Success!

Story in a Day Challenge.
Growing list of sales.

Coincidence?

Well, when you're as good as Rebecca success is inevitable. It's just the wait that's frustrating.

Hoo- Ra!

Thanks so much, Kary,George, Jesse, Bob, Preston, Dustin, and Ishmael!

And Ishmael, careful, you just made me blush so hard my ears turned red. I appreciate your confidence.

Grats Jesse and Rebecca.

Grats Jesse and Rebecca.

Thanks, Nice Elinor!

I just sold a story to Aurora Wolf, my first sale ever! It's set to be published on their website on June 1st.

wotf054

I just sold a story to Aurora Wolf, my first sale ever! It's set to be published on their website on June 1st.

Hooray! Super congratulations!

wotf054

I just sold a story to Aurora Wolf, my first sale ever! It's set to be published on their website on June 1st.

Nice going, B.J.!

(And aha! A NAME!)

wotf054

I just sold a story to Aurora Wolf, my first sale ever! It's set to be published on their website on June 1st.

First times are special....
heartfelt congratulations.

wotf054

I just sold a story to Aurora Wolf, my first sale ever! It's set to be published on their website on June 1st.

Way to go!

Congrats on your first sale, BJ. May you have many more!

Thanks, everybody.

Nice going, B.J.!
(And aha! A NAME!)

Unless B.J. is on his birth certificate, we still don't have a name.

But seriously, way to go! I know you've been working toward this for a while, I'm glad to see the sale.
Wolf is a good one. Come back and post the link, OK?

The first one is so amazing that it takes a while to believe. Congratulations!

The second one is pretty good too. And the third? Who knows?

Congrats, B.J.!

I know this is supposed to be a thread where people who have cracked the publication barrier tells us all about their sales. I really do.

Please excuse a little deviationism. In Central Scotland there is something called the Falkirk Tryst Festival. This is obviously not remotely in the same league as the Edinburgh Festival, but nevertheless the writers' seminar held in conjunction with it draws entrants from as far afield as Perth to the north, Largs on the west coast, East Lothian on the other side of Edinburgh and so on. (US residents may perhaps not appreciate how far apart these seem to folk who live in a small country.)

So I have been trying to crack the short story prize at this event since 2010. In that year my initial entry was placed fourth and I fully expected to do better the following year. In fact my entries were never sighted again. So this year I decided to put in what I call an 'I dare you' story. This is the sort of thing that is so controversial that the judge has only two choices: first place and nowhere. It was the second time I had resorted to such an expedient. Last year's effort duly placed nowhere. This year's entry placed first.

The judge came to speak to me afterwards. "I took a big risk with this," she said.

"I know," I replied, grinning from ear to ear.

Amazingly, every single comment that I received after reading the story to the audience was positive; not all positive in the sense of agreement but positive in the sense of considering the story thought provoking.

It appears that sometimes you can challenge a taboo and get away with it. In case you're wondering, the taboo in question was religion.

Of course, this is Scotland. For my next trick: how to get the story published in the USA?

Congrats on the contest, Philip.
Sometimes the most important call the make as an artist is the 'sod it' call and do what you want instead of what is safe.

I know this is supposed to be a thread where people who have cracked the publication barrier tells us all about their sales. I really do.

Please excuse a little deviationism. In Central Scotland there is something called the Falkirk Tryst Festival. This is obviously not remotely in the same league as the Edinburgh Festival, but nevertheless the writers' seminar held in conjunction with it draws entrants from as far afield as Perth to the north, Largs on the west coast, East Lothian on the other side of Edinburgh and so on. (US residents may perhaps not appreciate how far apart these seem to folk who live in a small country.)

So I have been trying to crack the short story prize at this event since 2010. In that year my initial entry was placed fourth and I fully expected to do better the following year. In fact my entries were never sighted again. So this year I decided to put in what I call an 'I dare you' story. This is the sort of thing that is so controversial that the judge has only two choices: first place and nowhere. It was the second time I had resorted to such an expedient. Last year's effort duly placed nowhere. This year's entry placed first.

The judge came to speak to me afterwards. "I took a big risk with this," she said.

"I know," I replied, grinning from ear to ear.

Amazingly, every single comment that I received after reading the story to the audience was positive; not all positive in the sense of agreement but positive in the sense of considering the story thought provoking.

It appears that sometimes you can challenge a taboo and get away with it. In case you're wondering, the taboo in question was religion.

Of course, this is Scotland. For my next trick: how to get the story published in the USA?

Conga rats but good luck with that if the story is in any way anti religious. I have stories like that . Not that all US markets are hostile to that kind of thing .

Congrats, Ishmael.

Steve

Thank you my friends. Actually for my next trick I think I'll have a go at getting it published in Scotland. I haven't tried this for a while, mainly because I don't care for having to use snail mail. On the other hand I could do with a bit of local recognition (that is, a bit more than zero) and a contest win with a well known judge might just help.
Can't hurt to try anyway.

Congratulations, Ishmael! Very cool.

Congrats, Ishmael!!!

Congrats!

Congrats, Ishmael. Nothing better than first place!

Congratulations, Ishmael!

Your persistence paid off with a win, way to go Ishmael.

I will tell you something. It is great to have friends who will give you a cheer even when in some cases they are on the other side of the world. You are all most kind. I hope to cheer for all of you soon too.

Wow, I need to get over here more and spend less time simply perusing the Jibber Jabber topics!

Congratulations, Ishmael! Fantastic!

And congratulations to all the others I've missed while away from this particular topic. So many wonderful success stories here.

Nice going, B.J.!
(And aha! A NAME!)

Unless B.J. is on his birth certificate, we still don't have a name.

The only people who call me Basil are doctors and the government. Even the bank calls me B.J., so it's more my name than anything else.

But seriously, way to go! I know you've been working toward this for a while, I'm glad to see the sale.
Wolf is a good one. Come back and post the link, OK?

Thanks! And as requested: http://aurorawolf.com/2014/06/3791/

Basil is an excellent name. (But I can see why you go by B.J.)