Success!

I made a collection of nearly all of my published stories, and for the first time, I'm trying out a paperback version too! I learned a lot of things about how books are put together along the way--I did all of the cover/interior design/layout, and there were some frustrating moments while I tried to figure out why it wouldn't upload to Amazon (because of course Amazon wouldn't just tell me what was wrong). It felt like a different sort of writerly success to be able to hold something that I made every part of--from the words on the page to the design of the book. Here's the link to my announcement post if you want to check it out--many of these stories started their lives as entries to this contest before they found homes elsewhere

Congrats, Beth! Your going through the process motivates me to follow you. Self-publishing a book is definitely it's own form of achievement. And when it's a collection of shorts it gives you leeway to stick in some that weren't picked up by a market but you're proud of or that fit with a theme.

We're having a book launch party for Wildside Press' Crime Travel anthology.

Barnes & Noble, 12193 Fair Lakes Promenade Dr, Fairfax, VA 22033
Sunday, December 8, 1-3pm

Six of the contributors, including me, are going to be at the event.

For lovers of crime fiction and lovers of time travel, this book offers something special–fifteen short stories that combine the two. Sometimes characters travel in time to commit crime, sometimes to stop it, sometimes they aim to solve a crime, or sometimes they just want to watch it happen. In Crime Travel, you have 15 stories that will excite you and sometimes even touch your heart from authors who have won or been nominated for every mystery short story award out there: the Edgar, Agatha, Anthony, Barry, Derringer, Macavity, Shamus, Silver Falchion, and the Thriller. Edited by Agatha, Macavity and Silver Falchion-award winning author Barb Goffman, Crime Travel will be published on December 8th, which is Pretend to be a Time Traveler Day. All royalties will be donated to 826DC, a Washington, DC, nonprofit designed to help children and teens improve their creative and expository writing skills, as well as help teachers inspire children to write.

http://wildsidepress.com/crime-travel-edited-by-barb-goffman-preorder-ebook/

I like your cover, Beth! Great job and congrats on figuring out how to compose an anthology end to end.

Milo, best of success on your signing and launch! Have fun, it's a great feeling meeting readers and signing a book with your story in it.

Fortune favor the brave,

~Moon~

I made a collection of nearly all of my published stories, and for the first time, I'm trying out a paperback version too! I learned a lot of things about how books are put together along the way--I did all of the cover/interior design/layout, and there were some frustrating moments while I tried to figure out why it wouldn't upload to Amazon (because of course Amazon wouldn't just tell me what was wrong). It felt like a different sort of writerly success to be able to hold something that I made every part of--from the words on the page to the design of the book. Here's the link to my announcement post if you want to check it out--many of these stories started their lives as entries to this contest before they found homes elsewhere

Pretty frickin awesome Beth. How cool. I'd like to learn to do this if I get something worthwhile some day. I met a couple of folks who self-publish at the last workshop I went to. They actually make money.

I hesitate to put this in the success thread, but for me, it is. I submitted my first piece of fiction (anywhere, ever) this season. It was a flash piece I knew would be an instant reject, but I couldn’t let it go. Sent it to Strange Horizons and finally got my 67 day first reader form rejection. There was no doubt in my mind that this would be the outcome, but the fear of submission is now past and I can move on. So...hurray!

I hesitate to put this in the success thread, but for me, it is. I submitted my first piece of fiction (anywhere, ever) this season. It was a flash piece I knew would be an instant reject, but I couldn’t let it go. Sent it to Strange Horizons and finally got my 67 day first reader form rejection. There was no doubt in my mind that this would be the outcome, but the fear of submission is now past and I can move on. So...hurray!
Hey, there's all kinds of different markers for success. Congratulations on making your first submission! (I still remember mine--I sent what was, in retrospect, a very bad story to Intergalactic Medicine Show about fifteen years ago. It got a rejection, of course.) Keep writing and submitting! Don't do what I did and wait a decade to make your second sub.

If you are in difficulties with a book, try the element of surprise: attack it at an hour when it isn't expecting it. ~ H.G. Wells
If a person offend you, and you are in doubt as to whether it was intentional or not, do not resort to extreme measures; simply watch your chance and hit him with a brick. ~ Mark Twain
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Nice job on those anthologies folks!

Also I agree with disgruntledpeony lots of ways to define success and yoyo I think doing your first submission is well worth calling a success!

Definitely agree about different ways to measure success. Here's another: finishing stories you really want to write, even if you don't think they are particularly publishable. There was a story about a somewhat esoteric theological problem I really wanted to write, and I wrote it. Just got a personal reject from Mysterion in their last round, which is further than I expected to get. I'm not optimistic about my chances elsewhere, but I'm still glad to have written in. Remember that old line from Emerson, "The reward of a job well done is to have done it."

Not the usual success story, but, uh, I finished writing another novel today. Perfect timing since I didn't really want to write a bunch over the holiday. On to editing next week!

Also, one of my HMs was accepted for an anthology. Can't talk too much about that one yet, though, but it's super exciting.

Not the usual success story, but, uh, I finished writing another novel today. Perfect timing since I didn't really want to write a bunch over the holiday. On to editing next week!

Also, one of my HMs was accepted for an anthology. Can't talk too much about that one yet, though, but it's super exciting.

Congratulations on both! It's a great feeling to finish a novel! And a sale! Shiny!

I've finished my novel as well. It ended up at 77k words and is ready for editing after Thanksgiving. Great feeling!

Nice job on the novel and the story sale!

Congratulations on both! It's a great feeling to finish a novel! And a sale! Shiny!

I've finished my novel as well. It ended up at 77k words and is ready for editing after Thanksgiving. Great feeling!

NaNo rebels for the win!

My second sale to Daily Science Fiction is now online!

https://dailysciencefiction.com/science ... alis_SciFi

My second sale to Daily Science Fiction is now online!

https://dailysciencefiction.com/science ... alis_SciFi

Great story, Will!

My second sale to Daily Science Fiction is now online!

https://dailysciencefiction.com/science ... alis_SciFi

Nice! I enjoyed it. Well-written.

I get DSF regularly and remember that story. I gave it a favorable star-count. Actually it's a rocket ship but you know I mean.
Congrats on the sale.

Good work on your DSF story, Will! Has that punchy ending that's so important!

Congratulations and cheers!

Wulf Moon

Thanks for the compliments (and the good rating )! In some ways it's even more exciting than my first story getting published at DSF, like that first one wasn't a fluke or anything

My second sale to Daily Science Fiction is now online!

https://dailysciencefiction.com/science ... alis_SciFi

Great story! Scary ending. Not sure I can see caterpillars the same way anymore.

Another of my serial-HMs for WoTF has sold!

Project Lifeline will be in The Colored Lens' Winter 2020 issue (which I think is *this* winter, not next winter). It's a love story hidden in a somewhat deep dive sci-fi and I'm so happy it's found a home.

Congratulations on the publication michael!

Congrats Michael! Let us know when it’s published

Congrats Michael, I look forward to reading it.

Congratulations, Michael!

My second sale to Daily Science Fiction is now online!

https://dailysciencefiction.com/science ... alis_SciFi

Yes. That was a good one! Congrats.

Thanks everyone! I'll post a link when it's up and available!

Anyone else start to twitch when you see, on submission grinder, the editor has rejected most everything older than your submission and has started rejecting ones submitted after yours? I know I shouldn't read anything into that but I imagine they have read my story and it is in the "maybe" pile.

I find the many available metrics on the grinder both wonderful and terrible, yes. Twitch.

Anyone else start to twitch when you see, on submission grinder, the editor has rejected most everything older than your submission and has started rejecting ones submitted after yours? I know I shouldn't read anything into that but I imagine they have read my story and it is in the "maybe" pile.

That's a fair assumption, Chuck. The longer they take, the more likely it is that they are considering whether to publish it.

Hoping you get a letter that has good news in it!

All the beast,

Wulf Moon