ABOUT US
Dead Birds Publishing is the brainchild of writers A.M. Symes and Jayne Carlson. After running the Dead Birds Writing Group for a few years, the two ladies realized they had a fantastic gaggle of writers who could write a fantastic collection of stories. When a slew of stories came in based on a writing prompt they tried for fun, they decided to publish the collection. Instead of outsourcing the stories for publication, they decided to put their combined years of marketing, communication, and editing skills to use in a horrific and creative way. Dead Birds Publishing was born.
Interested in submitting a story? Visit our Submissions page to view our latest call for stories based on a specific writing prompt.
EDITORS
A.M. Symes
Amanda Symes is first and foremost an avid reader, drawn to stories that transport, challenge, and horrify. Her love of narrative drives her editing work, where she helps writers develop, refine, and polish manuscripts, specializing in darker genres including horror, thriller, fantasy, science fiction, and magical realism. Amanda earned an MFA in Creative Writing and Publishing and along with editing for Dead Birds, she is an author, published with multiple publishers and podcasts.
Jayne Carlson
Jayne Carlson brings her love of writing, grammar, and narrative to Dead Birds, where she’s happy to use all she’s learned in these areas to edit and polish stories. A former investigator, she has a sixth sense when it comes to identifying plot holes and other inconsistencies that can crop up in a story after a few rounds of revisions. She likes to write and read stories that skew quirky or absurd, making magical realism one of her favorite genres. She has an MFA in Creative Writing and an undergrad in French.
ARTIST
Sheri Mei
Sheryl has been drawing since the age of four. She grew up in a small Minnesota town before moving to the southernmost point of the country in Brownsville, Texas — where she still resides with her husband and two sons. Sheryl works out of Paragon Tattoo Studio as an artist, a graphic artist, and a tattoo artist. She fills her fleeting moments of free time creating as many products as she can – including prints, stickers, keychains, and even a streetwear line – with the hope of inspiring others to follow their artistic dreams.MUSE
Cody Mittens
Cody Mittens is our resident muse. He offers his wisdom and lords over others with a strict on-demand petting and feeding schedule.
“Yes, I am Sir Cody Mittens. Yes, I am a cat. But I assure you, I am not the reason the birds are dead.”