Short story published in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction

I was not going to submit my story, "The Mechanic", to The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction. It's one of, if not the most, prestigious publications in speculative fiction. It gave us the word "fantasy" as a publishing category, for goodness sake. And my story had already been rejected by FOUR publications that I adore, so how on earth would F&SF accept it?

"The Mechanic" came out this month in F&SF's May/June issue, and I'm still pinching myself. I came so close to just not even submitting it, and now it’s printed in the magazine for people to read. Actual people! Ahh! I keep thinking about that night over a year ago, and thinking... man. I’m so glad I took a chance on myself and this story. ✨

So it goes without saying – if you’re sitting on a story that you’ve convinced yourself no one will want, submit it now. Yesterday, even. What are you waiting for? You never know what could happen.

My dad is the one who got me into fantasy and sci-fi when I was small, with movies like Star Wars: A New Hope and the Rankin/Bass Hobbit. I wish that I could have shared this story with him.

Dad, thanks for making me into the nerd I am today. This one’s for you. ❤️

Also, thank you from the bottom of my heart to Sheree Renée Thomas and Gordon Van Gelder. Thank you for believing in me, a little writer who hadn’t ever published a SFWA-level story before, and for being so kind throughout the whole process. I’m honoured to be included in F&SF.

And if anyone reading my lil blog is a reader of F&SF, I really hope you like my story. 🤖

*opens up Scrivener* Let’s see what the rest of 2022 holds.