BL 'Rejects' 2016

Boy are they tough up there at BL.

Well I submitted my bits for the BL to be a budding author. Unfortunately, I got this:

"Thank you for your interest and enthusiasm in writing for Games Workshop.

Unfortunately, your submission has not reached required standards, and therefore we will not be taking your current application any further. We appreciate that you may want feedback, however due to the volume of applications we cannot provide specific feedback at this time.

We wish you every success in your future writing endeavours.

Kind Regards,

The Black Library Author Team"

How did the rest of you do?

How about putting YOUR (rejected) submission here and let US decide if it had a future. All just a bit of fun. You have to be very good to be up there with the Thorpes and Abnetts!

Anyway, here was mine:



As Janów Hive is wracked by riots and civil unrest, an Arbitrator, a tough, twenty-five-year veteran called Dieter Keplar, is sent out onto the streets to dispense justice in the name of the Emperor. When a routine vehicle stop goes wrong, he finds himself facing Ahum-Waqar and his Alpha Legion operatives who appear to be responsible for the upheaval in the city. This is the beginning of a full-scale invasion by the profane forces of Chaos. Keplar tries to thwart their efforts and tries desperately to contact his superiors before it is too late. His superiors are not convinced…

He that digs a pit shall fall into it; and he who disturbs the grass, a serpent shall bite him.

Ancient Terran Saying​

It was a classic ambush if observed in military terms, and they had blundered right into it. The signs had been there but Ahum-Waqar chose to ignore them.

Tactical error. Focus

“The mission is compromised. Anti-ambush protocol.”
The only way to survive is withdrawal from the killing zone the way you entered it.

The six-wheeler, heavy transport was designed for freight and not for speed. As it turned the corner and into the next street it was already trapped. A rhino armoured vehicle blocked the way ahead and a hidden Chimera was positioned to their rear.
“Reverse. Full speed. Maximum firepower.”

The first Arbitrator stepped forward waving an illuminated wand at the driver. The signal was clear. Pull to the side of the road and await inspection.
Ahum-Waqar fired two rounds through the windscreen shattering his chest, knocking him back hard against the Rhino’s side-skirt.

Keplar recognised the sound immediately.

Boltgun. Space Marine issue.

The machine spirit in the Chimera quickly activated the Tarantula Sentry gun in the cupola and it swivelled towards the sound.
The six-wheeler was already reversing, its powerful engine screaming with torment at the sudden change in direction.
A series of Bolter rounds bracketed the Rhino and Keplar saw his colleagues diving for cover. The sound was incredible, even through his helmet.
“Oh no you don’t.” He found himself roaring.

Two, maybe three seconds had passed but it seemed like an eternity.

Crack-Thump. Crack-Thump.

Another Arbitrator tumbled to the ground, his face a bloody, open wound.

Keplar was now level with the driver.

Male, Caucasian, age undetermined.

A pair of pale blue eyes stared back at him. They were devoid of emotion, the eyes of a seasoned killer.
A Bolter round struck the lower part of Keplar’s helmet and tore his vox piece away along with his re-breather. The second round clipped his shoulder guard.
He was now working beyond his body and purely on instinct. Years of gutter fighting gave him a slight edge over his larger adversary. It was a tiny, infinitesimal moment in time.
But he had the edge.

He pumped a single round from his shotgun into the drivers face and saw a satisfying cloud of blood and gore. It was at point-blank range and would have killed a normal perpetrator, but this adversary was different, and far-more deadly.

Keplar wracked another round into the chamber.

The vehicle immediately curved backwards and to the left and came to grinding halt against the corner stone of an Administratum building. Black smoke began to tumble from underneath the vehicles bonnet as the engine rattled and died. Keplar Pumped another round into the front wheel shredding what remained of its tyre.

The driver’s door exploded outwards and catapulted towards him like a child’s toy in the wind. The dead-eyed driver jumped down onto the road surface. His face was a bloody…


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