This is my favorite time of the year, or at least, it will be, because I get to share all the plans I have for the new year. Lay out the blueprint exactly. So, if you’re a writer, prepare to add reminders to your calendar so you don’t miss a thing. And if you’re a reader, prepare to have even more opportunities for reading fiction this year!
Turning on Paid Subscriptions - Nothing is behind a paywall but this is a way to show your continued support for amazing storytelling. Becoming a paid subscriber allows us to pay writers for their contributions up front as opposed to our business model now which is after publication. It also allows us to maintain our TiF Press publishing arm as well as pay for hosting support and much more. As we grow so will our ability to help even more writers reach their fullest potential. Upgrade Here
Short Story of the Month Club! - I want to make sure that turning on paid subscriptions means writers getting paid for their work and the best way I know how to do this is to pay for stories to be featured here, exclusively, every month here in Top in Fiction. But I meant what I said about never putting any posts behind a paywall. So, here’s the deal I want to make with you and future published writers: Each exclusive story will be released one week early to paid subscribers and then be free for everyone to read.
When will this endeavor begin? When we have at least 10 paid subscribers with increments as follows:
10 Paid Monthly Subscribers - 1 short story per month
15 Paid Monthly Subscribers - Increase pay per short story per month
25 Paid Monthly Subscribers - 2 short stories per month
If we get more than 25 monthly subscribers I will consider unlocking other things to support fiction writers, as well as hosting giveaways of print books from the TiF Press library.
TiF 2026 Plans Organized by Month
January
15 - TiF Annual Recap of 2025
16 to 18 - TiF Summit 2026
18 - TiF State of the Union 2026
February
16 - The Murder Room - A year-long event. At the end of the year the best “displays” will be selected to be in The Murder Room Volume I.
Picture it: You have a layover in a small town you’ve never heard of for a couple of hours. With no wi-fi signal to help keep you occupied on your computer or phone you find yourself wandering the airport. You find yourself outside to get some fresh air when you see a faded sign low to the ground that reads “The Murder Room - This Way ->” Looking around you realize no one else is there to ask if you’re reading this right. Shrugging your shoulders you make your way down a path dense with bushes and trees till it opens up to what looks like a large stately home. A girl of teenage years sits behind the reception desk chewing gum, her nose stuck in a book she’s almost finished. Without looking up at you she points a manicured finger and says “The room you’re looking for is down the hall to your left. Can’t miss it.” And she was right. A large ornate plaque reads THE MURDER ROOM with an arrow pointing to the left. You walk through a set of double doors and the smell of a musty room hits your nostrils first. The sunlight creeping through rips in dark, partially closed, curtains reveals dancing dust in the air, illuminating dozens of display cases of all shapes and sizes. The double doors swing closed behind you, the sound echoes, signaling just how large the room must be. You take one step closer when a disembodied voice startles you, “We’ve been expecting you.”
Enter a room of your own creation. The Murder Room has many displays of objects belonging either to the killer or the victim during a time of great tragedy. You decide the story behind each display case. The items contained within and the how they tie back to the killer. What will we find in your display case?
March
13 - Eye See You Anthology Release - First ever TiF Press anthology! Release date is March 13th. Pre-orders for the ebook and print book will be available soon. Support the community of up and coming fiction writers.
April
May
June
15 - TiF Summit 2027 Sign-Up OPENS!
July
August
15 - TiF Summit 2027 Sign-Up CLOSES!
September
A Teaser Surprise is Coming… 11
28 - These Wicked Things Event (and contest) Begins - The 3rd TiF Press Anthology will revolve around…you guessed it…wicked things. How you define wicked is totally up to you
October
1st to 31 - Pentober begins!
30 - These Wicked Things Event Day [August 13, 2027 Release]
November
9 to 13 - Secret Santa Plot Swap 2.0 Sign-Up Week - We’ll be upping the stakes this year and daring those who were on the fence this past Plot Swap to join in on the fun. Or, are you not up for the challenge?
15 - Annual Recap of 2026 Submissions Open - In order to be a part of this collection of “the best of the best” you must have been featured in at least one Weekly Issue or Monthly Recap in 2026 (previous years do not count).
16 to 20 - A TiF Day of Thanks Sign-Up Week
23 - A TiF Day of Thanks Day
December
22 - Secret Santa Plot Swap 2.0 - The best event of the year returns. On this date I will go Live and reveal who wrote whose swap for whom! Prepare to unwrap some stories just before Christmas.
No Scheduled Dates Yet
Inanimate Objects Publication - Print + Ebook
