An alert for Aussie writers/editors/publishers: the Aurealis Awards close on December 7 (for all works published for the entirety of 2013), so get your entries in now.

If your book is being published later in December, it needs to be entered in this year’s Awards, but this must be done by December 7. Physical (or electronic) copies of the work must be received by the judges by December 31, 2013, in order to be considered.

The rules for the 2013 Aurealis Awards are available here.

The two biggest rule changes this year are the merging of the Children’s categories into a single award, and the full acceptance of electronic entries across the categories.

You can enter the Awards here.

Work that is already entered is listed here.

Authors, please check with your Publisher before entering in case they are already planning to do so.

The Aurealis Awards are Australia’s premier speculative fiction awards. Finalists will be announced in February 2014 and the ceremony will take place April 5, 2014 in Canberra, during Conflux.

AND IN BREAKING NEWS: The Fildenstar, brilliant purveyors of speculative songs and music, will be performing at the 2013 Aurealis Awards. If you attended Conflux 8, you saw Kate and Ryan play. If you weren’t, just ask someone who was there – they are brilliant.

You can download some of their music for free from their website.