva: Tales of the Black Gnosis edited by Scott R Jones
  • She Walks in Shadows by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
  • Move Under Ground by Nick Mamatas
  • Ravenous Dusk by Cody Goodfellow

This bundle is available only for a limited time via http://www.storybundle.com. It allows easy reading on computers, smartphones, and tablets as well as Kindle and other ereaders via file transfer, email, and other methods. You get multiple DRM-free formats (.epub and .mobi) for all books!

It’s also super easy to give the gift of reading with StoryBundle, thanks to our gift cards – which allow you to send someone a code that they can redeem for any future StoryBundle bundle – and timed delivery, which allows you to control exactly when your recipient will get the gift of StoryBundle.

Why StoryBundle? Here are just a few benefits StoryBundle provides.

  • Get quality reads: We’ve chosen works from excellent authors to bundle together in one convenient package.
  • Pay what you want (minimum $5): You decide how much these fantastic books are worth. If you can only spare a little, that’s fine! You’ll still get access to a batch of exceptional titles.
  • Support authors who support DRM-free books: StoryBundle is a platform for authors to get exposure for their works, both for the titles featured in the bundle and for the rest of their catalog. Supporting authors who let you read their books on any device you want—restriction free—will show everyone there’s nothing wrong with ditching DRM.
  • Give to worthy causes: Bundle buyers have a chance to donate a portion of their proceeds to Mighty Writers and Girls Write Now!
  • Receive extra books: If you beat the bonus price, you’ll get the bonus books!

StoryBundle was created to give a platform for independent authors to showcase their work, and a source of quality titles for thirsty readers. StoryBundle works with authors to create bundles of ebooks that can be purchased by readers at their desired price. Before starting StoryBundle, Founder Jason Chen covered technology and software as an editor for Gizmodo.com and Lifehacker.com.

Cthulhusattva ToC Announcement

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Is there wisdom in insanity? Enlightenment in blackest despair? Higher consciousness in the depths of chaos? These are the questions we asked of authors who submitted stories to the Martian Migraine Press anthology for 2016. And we here at MMP, along with project editor Scott R Jones, are thrilled to announce that the book (after many months of work, and nearly 400 stories read) is finally complete. With cover art by Alix Branwyn, the groundbreaking novella by Ruthanna Emrys, The Litany of Earth, and stories from some of the finest established writers working in Weird Fiction today, along with several new and exciting voices, Cthulhusattva: Tales of the Black Gnosis, releases officially on Monday May 23, 2016, with pre-orders soon available. Keep watching this space, follow MMP on Twitter @MartianMigraine, and of course Like us on Facebook for updates, contests, and author interviews.

In the meantime, enjoy our editors’ meditative antics as he announces the roster of writers that will fill the pages of Cthulhusattva. Or spare yourself some appalling amateur theatre and drop below the video for the full ToC. It should be noted that the story order for the anthology as it appears here is not yet finalized, but it’s very close. (Every day we be shufflin’ as we Keep It R’lyeh at MMP HQ!)

Cthulhusattva: Tales of the Black Gnosis
Table of Contents

The Pearl in the Shadows — Bryan Thao Worra
Keys in Stranger Deserts — Vrai Kaiser
Mr Johnson and the Old Ones — Jamie Mason
Antinomia — Erica Ruppert
Heiros Gamos — Gord Sellar
Mother’s Nature — Stefanie Elrick
At the Left Hand of Nothing — Jayaprakash Satyamurthy
The Litany of Earth — Ruthanna Emrys
Emperor Eternal — Konstantine Paradias
The Wicked Shall Come Upon Him — Kristi DeMeester
Messages — John Linwood Grant
That Most Foreign of Veils — Luke R J Maynard
We Three Kings — Don Raymond
Feeding the Abyss — Rhoads Brazos
After Randolph Carter — Noah Wareness

Cthulhusattva: Tales of the Black Gnosis
edited by Scott R Jones
5.5×8.5″ trade paperback and electronic book formats
ISBN 978-1-927673-16-4
Publication date: May 23, 2016
Distributed to the trade by Ingram

Martian Migraine Press: the Best Kind of Headache!
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