Articles

Read our exclusive, informative articles (written by the Black Blade Literary experts) about writing and publishing, here!

Trends in sci-fi, fantasy and horror & what we learned at Cymera 2025

Philippa Thompson, Black Blade Literary’s editorial and events intern, explores Edinburgh’s Cymera Festival for the first time. She shares lessons on current and potential future publishing trends, along with some top writing tips from some of the most influential authors working in genre fiction.

By Philippa Thompson

What is a synopsis?

This article explains what a synopsis actually is, why a strong synopsis can be essential for getting a book deal, and what a synopsis should (and shouldn’t) include. It provides a few examples and tips for creating a great synopsis for your novel.

By Dr Russell Jones