The Journey isn’t Over

“Once you’ve got a task to do, it’s better to do it than live with the fear of it.”

Joe Abercrombie, The Blade Itself

In light of the recent announcement by Northodox Press, I regret to inform you that The Peculiar Journey of Cecil Tabiner will NOT be published.

Due to a major change of personnel, the press has decided to only publish historical fiction going forward, which means that my and many others' books will miss out.

I won’t pretend I’m not disappointed and a little angry with the outcome, dear reader, because, of course, I am! I was excited for everyone to read my book in 2026, but I’m approaching this with as much zen as I can because that’s just how things are sometimes. The publishing industry is a fragile thing. I’ve only been doing this for a short while, and I’ve seen all sorts in that time. You have to expect the unexpected in this business, or you’ll be blindsided. That’s not to say I wasn’t surprised by this recent situation, but I choose to see it as a learning experience and move on, rather than linger and allow it to ruin my confidence and motivation.

I have nothing but sympathy towards the other authors who have also missed out. They’re in the same boat as me, where we thought we’d found a publisher, and now we’re back on the grovelling slog of the hunt.

But I’d like to think – HOPE - that the Journey isn’t over just yet!

For now, I’m getting back on the submission train to see if anyone wants some weirdness in their lives. Too much effort has gone into The Peculiar Journey of Cecil Tabiner for me to just walk away from it. And if no one wants it, I’ll self-publish the book because I think it’s a story worth sharing.

If you feel really sorry for me - and you should! - you could always buy one or both of my other published works! Just head to the Books tab at the top of this page.

And if an agent or publisher is reading this and is interested in my book, let me know!

Anyway, that's all for me in 2025. I have a few weeks left of university until we break up, and in the time I need to get cracking with some work.

I wish everyone a wonderful Christmas and a very happy New Year. Thank you to everyone who has read these blogs this year, and I hope to share some good news with you in 2026.

Thanks for reading.

Elliot J Harper

Author of quirky SF novel, New Gillion Street, published by Fly on the Wall Press, and the independently published weird horror short story collection, The Strange Tales of Gillion.