The Best of CafeLit 9

 

How we came to publish this one

We publish a Best of CaféLit book every year. This time we invited those writers who had appeared in The Best of CaféLit 8 to select the stories for this volume. They chose five each and we gave five points to number one, four to number two etc. We had a really bumper edition this time. We published the stories in order of popularity and then apathetical order if there were several with the same score. We thought at one time we might have to split the paperback into two but it came in just about the same size as our longer annual anthologies.   

The title

We used to use the year the stories were first published as part of the title. However  the book comes out during the year after the stories have originally bene published on the site so it looks a little odd for example to talk about The Best of CaféLit 2020 in August 2021.      

Some notes about the process

All CaféLit stories are edited as they go on to the site. This is just a copy edit / proof read. They have to be up to a certain standard before we accept them. Once the “camera ready” text has been produced, contributors are invited to check their work and we proof-read it twice in house.   

The cover

The cover is branded. It’s the same picture every year though our designer varies the colour. He has a method. I don’t know what this is and he won’t tell me. Any ideas?

Some notes about style

There is a variety of submissions. Some are dark. Some are light-hearted. Some are longer. Some are shorter. We have a few poems as well.

Who we think the reader is

Ideally, this is the reader who want to sit down with a cuppa at around 4 p.m. Some of the stories are seasonal so may speak to a certain mood. On the site we publish Halloween stories around Halloween time and Christmas ones around Christmas. There is no accounting for when you’ll read various stories in the Best of volumes.

 

Finances

This book as not yet covered all of its costs but it has almost covered the money already laid out. The editor and designer have not yet taken a fee or wage for their work on the book. It has almost covered its actual costs.       

 

What else

We have published a record number of books this year. We are pleased to have this within our collection.

 

Review copies

It’s always great if you can buy the book and give us a review. Just click on the image to be taken to Amazon. If you would like to review and you are strapped for cash, just get in touch for a free PDF or mobi-file.      

 

Matters of Life and Death by Philip Stuckey

                                                   

 

How we came to publish this one

Philip approached us with a story for one of our annual anthologies. Although we didn’t actually publish that one, we very much liked his style and suggested he might like to put a collection together.  

The title

As often happens, the title only became apparent as we worked on the collection.

Some notes about the process

The collection went through the three usual stages of editing – structural edit, copy edit, proof read. We took our time and we think the book now sparkles.   

 

The cover

Our designer came up with the cover after working with Philip on a concept. We are currently revising how we work with authors on covers.   

 

Some notes about style

There is a lyrical quality to many of the stories in this collection. That may be something to do with Philip being a song writer.

Who we think the reader is

These are certainly stories for those people who like a bit of mystery and fantasy. They are winter’s tales, just right for what I call the story time of year – Halloween through to the beginning of Lent.

 

Finances

This book as not yet covered all of its costs but it has almost covered the money already laid out. The editor, proof-reader and designer have not yet taken a fee or wage for their work on the book. It has almost covered its actual costs.        

What else

We have published a record number of books this year. We are pleased to have this within our collection.

 

Review copies

It’s always great if you can buy the book and give us a review. Just click on the image t be taken to Amazon. If you would like to review and you are strapped for cash, just get in touch for a free PDF or mobi-file.