agilebrit | Entries tagged with fic subs

I realize that no news is, at least, not bad news, but at this point in the month I usually have around twenty new subs made. This month? Four. WHY IS MY INBOX EMPTY. (That is not a question; it is a cry to the Heavens.)

No, seriously, I have twenty-eight stories out right now, which is about normal for me because I have an embarrassment of riches. Eight of them are in the black on the Submission Grinder, while twenty of them are either orange or red (which means they're past the time of either "average" response, or the response time they say they'll give you). At least one is still black because there's no data yet--I'm the only submission, or they haven't gotten back to anyone because they're a new publication.

Six of them are being held for further consideration, that they've told me, and one of those is all but sold. I'm thinking a couple of others are being held as well, but they haven't let me know. There's a few I know I should query on, and I will on Sunday after this conference.

Just. Augh.

*shakes the tree HARD before toddling off to the League of Utah Writers Fall Conference*

So let's have a look at the State of the Subs!

This will be much less specific than past State of the Subs posts, because I have literally twice as many stories out making the rounds right now and enumerating what's happening with each and every one of them would bore all of us. So I'll just toss out the stats interesting to me.

Stories out: 32
Reprints: 5
Orange on the Submission Grinder: 8 (This means they're over their average response time.)
Red on the Grinder: 2 (This means they're past their stated response time.)
Being held for further consideration (that I know of): 5
Oldest submission: 279 days
Newest submission: 0 days (I have three of those. Yes, that means I sent them today.)
Accepted but not published yet: 10 (One of these, I have the feeling, will not be published, because the publication has disappeared and the editor is completely non-responsive after three queries. At least I got paid for it.)

And how many of these are werewolf stories, you ask? 19. Because that's how I roll. And that's not counting the ones where a werewolf is only a bit player.

I just checked a different box for my Grinder sub stats and discovered I really need to update my records over there...

Yeah, so, Glam!Ben was rejected. A personal rejection, I think the very first personal rejection I've ever gotten from these fine folks. She said she wanted more depth and complexity from the bad guys but loved the humor and the little twist where Ben's not actually the Alpha. (This is not, particularly, a spoiler for my flist. No one who knows Ben would mistake him for an Alpha anything.)

Now, I made my bad guy a shallow Bad Bond Villain totally on purpose. There's even a wink in there to "twirling his mustache." So I get where she's coming from on the whole "more depth." It's a fair criticism, and she's not wrong.

So, I guess the question is, how do I add "more depth" to a character when I'd really like to keep the story under 6000 words (it's knocking on 5900 at this point), and it's not from his POV? And... well... should I?

I've got him monologuing pretty good there. Honestly, I think I could add a couple of lines and give him the depth. If only I knew what those lines should be...

I'll poke the thing, I guess. Because, like I say, the editor was not wrong.

Current Mood: contemplative

I got in the last bits of edits on the Janni story (unless and until I hear more from the folks who have it) and re-read Ghost Ship. I didn't outline it, but I re-read it. Yeah, it doesn't know what kind of story it wants to be and I'm almost afraid to ask. There's no dramatic tension, not really, it doesn't pop like it should, and neither the stowaway nor the ghosts actually take pride of place. The "problem" is also solved much too easily. I may have to excise the stowaway, even though I like her. I'll do that in a new doc, though. *sigh*

Two rejections in my inbox tonight. One flipped to the very last pro market on my list for it (not because it's a bad market, it just... hit last). The other--after rebooting my printer because it was being a butthead, editing the header after printing part of it out, realizing after I'd printed all 67 pages that I'd still neglected a space in the header and deciding not to print it again, because jeepers, and then printing out a cover letter that called a novelette a "short story" and, yes, reprinting that--is ready to wing its way to a snail mail market. I bet you can guess which one.

So much Fail in such a short space of time. Good Lord, I hope tomorrow is better.

Current Mood: discontent

And there is something wrong with it, but I can't put my finger on what. It's dialogue-heavy, but... I think that's okay, really. Maybe it's because there's not a whole lot of there there in between the dialogue. Blech.

I've also reformatted the Bear Story into a plain text doc for submission to this antho, seeing as they take simsubs and the place it's at right now is "notoriously slow" (their words) and don't mind simsubs. I don't like doing simsubs myself, but that's a deadline and if the place it's at is going to hold onto it for six months (with no web presence, wtf, it really makes me wonder, yes it does), well. It's getting simsubbed, and devil take the hindmost, you know?

I've got four other stories I need to flip as well, but I may wait and do a batch of subs once I have a couple more NaNo stories banged into shape for subbing. I also want to write something for this. I have an outline--another adventure for my spaceship crew--but I'll see if I want to do that or if I'd rather try to beat Ghost Ship into some semblance of shape.

I also need to poke the New Janni story some more (I have crit for it, at any rate), and Unquiet Neighbors is sitting there going read me read me read me. The Hubby read that one and actually had no input as to any glaring flaws. Considering that it's the one that had me pulling my hair out at the end of the NaNo project, that's not bad.

Tell you what, it never, ever ends. I guess this is what being a "real writer" is all about.

Current Mood: busy

So, I sent not!IronMan to one of the premier markets. They kindly said it "wasn't right" for them, but:

It's one of the best titles they've seen all year. (Clearly, its actual title is not "Not!IronMan.")

And they invited me to sub again.

So, that's... encouraging. I guess. Maybe I got someone's attention there, anyway. And I know exactly which story I'm sending them next. The timing is actually stellar on that, because I'll see the publisher where Won His Soul is during LTUE this weekend, and I can inquire about the status.

Today: More editing. I think I'll look over the new Janni story and see if I like it.

Current Mood: content

Annnnd Won His Soul has garnered its second rejection.

The next place I want to send it to only takes snail mail subs.

The thing is over 15,000 words long. Seventy-four pages, plus cover letter.

Not only is that a large investment in ink and postage and time in line, but, dude. The chances of getting it published in that particular market are vanishingly small. On the other hand, at least I'll know in a week or so if they want it, because they have a nicely fast turnaround time.

But markets that pay professional rates are thin on the ground for something like this. The length is problematic. Duotrope's gives me eight results that are semi-pro and up. Of those, two are unsuitable; one is for kids (which this is defintely not) and one is a shared universe (which this is not a part of). One is a contest whose results will not be announced until June. I've got something at Tor right now, so they're out. I have something at TM as well; although they do take multiple subs. I'm not sure they'd want it anyway, because there's some "graphic content" in there (whatever that means, hoo-boy, but I'm pretty sure that some of the stuff that happens in it would greatly squick more sensitive readers. I pulled no punches with this one.) It's already been at WotF.

This leaves two on the list, one of which pays a penny a word, and one not on the list, which pays a flat $100. Which, you know, okay, but I'd rather get pro rates if I can, because who wouldn't. So it seems I have little choice in the matter but to jump through this particular hoop, if I want a chance at getting my Magnum Opus actually published someplace that will pay me serious money for it.

You can't win if you don't enter.

Right?

Current Mood: rejected

I realize I'm in the middle of the mid-story "OH GOD I HATE THIS THING SO MUCH RIGHT NOW" doldrums, but dammit, one of my characters did not need to go from German to British midstream. It's a first draft and I'm making it work, but argh.

I have scribbled all of 34 words today. In revision. I'm nearly 4000 words in and have no bloody idea what my endgame is yet.

The pitfalls of pantsing.

I also need to go over my spreadsheet and sub the stories languishing on my hard drive right now. I did one last night. One. I've about decided to trunk Abducted Werewolf, and possibly Gargoyles as well. Abducted Werewolf is not my best work and Gargoyles has garnered 29 rejections. I had hopes for the thing, and it's passed slush a few times and got a WotF Honorable Mention, but... bleh.

Well. 500 words won't write themselves and the stories are not going to jump off my hard drive and into editors' inboxes. Back to work.

Current Mood: frustrated

Won His Soul has a title ("Better a Millstone") and has been entered in this quarter's WotF. I have no idea why I always get the shivers when I do this. This is my 21st completed original story. I've garnered something in the neighborhood of 250 rejections over the past several years. And sending off a sub still makes me nervous. Go figure.

In celebration, and since I didn't post any wallpaper yesterday, have a pic of Guriel praying:

( 1024x600 image under the cut )

Current Mood: hopeful

Everything I have is either out on submission, published on this LJ, or published elsewhere. That's fourteen stories on various editors' desks, a novel with a couple of agents, four stories published (each in more than one place), and one story published here. I found a market on Duotrope's today called GigaNotoSaurus specifically geared to longer stories in the 5,000-25,000 range, of which I have ten. They pay $100 flat, which isn't pro rates, but it's not chump change either. Poor not!Iron Man has been languishing on my hard drive for nine months now, so it's nice to see a market that might be interested in it crop up.

Yeah, they're going to get sick of hearing from me.

Really should get busy with that synopsis so I can send out another round of novel queries...

Current Mood: hopeful

Current Mood: hopeful

Yeah. Have some Cowboy!Sleeping Beauty.

I fired again, more steady this time, and a splash of crimson exploded from his chest. The fire guttered out, and he slumped in his saddle, his lips moving. I couldn't quite hear what he said, but he fell to the ground in a boneless heap, and his compadres left on the run. Jock tail-wagged back to me, well-pleased with his day's work.

I jumped out of my saddle and trotted over to the rustler. Bright blood stained his lips, and his expression was unbelieving. "You..." he rasped. He was dying. Can't say I was either surprised or upset.

"Told you. We don't take kindly to rustlers in these parts."

"Sleep...forever. And may all your dreams...be terrifying." He exhaled one last time, and I thought something insubstantial and shrieking rose from his body and flew away.

"Well, what the hell," I muttered.

"Sam! Sam!" A tiny winged form hovered in front of my nose. Daneen. "We have to get you home. Right now!"

"Why? What's the matter?"

"That was a death curse! You must get home before the sun goes down. I might be able to--" She stopped and gulped. "But not out here. I'm a house fairy--my powers outdoors are weak."

"A death...what?" Events were catching up with me, and the shakes suddenly gripped me like an ague. The rustler had shot fire at me with his bare hands. Daneen was one thing; I was used to her. This was quite different.

The good news is that it's entirely possible that my Writing Buddy gave me something to hang my hat on last night. The bad news is that I'm not sure I can do the idea justice. I guess we'll see. I cracked a thousand words on it yesterday.

And, with abject apologies to John Denver:

Rejections...in my email...make me eat worms
Rejections...in my inbox...make me sigh
Rejections...almost always...look so ugly
Rejections...almost always...make me cry.

I know, I know. Cry moar, grow a thicker skin, yadda yadda. Is okay. Really. I flipped it to a (new) place that pays more. We shall see.

Current Mood: rejected

Yeah. Have some Cowboy!Sleeping Beauty.

I fired again, more steady this time, and a splash of crimson exploded from his chest. The fire guttered out, and he slumped in his saddle, his lips moving. I couldn't quite hear what he said, but he fell to the ground in a boneless heap, and his compadres left on the run. Jock tail-wagged back to me, well-pleased with his day's work.

I jumped out of my saddle and trotted over to the rustler. Bright blood stained his lips, and his expression was unbelieving. "You..." he rasped. He was dying. Can't say I was either surprised or upset.

"Told you. We don't take kindly to rustlers in these parts."

"Sleep...forever. And may all your dreams...be terrifying." He exhaled one last time, and I thought something insubstantial and shrieking rose from his body and flew away.

"Well, what the hell," I muttered.

"Sam! Sam!" A tiny winged form hovered in front of my nose. Daneen. "We have to get you home. Right now!"

"Why? What's the matter?"

"That was a death curse! You must get home before the sun goes down. I might be able to--" She stopped and gulped. "But not out here. I'm a house fairy--my powers outdoors are weak."

"A death...what?" Events were catching up with me, and the shakes suddenly gripped me like an ague. The rustler had shot fire at me with his bare hands. Daneen was one thing; I was used to her. This was quite different.

Current Mood: rejected

well. Any-damn-thing, right now. It's barely noon, and the day has already been a trainwreck.

Current Mood: depressed

well. Any-damn-thing, right now. It's barely noon, and the day has already been a trainwreck.

Current Mood: depressed

And I get to reiterate that brew pubs have the best food on the planet. Two nights, two different breweries, and both places had food to die for.

Yes, I've been scarce online; planning on being home tonight, in case anyone actually missed me.

kurukami, if you've been able to hold off on watching True Blood, I should be able to watch that with you tomorrow night.

The framed!werewolf story has a title now, so I guess it's a matter of checking markets and seeing where to send it first. Oh, hey... that looks good. Wish me luck.

And now I should start the Next Thing. Something with fewer logistical problems than a cowboy who falls asleep in the Old West(ish) and wakes up a hundred years later. As amusing as the notion is, I'm not sure I've got the chops or the ambition to tackle something like that.

Twenty-five years ago today, I said "I do" to my handsome and talented Hubby. Here's to another twenty-five years (at least). I love you, Hubby. ♥♥♥

Current Mood: loved

Current Mood: loved

We are back, o flist. Fun was had, a zoo was visited, food was eaten, trails were hiked, museums were visited, and books were bought. I haven't checked LJ since we left, and I don't know if I will ever catch up. I'll probably have a vacation report later, but right now I'm just trying to recover while doing laundry, because the Hubby has to work tomorrow and thus needs clothes.

Five mile hike, y'all. And it didn't end where I expected it to. *bangs head* But it was cool anyway.

I also stuck an END at the bottom of the framed!werewolf story. And then I ran it past the Hubby, who wanted "more." Especially in the part where he first finds her body. Which, yes, I get, but dammit, I need to be paring this thing down, not adding more words.

So now I'm in "madly editing" mode. Hopefully I'll be posting something for the Usual Suspects later in the week to rip into, and then I'll give it to my Writing Buddy.

Came home to another rejection in the inbox, flipped the story pretty quickly (once I formatted it to plain text, AUGH), and now it's another waiting game. Twelve stories out making the rounds right now. Whee...

Current Mood: exanimate

Current Mood: exanimate

on the Framed!Werewolf story.

I still have no idea where it's going. My protag continues to be cute. I haven't graced you with a snippet in awhile, so have one:

"You will shut up except when you're saying that you don't know anything." His grip on my shoulder was painful. "Which you don't. For all you know, a bear got her and you stumbled across the body after the fact."

"And that's why her blood was in my mouth." I wasn't buying what he was selling. "Just so you know, Jesse, I'm a terrible liar."

"That does it," Sharon said. "We should kill him. He's a danger to the whole pack." She stood up suddenly enough that her chair crashed to the floor. She was taller than me, and I automatically cowered, swallowing hard.

"Stand down, Sharon," Jesse said. He sounded mild, but his eyes were hard as iron. She only held his stare for a moment before finding her chair, righting it, and sitting. "Tim," he said, and I twitched. "No more nonsense about going Lone. You're not equipped for it, not yet. Maybe not ever." His tone was uncharacteristically gentle. Carrot instead of stick. "It takes awhile for a new wolf to gain control and memories. Sometimes it never happens. That's why we have a pack."

"Okay," I whispered hoarsely. "But what about Lacey?"

"You let me worry about her. That's why you have an Alpha."

Poor Tim.

In other news, I'm still madly subbing. Got a rejection (eight-day turnaround; very nice, I wish everyone was that fast) and flipped the story right away to a snail-mail market. 10K is an awful length to try to sell. Just so you know.

Current Mood: discontent

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Arrant Nonsense

Wherein I whine about writing. A lot.

Entries tagged with fic subs

Here's a peek behind my curtain.

I haven't done one of these in awhile...

Writing dilemma.

It's been a Day of Fail.

I've poked Eldritch Plumbing again.

And my string of "better class of rejections" continues.

massive, heavy sigh

Headdesking forever.

FLY, BE FREE.

Okay, then.

Okay, then.

Snippet...uh...SUNDAY.

Snippet...uh...SUNDAY.

And people wonder why I can't write...

And people wonder why I can't write...

Having a lovely time...