In 2020 during the COVID 19 outbreak, I started an independent publishing company. I started it partly out of frustration and partly out of a need to share my stories. 

I’ve been writing for some time now, since 2005, if I remember correctly. So when Milton Davis first accepted my short story for his Griots: Sword and Soul Anthology back in 2011, that was a big moment for me. Then, the reviews came in, and that hit me with a healthy dose of reality. You could imagine the tears and rainy days. A less than stellar reception, if I’m being honest. So, I took the time to develop my craft and understand the dynamics of storytelling. Since then, some of my stories have made the rounds with submission alerts to online magazines and anthologies, but to no avail. The worst part about the rejections were that they came without any information on what was technically wrong or stylistically wrong with the piece. I would get nothing but: “this story wasn’t the right fit.” Or “we couldn’t find a place for it in our anthology.” I would wander around for days, confused and hurt at these responses, until finally, it convinced me that maybe I should go at it on my own. How am I supposed to get better as a writer if not for constructive critique? And how do I get it if not by putting myself out into the cruel wide world.

Now, I can already hear some of you saying, join a critique group. Find some writer friends and create one on your own. Well, I did that. And even with us supporting, critiquing, and pushing each other to polish our tales for the mass of readers out there, the rejections were all pretty much the same except for FIYAH Magazine. Shout out to them for breaking the mold. But still, I was only able to submit to them on only a few occasions. Many of my stories weren’t in the theme they called submissions for. More’s the pity. 

Anyway, I took some of the money I was still receiving due to the furlough and COVID Relief check and started…Far Afield Press. 

Far Afield Press, the name, is what you get when you read Lord Dunsany and fall in love with the poetry of his prose. The absolute otherworldliness of his words melted into my brain. Now I know not everybody will get into that, and to be honest, some of it went on for too long or just meandered into something else. But the few gems I could comprehend shined like a blazing shield blinding bright in the sun’s washing rays. And with that, I joined an online site called BrandCrowd to buy a logo. I wasn’t sure what I was looking for in terms of an image, but one caught my eye. An evocative yet straightforward little design that I bought and own. 

Star Eye (that’s what the logo is called) was just what I imagined a symbol that alludes to the disquieting, awe-inspiring wierdness that would draw in the brave and curious alike. An image that spoke to me in dreams behind a veil of sub-conscious murk. That murk that keeps you from remembering your dreams, but you know it was strange cause it lingers just behind your sense of sanity. That is what I hope this image invokes. What it says about not just my publishing company but also the quality of the work I write and share with those readers willing to venture forth…into the far afield. 

Now armed with company name, articles of organization, certificate of good standing, DBA, company logo, etc. I compiled my stories to create a collection of heroic tales written to thrill the mind and spark the imagination. This labor of love was a long time coming. I truly hope you enjoy what I’m about to drop on ya’ll. 

Categories: Far Afield Press