An editor’s work is never done.

Submissions are already rolling in for Pantechnicon’s first print anthology (details here), and I’m having to force myself not to look at them, in spite of how alluring they appear.

The problem, you see, is that while a book is in progress, I still have the magazine to take care of. With close to a hundred pages of material to edit in to shape, a new chapter of London Calling to write, and cover art to source there’s a lot of work to be done. Getting derailed by the anthology is a less than desired situation.

Then there are the leaflets. With so many kind offers of leaflet distribution springing up, I need to design more to suit each particular outlet.

In a recent interview for SciFiNow I was asked what was involved in the production of a regular issue of Pantechnicon. For those of you who don’t have access to that issue, here is my answer:

Typically just before an issue is about to go live, I’m checking the slush pile for stories suitable for the next issue. It takes about a month to go through the selected stories and perform the first round of edits, after which they go back to the writers, leaving me free to source articles and other material as I wait for second drafts.

Meanwhile I’m searching for other writers – reviewers, feature writers, reviewers – as well as sounding out interview opportunities.Thankfully I’ve now managed to assemble a robust, reliable team: Pantechnicon is far more than just me sitting at a computer bashing away at Word night after night. There are a good eight or so of us involved now.

Naturally no matter how much preparation we undertake, there’s a mad rush to get it online by the deadline.

I forsee another mad rush. Realistically, though, that’s part of the fun.