Abercrombie had a job making tea at a television production company before taking up a career as a freelance film editor. As a freelance film editor, Abercrombie found himself with more free time than he previously had. With this time, he decided to reconsider a story plot he conceived while attending University. Abercrombie began writing The Blade Itself in 2002, completing it in 2004. It took a year of rejection by publishing agencies before Gillian Redfearn of Gollancz accepted the book for a five-figure deal in 2005. It was published by Gollancz in 2006 and was followed in the succeeding two years by two other books in the trilogy, by the titles of Before They Are Hanged and Last Argument of Kings, respectively. In 2008, Joe Abercrombie was a finalist for the John W. Campbell award for Best New Writer. That same year Abercrombie was one of the contributors to the BBC Worlds of Fantasy series, alongside other contributors such as Michael Moorcock, Terry Pratchett and China Miéville. In 2009, Abercrombie released the novelBest Served Cold. It is set in the same world as The First Law Trilogy but is a stand-alone novel. He followed with The Heroes and Red Country, both again set in the world of the First Law Trilogy. The three standalone novels were later collected into an omnibus edition under the name The Great Leveller. In 2011, Abercrombie signed a deal with Gollancz for four more books set in the First Law world. In 2013, HarperCollins' fantasy and children's imprints acquired the rights to three books by Abercrombie, aimed at younger readers. The three standalone but interconnected novels were released as the Shattered Sea trilogy.
"The Fool Jobs" – appeared in the Swords & Dark Magic: The New Sword and Sorcery anthology and features Curnden Craw and his dozen in events prior to The Heroes.
"Yesterday, Near A Village Called Barden" – appeared as an extra in the Waterstones hardcover version of The Heroes and focuses on Bremer dan Gorst on campaign prior to The Heroes.
"Freedom!" – appeared as an extra in the Waterstones hardcover version of Red Country and focuses on the liberation of the town of Averstock by the Company of the Gracious Hand.
"Skipping Town" – appeared in the Legends: Stories in Honour of David Gemmell anthology and features the couple pairing of Shevedieh and Javre, Lioness of Hoskopp.
"Some Desperado" – appeared in the Dangerous Women anthology and features Shy South on the run during her outlaw days before Red Country. Nominated for a 2014 Locus Award.
"Tough Times All Over" – appeared in the Rogues anthology and follows courier Carcolf and the circuitous route one of her packages takes through the city of Sipani. It also features Shev and Javre.
"Small Kindnesses" - appeared in the Unbound: Tales by Masters of Fantasy anthology and features Shev.
"Two's Company" - first appeared online on tor.com, featuring Shev and Javre, a "female Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser style thief and warrior odd couple."
;Short Story anthology
Sharp Ends: Stories from the World of the First Law, collection of all short stories from the First Law continuity :
