Snapshot 2014: Amanda Pillar

Amanda Pillar is an awarding winning editor and speculative fiction author who lives in Victoria, Australia. She has had numerous short stories published and has co-edited the fiction anthologies Voices (2008), Grants Pass (2009), The Phantom Queen Awakes (2010), Scenes from the Second Storey (2010), Ishtar (2011) and Damnation and Dames (2012). Her first solo collection was published by Ticonderoga Publications, titled Bloodstones (2012).

In her 'free time', she works as an archaeologist.

You’ve just had a short story come out in the Kisses by Clockwork anthology edited by Liz Grzyb and short stories appearing in several other venues. In terms of writing, do you see yourself primarily as a short story writer or are there other forms you’re also working on or hoping to try out?

When I first starting writing, I only wrote novels. A few years – and a few rejections– later, I transferred over to short stories and have primarily written those for the past seven or so years. In the past couple of years, however, I began writing long fiction again. It’s a nice change, but I find it hard to swap between styles.


You’ve edited several anthologies in the past. What are your favourite aspects of the whole editing process?
I think one of my favourite parts is seeing the anthology come together; selecting those stories that seem to have really understood what I was imagining – and sometimes what I couldn’t imagine, but had to be shown. My other favourite part is working with authors, trying to help them get the best out of their stories and watching how they work and what they do.


What projects are next on the cards for you?

I’m planning the sequel to the Bloodstones anthology, tentatively titled Bloodlines. I can’t say too much more, as we’re still nailing down the guidelines. 


What Australian works have you loved recently?

Always a tough question! So many good books – by so many friends! Do I have to pick one?



Have recent changes in the publishing industry influenced the way you work? What do you think you will be publishing/writing/reading in five years from now?

As for me, since I primarily work with independent press, it hasn’t changed too much. I do see a shift towards e-publishing, but people still like to have physical books.

Five years from now, I hope I will still be working on anthologies, and I would love to see a novel of mine in print, but we’ll have to wait and see what the publishing gods have to say about that!

 ~

This interview was conducted as part of the 2014 Snapshot of Australian Speculative Fiction. We’ll be blogging interviews from 28 July to 10 August and archiving them at SF Signal. You can read interviews at:

http://tsanasreads.blogspot.se/search/label/2014snapshot (here)
http://fablecroft.com.au/tag/2014snapshot
http://kathrynlinge.livejournal.com/tag/2014snapshot
http://bookonaut.blogspot.com.au/search/label/2014snapshot
http://www.davidmcdonaldspage.com/tag/2014snapshot/
http://tansyrr.com/tansywp/tag/2014snapshot/
http://randomalex.net/tag/2014snapshot/
http://jasonnahrung.com/tag/2014snapshot/
http://stephaniegunn.com/tag/2014snapshot/
http://helenstubbs.wordpress.com/tag/2014snapshot/
http://ventureadlaxre.wordpress.com/tag/2014snapshot/
http://mayakitten.livejournal.com/tag/2014snapshot/
http://benpayne.wordpress.com/tag/2014snapshot/ 
http://www.merwood.com.au/worldsend/tag/2014snapshot
http://crankynick.livejournal.com/tag/2014snapshot