Small Press Interviews: Meet Black Beacon Books

Tell us a little bit about your press and what inspired you to start it up.

Black Beacon Books was born in Australia in 2013. I had already been writing and submitting my short stories to various horror markets for several years but felt there was a lack of quality independent publishers based in Australia, and particularly in the hometown of Brisbane. At a time when print-on-demand technology promised to revolutionise the publishing industry and make it possible for those of us with more vision, passion, and know-how than cold hard cash to get our books out there, it made sense to give it go. In a way, the impetus was to kick out against the major publishing houses whose unoriginal and formulaic fiction was—and still is, but perhaps to a lesser extent—dominating the market. I felt that discerning readers of original horror, suspense, and mystery fiction needed more alternatives—stories that respected the basic rules of these genres but weren’t afraid to put new spins and twists on them. I was in touch with a community of like-minded authors and artists, many of whom are still riding the wave with me today, and I knew they would be keen to get involved.

The first anthology Black Beacon Books published had a local flavour. Subtropical Suspense featured suspense stories set in and around the city of Brisbane. I felt it was important for me to make a contribution to my hometown’s literary treasure trove, for while Brisbane is Australia’s third largest city, it is underrepresented in fiction compared to Sydney and Melbourne. This, likewise, was the reason I chose to set my début novel, The Tunnel Runner, in and under the streets of my hometown.

It soon became clear, of course, that restricting the focus to one city, or even one country, wasn’t the way forward for Black Beacon Books, especially since moving to the other side of the world in 2017. We’re now based in the countryside in my wife’s homeland of Brittany, without so much as an English-language bookshop within a day’s drive away. It made more sense to define Black Beacon Books solely by what we publish rather than by where we come from. So, what do we publish? Atmospheric horror, mystery, and suspense fiction served on a platter to clever readers who aren’t afraid of twists, turns, and eeriness. 

What kind of horror do you publish?

As mentioned above, we publish several genres, all of them hair-raising, puzzling, or spellbinding. In terms of horror in its broadest sense, our books fall into three categories; general horror, ghost stories, and post-apocalyptic adventure. The best way to taste our dark delicacies is to grab one of our anthologies. The Black Beacon Book of Horror is the first in our series of general horror anthologies, and you’ll find a tendency towards subtle, creeping horror over gore and guts. It’s the sense of dread, the building of suspense, that truly terrifies. The tales in this anthology are gothic, ghostly, and psychological. You’ll find monsters and the supernatural in our publications, but what we know really gives our readers a chill is when the pages of a book act not as windows to fantastic realms but as mere mirrors exposing them for who they are...or might end up becoming. For those who prefer that haunting feeling, The Black Beacon Book of Ghosts will send shivers up your spine, and for fans of post-apocalyptic fiction, there’s Tales from the Ruins, Flicker, and Index Case (forthcoming).

What are some common things that will get a quick rejection from your press? On the flip side, what are some things that make a submission stand out?

It really is very simple. If you don’t follow the guidelines, your submission will be rejected. Read the guidelines, query if you don’t understand something, and send in your submission accordingly. If you can’t read and follow guidelines, we assume you can’t write a great story. What makes a submission stand out? So, firstly, when your email has the required subject line and you start your message with a greeting--Dear editor is fine and Hi Cameron really shows me you know what’s going on. Of course, for an anthology, we choose the stories that are well-written both in terms of storytelling and the correct use of the nuts and bolts of our beautiful language. We value originality, atmosphere, and a clever twist or two. If you manage to bring all that together, there’s a solid chance your submission will at least make the longlist.

What projects do you have coming out soon?

Up next is the latest novel from Sam Dawson, an English author with an original voice, coming out in September. Index Case is a medical thriller, apocalyptic adventure, survivalist’s handbook, and a guidebook to the south coast of England all wrapped into one. With an expert on contagious diseases as the protagonist, Sam tells us the release of his novel will be timely. We hope he’s wrong! October will see the release of The Black Beacon Book of Horror 2, perfect for your Halloween TBR list. Then, hot on its heels, we’ll be publishing The Fourth Black Beacon Book of Mystery in December. Make room on your nightstand!

When is your next open call and what are you looking for?

Our main focus will remain on anthologies. We have two open calls later this year and one early next year, stretching from October to February. Lighthouses 2, Tales from the Ruins 2, and The Fifth Black Beacon Book of Mystery. Another word of advice for potential contributors; grab a copy of a previous volume of the anthology in question so you get a feel for what works for us, then check the submissions guidelines and get writing! 

Where can authors find you?

​Our website is at blackbeaconbooks.com and you can find a comprehensive list of our social media profiles at linktr.ee/blackbeaconbooks