Hello, dreamers. April is drawing to a close, and I could never have imagined what this month had in store for me. Even though I’d been told about it in advance (some of it, anyway).

The big event this week, of course, is my debut as a published author: the release of the anthology Writers of the Future, Vol. 42. Much of my activity this week will revolve around the release and everything I’ll be doing to make this anthology a success. I’m still not done shaking hands and being interviewed. And even once that’s done, I’ll probably be making appearances at several sci-fi conventions around the end of the summer. Yes, the day I’ve long dreaded has come at last.

However, I have a lot more to do than just hawking a book. I’m winding down my current round of queries on Seven Days on Samarkand. I have five short fiction submissions outstanding. I have editing to do, critiques to perform, and somewhere in all of that I fully intend to actually write. So with that said, here’s what I’ll be up to this week:

Writers of the Future, Vol. 42

It’s almost here! My professional debut comes tomorrow, April 28, with the release of the anthology Writers of the Future, Vol. 42.

I’ve talked a lot about this anthology, but it’s worth saying again that this is a fantastic collection of speculative short fiction. So great that bestselling author Kevin J. Anderson called it, “the best fiction I’ve read all year.” My story “In Living Color” won the 2026 Golden Pen Award, but it’s just one of the incredible stories from emerging writers you’ll find within the pages of this incredible book. And each story is accompanied by an illustration from one of the contest’s winning artists!

The book is available electronically and in print. Click here to preorder your copy while you still can, and earn some cool freebies to boot! After you preorder, just email jwills@galaxypress.com with your proof-of-purchase to gain access to exclusive promotional content!

If you live in the greater Cincinnati area, don’t be surprised if you run into yours truly at one of our local independent bookstores tomorrow. I’ll be making the rounds, stopping by Joseph Beth in Rookwood Plaza, Joy and Matt’s downtown, and hopefully Roebling Point Coffee and Books in Newport, KY, to admire my work on the shelves, and I’m always happy to talk to new readers.

But if you miss me tomorrow, don’t worry! I’m currently in the process of setting up a series of book signing events at local booksellers. Keep an eye on this site, and follow me on Twitter (@MichaelTKuester) and Bluesky (@michaeltkuester.com) for updates. I’ll post news on signings events as soon as things are set up.

And if you don’t happen to live in the greater Cincinnati area, you’ll still have chances to hear me talk about my award-winning story. This Thursday at 9 PM Eastern, I’ll be appearing on Bobbi Jean Bell’s “Rendezvous with a Writer” on LA Talk Radio, along with my illustrator Nathan Deiwert. I’m also looking into potential signing events in Indiana, and will likely be appearing at GenCon in Indianapolis as well as DragonCon in Atlanta, both near the end of the summer.

Keep a close watch, dreamers. I’m goin’ places. And I’m not done. This is my first book release. It will not be my last.

Querying Seven Days on Samarkand

Moving on, while my current round of queries is winding down, as I mentioned in yesterday’s “Dear Sir or Madam”, I may have found something to give myself an edge here.

In querying, as with most things, it helps to know people. And now, thanks to Writers of the Future, I do. Sometime in the coming week or two, I’m planning to give one of the agents I’ve queried a gentle nudge, and inform them of my personal connections to several of their current clients. There are no guarantees, of course; for all I know, said agent has already reviewed my query and didn’t even feel inclined to tell me to go fuck myself. And if that’s the case, all the personal cred in the world won’t be enough to turn a “no” into a “yes”. But I pride myself on taking every opportunity that presents itself. So while it may not work, you can bet I’m gonna try.

Either way, as if I didn’t have enough going on I’ll be participating in #QuestPit this Wednesday, April 29. I’ll be posting on both Twitter and Bluesky, and it looks like for the first time some of my fellow WotF winners will be participating along with me! So if you’re on either platform, please stop by and give my posts a boost, as well as those of my fellow winners. And don’t forget: in this event, reshare, quote, or comment only. The “like” button is reserved for industry professionals.

Aquarius 1

Amid everything, I’ve slowly worked my way back into novel mode. I’ve decided to devote the bulk of my efforts for the rest of this year to finishing Aquarius 1. Already, I’ve shifted my daily sketches to subjects that will play into the bulk of that story, and have begun work on editing the opening pages.

“If I’d known then what I know now” has become a tired refrain for me while working on Aquarius 1. I’ve put a lot of what I learned the hard way with Seven Days on Samarkand do good use early, likely saving myself the months of headaches whipping my previous novel into shape caused. The more I look at this story, the more I love it, and the more I’m convinced it’s very marketable in the current space.

I’m still a long way away from resuming principal writing. As yet, I’ve only attempted a handful of test writings, and would like to lay down more words before I even think of diving back in. First order of business (which is already in progress) is to complete a comprehensive editing pass on what I have presently. I may enlist the services of my critique group as “alpha readers”, to make sure I’m on the right track.

If all goes well, by the end of May I’ll be ready to jump into research and worldbuilding.

Short Fiction

As I mentioned earlier, I have five active short fiction submissions at present. Of those, I have a pretty good feeling about several of them. One of them is to an anthology, the editors of which have apparently decided to expand it into four volumes. So, by my estimation, my chances of ending up in that anthology have gone from “pretty good” to “damn near one hundred percent”. That said, I have to admit I’m mildly irked, as I’m wondering if this will make the anthology less useful as a publishing credit.

With April ending, however, we’re entering a lengthy “dead zone” for short fic subs. I’ll be keeping an eye out for magazines reopening (I’m particularly interested in subbing to Uncanny again, after seeing how many of their stories were nominated for Hugo awards), as well as anthologies looking for novelettes or novellas. But at the moment, I’m expecting to make very few further submissions until fall. On the bright side, I’ll have plenty of time to pass stories through both my critique group and my new WotF 42 cohort.

Upcoming Content

I have officially launched my Substack: Martians and Lasers. If you haven’t already, head to Substack and subscribe here. It’s free, and you’ll get lots of cool content you won’t find here.

With my recent slow-down in writing, I’ve been casting a critical eye on my platform, as I try to do at least once every few months. And while I’m enjoying the slow buildup of readers on Substack, I feel I’ve sorely neglected this website. So, I’m considering putting up periodic “one-off” posts here. These posts would be of a more personal nature, giving readers a privileged glimpse into my mindset and where I am currently with my writing. Stay tuned.

For the time being, at least, I’ve decided to continue giving readers a schedule of my upcoming content here on this site. All upcoming posts will be available here unless otherwise noted. That said, here’s what you can expect from me in the week to come:

Monday (Today): “A Day and A Night in LA”

In a special post on the eve of the Writers of the Future, Vol. 42 release, get a moment-by-moment, deeply personal account of the night that changed my life: the awards show were I won the 2026 Golden Pen Award in Hollywood. It wasn’t what I expected. And it won’t be what you expect, either.

Tuesday: Book Announcement: Writers of the Future, Vol. 42

At last, the day has come! My debut as a published author! Learn more about this exciting anthology, and how you can get your very own copy.

Friday: “Sci-Fi Reviewed: Wool“

Available on Substack

Hugh Howey was one of last year’s judges for the Writers of the Future contest. That means he’s read my work, so it’s only fair that I return the favor. See what I have to say after reading the first book in his Silo series, and why it doesn’t surprise me that he became one of few authors to find the “back door” of the publishing industry.

Sunday: “Dear Sir or Madam“

As my current round of queries winds down, watch for my penultimate “Dear Sir or Madam” this weekend, where I’ll fill readers in on my latest querying exploits and talk about how things can actually go right in querying: how an author handles a “full request”.

It’s going to be a week unlike any other. So keep reading, and dare to dream. – MK