Focus went to press last week, I hope the mailing should be hitting people’s mats in the next couple of weeks as I think we have a full run of magazines ripped and raring to go.

This issue of Focus includes:

Can a holiday romance last forever
Okay, this is just my editorial, but I had an interesting writing experience by the seaside and I thought I’d share it. I might post this here later.

The further into the zone the nearer to heaven – by Nina Allan
This is intended to be the first in the “Welcome to Poughkeepsie” series – where we ask writers to talk about the things that inspired them to write. Nina Allan (whose superb new collection of short stories I intend to plug here at every given opportunity – go here to buy it now) talks about some of the books that made her a speculative fiction writer.

Tomorrow’s soldier: The Future of War – Anthony G Williams
Again part of what I hope will be an ongoing feature – Research Corner – where we ask experts to speculate about the foreseeable future of their special area of knowledge.

Masterclass no.2: Inspiration/Observation – Christopher Priest
Christopher Priest continues his masterclass series with some great advice about turning ideas into stories. I know I’m the editor of the magazine and everything, but what I like most about this series so far is how much it makes me laugh while I feel like I’m learning things.

How do I stand out on the slushpile – Jetse de Vries
Advice from the man himself. The great lord of the Interzone slushpile tells you how to get his attention.

Basic Bootstrap Branding – Paul Raven
Why getting noticed online requires more than a Facebook page.

Do I need an agent?
Advice about how to approach agents, plus a list of those UK agents who encourage submissions from genre authors.

Weighing the writing – Dev Agarwal
Exploring the challenges of starting the second draft.

Poetry – Gareth L Powell
A selection of poems from the Gareth L Powell – I was going to stop publishing poetry in Focus, but “Ragnarok” convinced me to let it stay.