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specawards.bsky.social
Small Spec Book Awards
@specawards.bsky.social
760 followers 130 following 270 posts
The mission of the SSBA is to recognize and promote independent and small press authors writing exceptional speculative fiction.

Founded by @lnholmeswriter.bsky.social
Cofounded by @millieabecassis.com

🌐 https://linktr.ee/smallspecbookawards
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specawards.bsky.social
Small Spec Book Awards @specawards.bsky.social · Sep 1
It is time to announce the semifinalists for the Small Spec Book Awards.

Thank you to our readers, who worked diligently to assign ratings to all books. The competition was close.

Authors, we hope you are proud of your stories because we are. Thank you for sharing them with us.
A graphic of the fantasy semifinalists: 1. BETTER LIVING THROUGH ALCHEMY by Evan J. Peterson (Broken Eye Books) 2. CURSED UNDER LONDON by Gabby Hutchinson Crouch (Farrago Books) 3. GHOST APPARENT by Jelena Dunato (Ghost Orchid Press) 4. TALIO'S CODEX by J. Alexander Cohen (Space Wizard Science Fantasy) 5. THE EXTRAVAGANZA ETERNIA by Kristin Osani (Ghost Orchid Press) 6. THE HARLEQUIN: THE DRAPER’S REEL by J.A. Mortimore and Penelope Hill (Elsewhen Press) 7. THE JAGUAR MASK by Michael J. DeLuca (Stelliform Press) 8. THE MYSTERY OF THE PALE KING by Sam Flynn (Timber Ghost Press) 9. THE WITCH AND THE OSTRICH (Space Wizard Science Fantasy) 10. TREE GODS by R. Lee Fryar (Midnight Meadow Publishing) Horror semifinalists: 1. A SPECTRE IS HAUNTING GREENTREE by Carson Winter (Tenebrous Press) 2. BEAR SEASON by Gemma Fairclough (Wild Hunt Books) 3. BENOTHINGED by Alvar Theo (Haunt Publishing) 4. CHURCH OF SKATAN by Damian Casey (Mad Axe Media) 5. FROM THE BELLY by Emmett Nahil (Tenebrous Press) 6. RESISTERS by Chris Campeau (Anuci Press) 7. SUNDOWN IN SAN OJUELA by M.M. Olivas (Lanternfish Press) 8. TERROR AT TIERRA DE COBRE by Michael Merriam (Queen of Swords Press) 9. THE SCIENTIST, THE SPACEMAN, AND THE STARS BETWEEN THEM by A.L. Davidson (Timber Ghost Press) 10. YOU WILL SPEAK FOR THE DEAD by R.A. Busby (Stelliform Press) Semifinalists for science fiction: 1. A TRUTH BEYOND FULL by Rosie Oliver (Elsewhen Press) 2. EMPRESS OF DUST by Alex Kingsley (Space Wizard Science Fantasy) 3. HER GILDED VOICE by K.C. Aegis (Elsewhen Press) 4. MOON DUST IN MY HAIRNET by JR Creaden (Mythic Roads Press) 5. MORE BUGS by Em Reed (Knight Errant Press) 6. THE MOSQUITO FLEET by Andrew Penn Romine (Broken Eye Books) 7. THE RIGEL REDEMPTION by Robin C. M. Duncan (Space Wizard Science Fantasy) 8. THE SEA OF CLOUDS by Sheila Jenné (Midnight Meadow Publishing) 9. THE YEARS SHALL RUN LIKE RABBITS by Ben Berman Ghan (Wolsak and Wynn Publishers) 10. WORLDS ALIGNED: WORLDS APART 2 by Terry Jackman (Elsewhen Press)
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specawards.bsky.social
SSBA readers, today is the last day to turn in ratings for the final round of the competition! We are so excited for your feedback and thanks for participating this year! ✨
November 23, 2025 at 12:00 PM
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cfpharmd.bsky.social
From the Belly by Emmett Nahil is a claustrophobic tale set aboard a whaling ship. This isn’t quite the Moby Dick you were expecting. #Horror #BookSky 💙📚 #SSBA2025
@tenebrouspress.bsky.social @specawards.bsky.social @emnays.bsky.social

www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
Book cover of From the Belly by Emmett Nahil. Picture of a young man with barnacles on his skin and his face scribbled out above his nose.
November 23, 2025 at 9:14 PM
specawards.bsky.social
SSBA readers, today is the last day to turn in ratings for the final round of the competition! We are so excited for your feedback and thanks for participating this year! ✨
November 23, 2025 at 12:00 PM
specawards.bsky.social
You absolute rockstar! 🎉

Thank you!!! ✨💙✨
November 22, 2025 at 11:52 PM
specawards.bsky.social
Tomorrow is the last day to submit your feedback and ratings for SSBA books! We’re so close now! 💙✨
November 22, 2025 at 5:13 PM
specawards.bsky.social
Just a reminder that we have less than one week before the SSBA second round reading deadline of November 23, 2025.

Thanks to everyone who has sent in their ratings and their notes about each book so far. You're all doing amazing.💙✨
REMINDER: Less than one week left, readers! Send your ratings to smallspecbookawards@gmail.com by November 23!
November 17, 2025 at 6:15 PM
specawards.bsky.social
Yes! We are as well! 💙
November 16, 2025 at 4:59 PM
specawards.bsky.social
SSBA influencer, @marybuchanan.bsky.social, has done it again with another fantastic interview. This time she speaks with @dayofthemutants.bsky.social about alien love, alienation, and mental health diagnoses as a “lever of control.”

Find the conversation here:
herghosts.blog/interview-em...
Interview: Em Reed
I’ve been unpopular for close to a decade in my approach towards mental health art-making. Stubbornly, I’ve written about it, written about it during the seasons of spare hope and doubl…
herghosts.blog
November 16, 2025 at 4:58 PM
specawards.bsky.social
SSBA readers, you have one week before ratings for the final round of the competition are due. We are so excited for your feedback! ✨
November 16, 2025 at 4:07 PM
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cfpharmd.bsky.social
Sundown in San Ojuela by M.M. Olivas is a creepy tale of Aztec folklore merged with modern day family secrets. Unique and unsettling. #Horror #BookSky 💙📚 #SSBA2025
@olivasthewriter.bsky.social
@lfpbooks.bsky.social @specawards.bsky.social

www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
Book cover of Sundown in San Ojuela by M.M. Olivas. Green cactus like monster arms with red claws next to an actual cactus. That sounds weird, but it’s gorgeous!
November 15, 2025 at 3:51 PM
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cfpharmd.bsky.social
A Spectre is Haunting Greentree by Carson Winter has a unique take on creepy small towns and what they cultivate. #Horror #BookSky 💙📚 #SSBA2025
@tenebrouspress.bsky.social @specawards.bsky.social @carsonwinter.bsky.social

www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
Book cover of A Spectre is Haunting Greentree by Carson Winter. A creature with red eyes tromps through a field as crows flock overhead.
November 9, 2025 at 11:00 PM
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jennelikejennay.bsky.social
Now available for sale again, this time under my own control!

buy.bookfunnel.com/157vme57uk

That's right: if you buy it now, I'll get paid.

This link has the ebook and a link to my online store for the hard copy. Paperbacks will be appearing everywhere else soon.
October 30, 2025 at 2:41 AM
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stevenpatchett.bsky.social
Reading for @specawards.bsky.social, today. I'm about halfway through the reading list. Such good books on the shortlist!
Speed GIF
Alt: Speed GIF
media.tenor.com
October 18, 2025 at 5:00 PM
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melodyemcintyre.bsky.social
Part 3 of my mini-interviews with the semi-finalists of the @specawards.bsky.social

Today's posts features 3 of the sci-fi semi-finalists:
K. C. Aegis (@kcaegis.bsky.social), Terry Jackman, and Rosie Oliver.

Links in bio and www.blog.melodyemcintyre.com/2025/10/smal...
Small Spec Book Awards - Semi-Finalist Feature #3
Today is my third post featuring the semi-finalists of the Small Spec Book Awards ! Check out the first  and second posts! I've done a feat...
www.blog.melodyemcintyre.com
October 25, 2025 at 6:49 PM
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melodyemcintyre.bsky.social
Part 2 of my series featuring the Small Spec Book Award semi-finalists is up! Featuring: J. A. Mortimore, Penelope Hill, @scriblit.bsky.social, and @samflynnwrites.bsky.social.

@specawards.bsky.social

www.blog.melodyemcintyre.com/2025/10/smal...
Small Spec Book Awards - Semi-Finalist Feature #2
Welcome to the second post featuring the semi-finalists of the Small Spec Book Awards ! Check out the first post here ! Today is Thanksgivin...
www.blog.melodyemcintyre.com
October 13, 2025 at 10:22 PM
specawards.bsky.social
Get to know our semifinalists a little better with this series by @melodyemcintyre.bsky.social!
October 9, 2025 at 5:57 PM
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inkstainedwreck.ca
Whoa, that's me!

And remember kids, if you're online shopping, don't buy your books from the company currently photoshopping the guns out of classic James Bond posters. Not while Bookshop dot org still breaths!

bookshop.org/lists/woah-i...
October 6, 2025 at 5:07 PM
specawards.bsky.social
WORLDS ALIGNED: WORLDS APART 2 (@elsewhen.press) by Terry Jackman is a semifinalist for the 2025 Small Spec Book Awards! Congratulations!

#SSBA #SSBA2025
Image is of the WORLDS ALIGNED: WORLDS APART 2 by Terry Jackman book cover against a starry orange and black background, announcing it as a sci-fi semifinalist.
October 7, 2025 at 11:02 AM
specawards.bsky.social
THE YEARS SHALL RUN LIKE RABBITS (@wolsakandwynn.bsky.social) by @inkstainedwreck.ca is a semifinalist for the 2025 Small Spec Book Awards! Congratulations!

#SSBA #SSBA2025
Image is of THE YEARS SHALL RUN LIKE RABBITS by Ben Berman Ghan book cover against a stars and galaxies background, announcing the book as a sci-fi semifinalist.
October 6, 2025 at 11:01 AM
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melodyemcintyre.bsky.social
The first of my posts featuring the semi-finalists of the Small Spec Book Awards is up! Featuring: @carsonwinter.bsky.social, @emnays.bsky.social, and Damien Casey.

@specawards.bsky.social

www.blog.melodyemcintyre.com/2025/10/smal...
Small Spec Book Awards - Semi-Finalist Feature #1
Welcome to the first of many posts featuring the semi-finalists of the Small Spec Book Awards!  Every few days between now and when the fina...
www.blog.melodyemcintyre.com
October 5, 2025 at 7:28 PM
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evensong.bsky.social
Whoo hoo!
specawards.bsky.social Small Spec Book Awards @specawards.bsky.social · Oct 5
THE SEA OF CLOUDS by @jennelikejennay.bsky.social is a semifinalist for the 2025 Small Spec Book Awards! Congratulations!

#SSBA #SSBA2025
Image is of the sci-fi semifinalist THE SEA OF CLOUDS by Sheila Jenne book cover against a peach colored textured background.
October 5, 2025 at 5:32 PM
specawards.bsky.social
✨Good luck in the final round! ✨
October 5, 2025 at 5:31 PM
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jennelikejennay.bsky.social
So proud of my revolutionary book!

(not that I think the book is revolutionary.... it's ABOUT revolutionaries 🤣)

Thanks to the SSBA for their hard work!
specawards.bsky.social Small Spec Book Awards @specawards.bsky.social · Oct 5
THE SEA OF CLOUDS by @jennelikejennay.bsky.social is a semifinalist for the 2025 Small Spec Book Awards! Congratulations!

#SSBA #SSBA2025
Image is of the sci-fi semifinalist THE SEA OF CLOUDS by Sheila Jenne book cover against a peach colored textured background.
October 5, 2025 at 5:29 PM
specawards.bsky.social
THE SEA OF CLOUDS by @jennelikejennay.bsky.social is a semifinalist for the 2025 Small Spec Book Awards! Congratulations!

#SSBA #SSBA2025
Image is of the sci-fi semifinalist THE SEA OF CLOUDS by Sheila Jenne book cover against a peach colored textured background.
October 5, 2025 at 5:04 PM
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cfpharmd.bsky.social
Bear Season by Gemma Fairclough is The Book for those who prefer their stories a bit weird, surreal, and genre defying. Cleverly designed. #Horror #Mystery #SSBA2025 #BookSky 💙📚 @wildhuntbooks.bsky.social @specawards.bsky.social

www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
Book cover of Bear Season by Gemma Fairclough. Sketch of a woman superimposed on a sketch of a bear against a candy pink background.
October 4, 2025 at 6:41 PM