A New Starship Captain
I'm handing over the Lunar Awards.
I’m excited to share that a new leader is stepping up to the command module! I will be handing over ownership and responsibility of the Lunar Awards to my friend
. This is not a decision I take lightly but is one that I feel is right for the community of fantasy and science fiction lovers that subscribe to this newsletter. I’m excited by the change, and I’m confident Winston is going to do a tremendous job. If you’re not familiar with his work, Winston is a writer and editor who owns Storyletter XPress Publishing, recently published “Take Me There: A Speculative Anthology of Travel” and opened a call for submissions for his next anthology.
Winston and I have shared a number of conversations about the state of newsletters, publishing fiction online and indie fiction in general, and I know he loves the indie community. You’re being placed in good hands. I’m sure he’ll have more great details to share in the coming months and the two of us will be collaborating to bring you a refined experience in 2025.
My primary reason for the change is so that I can focus exclusively on my writing. There’s no doubt in my mind that the Lunar Awards can become so much more than it is, but it would require a level of dedication I can’t continue to provide. I’m finding myself distracted and the creative energies waning, making it difficult to evolve the Lunar Awards and produce satisfying creative work. The two can no longer co-exist. It’s better I make the change now instead of waiting until burnout.
One thing I want to do in order to assist with the transition is solicit feedback in the comments on this post. It will help Winston plan for next year and help us both better understand your needs as a community. I originally planned major changes for 2025, and this is an opportunity for you to comment or ask questions. It’s possible to scrap these changes entirely, but it’s better to get your input first. Here is what’s being considered:
Moving to a fixed schedule for the seasons, with those calendar dates known by everyone.
Allowing users to pull from their archives to submit and increasing the short story length to 5000 words.
Limiting the number of entries to accommodate the increase in submissions, which is sure to occur with the first two rule changes.
I know that Winston will also have some unique ideas and I’m comfortable with letting him steer this ship in right direction. It’s quite possible nothing will change other than my departure. There’s so much potential waiting to be realized!
I’m still planning on one more episode of The Pitch and one more Prompt Quest before 2024 is finished. We’re going to end this year on a high note with two of the community’s favorite activities. Getting your stories the attention they deserve has always been my focus and I hope you will continue to participate. Substack is providing fantasy and science fiction a place to thrive, but it requires your stories. I’m hopeful the Lunar Awards will play a major role by increasing exposure to the talent I’ve come to appreciate.
Sincerely,
Brian Reindel
Founder, Lunar Awards
Even though I’ve sent a separate email to paid subscribers, I do want to mention again the logistics of this change. Annual paid subscribers will receive a partial refund after I cancel and disconnect the Stripe payment vendor. This allows for a fair and smooth transition as Winston considers how he wants to handle paid subscriptions (if at all). The refund should be processed in the coming weeks. Your support has been an incredible encouragement and I’m thankful for your commitment.
Brian, I'm excited to begin this journey with you and this community. Taking the helm of what you've worked so hard to create is an incredible honor, and I have such big shoes to fill.
From its inception, I recognized how special the "Lunar Awards" was for speculative storytelling and how significant an award that highlights talented creators in this space can be. Since then, I've been a Founding member because I believe in the sincerity of your message and the quality of your work. You've successfully cultivated a supportive, creative, and encouraging event that brings writers together from all over the world. And that's what I will strive to continue.
The sky isn't the limit for the Lunar Awards. "We're going to the moon," as they say. I'm so grateful for this opportunity and look forward to speaking with the writers and readers who also harbor love for this Science Fiction and Fantasy award. I hope to communicate with you further for guidance and mentorship throughout this transition.
Thank you for what you've done for this community, for your thoughtful messaging, for believing in me, and for your ongoing friendship. I'm blessed to have met you. May you flourish in all aspects of your life, my friend.
I'm sad and happy about this change, Brian. I've benefited so much from the Lunar Awards, both the inspiration and the recognition. But I can appreciate how time away from your own writing can be painful. Thank you for all you've done for the speculative fiction community within Substack. I look forward to seeing how Winston takes the franchise (can I call it that?!) onwards and upwards.
One suggestion I've thought of is to somehow combine anthology external publishing possibilities with the internal publications that writers maintain. All the talent in here deserves a wider audience!