DO NOT GO QUIETLY – An Anthology of Victory in Defiance – Kickstarter Opportunity from Apex Books

It’s Kickstarter week here on the blog! I’ve got not one but TWO amazing SFF Kickstarters to tell you about this week, and today is pretty awesome, so sit back and enjoy my interview with editors Jason Sizemore and Lesley Conner and learn more about Do Not Go Quietly – An Anthology of Victory in Defiance from Apex Books. If that cover doesn’t immediately grab your attention, then you definitely need to take a look at the contributor list, because I guarantee you’ll NEED this as much as I do.

Visit the Kickstarter page for DO NOT GO QUIETLY

Welcome back to the blog, Lesley and Jason! I’m truly excited about Apex’s latest project, an anthology of original fiction called Do Not Go Quietly. Can you tell us about the anthology and give us some background on how the idea came about?

Lesley: Hi, Tammy! Thank you so much for having us back! The original idea for Do Not Go Quietly came shortly after the last presidential election. We woke up to a world where a lot of people no longer felt safe. Rights that women have fought for decades to earn feel shaky. Acts of racism are on the rise. Protections for our earth and the climate are being stripped away. And not only are the people who are supposed to represent us not stopping these things, but in many cases they are the instigators.

The world has become a place where feeling overwhelmed, wanting to hide, shutting down all feel like very valid responses to everything going on. But that isn’t going to help bring about a change.

Jason and I want Do Not Go Quietly to be an example of what resistance and revolution can look like. We want it to inspire those who feel like quitting to not give up. We want to hopefully show people that they aren’t alone. Don’t get me wrong, this will not be an anthology of happy, shiny stories—there will be plenty of dark, that’s what Apex does, but a little darkness can make the light shine all that much brighter.

Jason: I’d like to add that since November 2016, I’ve had a lot of moments of anger. I tried taking it to Facebook to vent, but that felt lame and ineffectual. Not only that, I had a difficult time putting into words what I felt and what I wanted to change. My big hope with Do Not Go Quietly is that it functions as a way to fire up those like-minded individuals in a manner better than I could have ever accomplished pouring out my heart on social media.

I noticed you have both well-known, “heavy hitter” authors, in addition to a few authors that are new to me. What was the process of selecting stories for the book? Were the authors asked to write to a certain theme?

Jason: A benefit of editing Apex Magazine means that Lesley and I are well-read in contemporary speculative fiction. We know which writers effectively write to message. This made any of our invitations easy: Brian Keene, Catherynne Valente, Fran Wilde, Rebecca Roanhorse, Maurice Broaddus, and so on. We have instructed them to write to the theme of defiance and resistance. What are they defying? And how? Well, that’s up to the imaginations of the authors!

Let’s talk about the gorgeous cover art! Who is the artist, and how was the design concept developed?

Lesley: Isn’t the artwork stunning!?! The cover artist is Marcela Bolivar, who we’ve worked with before both with Apex Magazine (issues 96 and 87) and Cry Your Way Home by Damien Angelica Walters. I immediately knew that I wanted Marcela to do the cover for Do Not Go Quietly. Her artwork feels vulnerable and powerful at the same time. And her use movement and depth is absolutely stunning. Luckily for us, she was willing to create the cover.

Honestly, the creativity and art were mainly Marcela. We told her the concept; that we wanted a figure who was resisting, being pulled down, and she drew up some sketches from a view different views/angles. Jason and I selected the one we felt was best. Of course, I never could have guessed how stunning it would turn out, but I couldn’t be happier!

What are some of the backer rewards you are offering? Are you planning on stretch goal rewards as well?

Lesley: Well, obviously the most popular backer levels are copies of the completed anthology—digital, trade paperback, and hardcover are all available through the Kickstarter. We also have signed copies of Marcela’s cover art, a limited amount of story critiques, and two opportunities to have dinner with some pretty awesome people if you’re going to World Fantasy Con in November—there’s a Dinner with the Editors backer level and Dinner with Brian Keene and Mary SanGiovanni. For anyone who maybe doesn’t have a lot of extra cash, but wants to help us reach our goal, you can back the project for $3 and I’ll send you a personalize ‘thank you’ postcard.

We are planning stretch goals, and will be officially releasing them on the Kickstarter page relatively soon. They’ll include adding interior artwork created by Marcela Bolivar, upping the total word count of the anthology so we can select even more stories from the slush pile, and raising author rates.

Jason: The Dinner with the Editors backer level is scary and exciting. I hope somebody picks it up. And in true sitcom form, the backer shows up for dinner is totally into Lesley’s work and treats me as though I’m in the way for the whole evening!

Is there anything else you’d like readers to know about the Do Not Go Quietly campaign?

Jason: That this isn’t simply a “I’m mad as hell” book that will be filled with rants and screeds. Apex Magazine is a publication that looks to make statements with the work it publishes, but Lesley and I insist that all stories be equally entertaining. That same promise applies to Do Not Go Quietly.

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Thank you Lesley and Jason!! Have we convinced you yet? The Kickstarter campaign only has a few weeks left, and so far it’s almost 50% funded. Let’s all make MY dreams come true (oh yeah and Lesley’s and Jason’s) and make sure it’s funded by September 9th! Ha ha. Apex Books has been a favorite publisher of mine practically since I started blogging, and I can vouch for their high quality publications. Don’t miss out!

Click here to learn more about DO NOT GO QUIETLY and make a pledge today!