Just submitted System Failure to "Weird Tales", I got jealous of everyone over Felicity's blog bragging about their rejections from WT so I thought I'd better get in on the act. I've also sub'd Idolatry to ASIM.
At least they're out there.
Now, onto the article...
Friday morning I checked my email and found another rejection for "System Failure", this time from Shroud magazine. It was encouragingly worded but with no actual comment on the story itself so I'm putting it down as another form rejection.
I'll research a new market for it today and send it out again.
Sent out the latest two assignments, but haven't received any back yet.
Started reading "The Dirty Secrets Club" - starts at a hell of a pace, hopefully it can keep it up.
Today I need to start drafting up my last article for SA50s+ and finally have a look at the roadblock chapter for Newlands.
AHWA had their AGM and all things are looking great for the continued growth of the organisation. I even got a mention in the President's report for the Market Hive which was nice, but I'd love to hear if anyone found a sale by sending to a market from my work - that would make it worthwhile.
Time to get to work.
Speak to you soon.
I've just sent out two more pieces: Senses End & System Failure.
That concludes the submission of all the pieces of dark fiction I've currently written. Nine pieces out in the marketplace.
Fingers crossed they will all find a home, sooner rather than later.
I'll now be working on Wamphyri and Newland in addition to my other diploma assignments. This will mean I'll have precious little to post on TPN for others to critique as I don't want to pull out some of the other shorts I have sitting around. I've notified the moderator and now await their decision.
I've put three books on hold that will be excellent resources for research into Newland. I'll be looking at purchasing those tomorrow. Very much looking forward to the day trip to do additional research this coming weekend.
Things begin to become a little less hectic and a little more organised. Maybe we can move forward a little more.
Good luck with your writing and with your submissions.
BT
Just a quick post tonight. As soon as I'm finished here, I'll be looking at reading The Ninth Circle by Alex Bell for reviewing purposes.
I submitted to another two competitions today, neither requiring a much work from me.
I entered the Allen & Unwin win a manuscript assessment worth $500 by Selena Hanet-Hutchins competition for Tigers Eye and I entered the Win an uncorrected copy of Catherine Jinks' Dark Mountain. To enter either competition, you will need to sign up to receive the newsletter called The Bookmark. They even have a competition for that over the next few days so be quick.
And good luck.
Just before I go, I finished a revised version of System Failure today ready for posting on TPN.
That's it, I'm off to read.
BT
Two more out the door.
Mobile has been submitted to the AlienSkin contest. If I try and do any further alterations, I'll be going around in circles. I love the story as it is. I'm now placing it in the same category as Dark Rose and Too Late the Rain--it will take a very strong argument for me to change anything ever again.
Idolatry has also been submitted, but not before a minor heart attack. In filling out the entry form sent to me by the course coordinator for my Diploma, the very last line before I signed it stated the deadline for submissions was the 30th of May 2008! I did a double take. I was working away under the false belief that I had till July. I was devastated.
I logged onto the net and hunted down the online entry form to be 100% sure. Just as well I did. The latest entry form has a deadline of the 10th of July 2008. Now that's more like it. The two forms are exactly the same except for this one line. Phew.
Idolatry is also highly unlikely to ever be changed again.
These five stories: Grimoire; Too Late the Rain; Dark Rose; Mobile; Idolatry--will now do the rounds as is until I find a place for them to call home. The process involves the creation of a submission path, listing the best paying, highest reputation publications at the top and working my way down to copy only paying publications of note. I work all the way through the submission path with each story until it's sold.
If it doesn't find a home, it goes into a file. As new anthologies come into the market, I'll check to see if I have something that works under that theme. If I do, out she goes again.
The last story in this batch is System Failure. This received a full revision today. It will go off to The Teacher tonight. If it comes back in time (no pressure), it will be posted on TPN this weekend. This story is now fast approaching 5000 words. It is written in ten scenes which could be a difficult sell for a short story. If this proves to be the case, then it will need more of the scenes joined together. This will require additional writing making the story grow very quickly past 6000 words. I'm hoping it doesn't come to that. We'll see what the critiquers have to say.
Last item up for discussion tonight: I received a reply back from my lecturer in regards to my next module. It looks promising although, he put a qualification on the end, as he normally does, which could throw a spanner in the works. I've traded emails and now await his next response. I really want to learn a lot in the article based module, as becoming a freelance writer could depend heavily on having that string added to my bow. Stay tuned.
Please offer up good thoughts to your divine being on my behalf that I gain good results from my submissions.
I shall do the same for you.
BT
Have organised to review Issue 10/11 of Dark Animus. James Cain has kindly offered to send me a copy to review for HorrorScope.
Have offered to look at a story for Benjamin Solah.
Have done a final polish for Mobile and Idolatry. Just waiting on any final crits before sending off, just in case I've missed something.
Have done a good polish on Winged Shepherd. Just waiting for final comments before I find a market for her as well.
Have started a full revision of System Failure. I hope to have this ready for TPN either this week or next.
Semester 2 for my diploma doesn't start till July 21st. I should be fully prepared and up to date on my course reading by then. I'll also have a few assignments in the bag. Cool. Had a letter back from administration today alluding to me maybe already having paid for my 2nd semester. If that's true then that's another bonus. Need to phone the Adelaide Centre for the Arts to confirm. Fingers crossed.
Had a message on my phone today from a friend at work. In his spare time, he does some wonderful photography. Have a look in my link exchange section. Graham Watson is his name. He does weddings as well if you're in the Adelaide area. He's mentioned he'd like me to write the captions for his photography book. Cool.
No answer back from my email to Jonathon Stone regarding assignments for Module 2 next semester.
My review of Infected by Scott Sigler will be up on HorrorScope on August 14. I need to wait 4 weeks after Black magazine hits the stands. I get two credits for that review, one online and one in print. Cool.
My article for SA50s+ is also due out in a couple of weeks so that'll be another credit to add to the bio. All good stuff. Now if I can just sell a story!
I have the Ninth Circle by Alex Bell to read and review plus the Dark Animus issue coming soon.
Plenty to do.
Still need to make sometime to look at Tigers Eye some more and start chapter 3 of Voodoo.
Time to take some writing to work.
Good luck with everything you're doing.
BT
Dark Rose was rejected from Midnight Echo :(
That was very disappointing. She has now been submitted elsewhere.
I need a title for The Idol Con. Yet another comment has come back about it from one of my readers. It's one of those problems that you look at for ages and end up playing the same words over in your head. I need to go for a walk and not think about it or work on other things. I have a couple of weeks left before I have to submit it. Hopefully something will occur to me before then.
System Failure has been sent out for comment and I'm slowly editing chapter 1 of Tigers Eye, while revising the first and second chapters of Voodoo. Things are moving forward.
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