When Rejection Makes You Feel On Top Of The World

What do these magazines have in common: Strange Horizons, Asimov's, Redstone, Lightspeed.

Yes, they're all top names in SFF. Yes, they're all SFWA qualifying markets. Yes, they're all venues I would love to be published in...and they're all venues I've received personal, positive, encouraging rejections from in just the last six months.

Yes, I can add Lightspeed to my personal rejection list! I'm absolutely delighted that John Joseph Adams took some time to offer me encouragement.

Getting personal rejections like this reminds me that I am on the right track, even though I can go for weeks without a squeak from any venue. I said that 2012 will be the year I make my first pro sale. I've still got five months, so come on you good thing!

I'm going to print out my personal rejections and put them on my office wall as reminders. Almost there, almost there!




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Kickstart The Hand!: Help Ripley Patton publish her YA Novel "Ghost Hand"

We've all seen how successful Kickstarter can be for indie and self publishing. Here's a project I thoroughly recommend supporting: Ripley Patton's Young Adult fantasy novel "Ghost Hand".

Ripley is a friend of mine from her time living here in Christchurch, and as the former president of SpecFicNZ. She has always been super supportive of me, and I'd like to give something back to her.

Ripley wants to raise $US2500 in order to self publish her book. These monies will include a professional edit, ISBN numbers, file conversions, printing, and fees. $2500 might not seem a lot in the grander scheme of the publishing industry, but when you're going it alone with nothing but the support of your family and/or day job, that's a lot of money to scrape up out of thin air!

If you want a teaser of what the book will be about, there's a link to the first chapters on the Kickstarter page.

So let's give Ripley the push she deserves! She's a great fantasy writer, and it would be awesome to see the power of social media and word of mouth get behind her. Tweet it, Facebook it, email it, tell people you know who love YA fantasy. Let's get "Ghost Hand" out there in the world!

I need to stop talking about writing
And actually write something.

Sale: "Diamond in the Rough" to appear in Crossed Genres "Menial: Skilled Labor in SF"

Now see! This is what happens when all you lovely folk support small press Kickstarters!

Crossed Genres, who published "Fat Girl in a Strange Land" (link in the side bar if you're interested in a copy), have accepted my story genderqueer SF story "Diamond in the Rough" for their next anthology "Menial: Skilled Labor in SF", edited by Kelly Jennings and Shay Darrach.

I'm proud and pleased to yet again be part of a Crossed Genres anthology. They're always reaching to push the boundaries of science fiction and fantasy, and I welcome the opportunity to stretch the conversation.

Further information in the form of ToC and artwork will be coming soon.

Huzzah for me!

Fluffy is justifiably proud.
Shredding of this quality takes years of practise.

Update

I wish I had more news to share, but I don't.

The writerly side of life has taken a turn for the quiet. No news good or bad - no acceptances, and even the rejections are coming at a very slow pace lately. Have a couple of stories sitting around the 170 to 200 day mark at some venues (wut), and I'm sitting on something that could be potentially exciting or potentially the biggest disappointment of my writing career so far, depending on how it goes, but I just can't say anything about it. I'm not a superstitious person but I'm worried I'll jinx it! Please, oh writerly goddesses, be kind to me!

I've been dealing with some private issues (earthquake related) which are impeding my ability to write lately,  and the more I don't write, the more I feel guilty, and round and down the spiral we go. I have good days and bad days, and sometimes the bad days can stretch into bad weeks. I'm working on it, and hanging in there.

"Daughters of Icarus" and my piece in Fantastique Unfettered are on the horizon, so it's just a matter of waiting for those releases.

I've also been contemplating a "Tip Jar" for this blog, but I'm not sure if a) I update often enough to warrant it b) I have enough indie cred/publications to resort to begging. If I did go ahead with the Tip Jar, I would definitely only use the money for writing concerns, probably for my trip to Au Contraire next year, or even put it towards savings for *gasp, whisper* WisCon in a couple of years.

Yes, I said WisCon out loud. Could WisCon, like Disneyland, be a possibility for my Big Four Oh trip?

Captain Fitzwater of the Starship Picklesworth, signing off.

Pickel Jar: 20 cents
Stuffing your freind in it: Priceless

That's it, we've used up all the old blades: 'Tales For Canterbury' no longer available

A year after it was released, 'Tales For Canterbury' is now no longer available for sale.

Thank you to all who brought a copy and contributed towards the literary arts in Canterbury and Red Cross donations for the Christchurch Earthquake Relief Fund.

Editors Cassie and Anna will be putting up a final tally of the funds raised on the TfC website soon.

And so, our lovely little book goes into history. Treasure the copy you have - it's rare and unique now!