Stay Tuned!

Just so you know, I'm working on some big things....

Exciting things...

Big announcements...

And they'll be rolling out soon...

So stay tuned!!!

Two Free Horror Anthologies

Just a quick heads up, Crystal Lake Publishing is offering up two horror anthologies for free today on Amazon:

Fear the Reaper




















and

Horror 101: The Way Forward

Are You Eligible For the John W. Campbell Award?

I don't think any of us write with the goal of being showered with awards. We write because we love words and we love stories.

On the other hand, if someone wants to give me an award, I'm not going to spit in their eye.

There are a ton of awards out there, most of which I have no knowledge of. But since I don't live under a rock, I at least know about the Big 3:

Before I die I'd like to be nominated for one of them. Hey, a guy can dream, right?

Now, I don't exactly follow the awards circuit with baited breath. But, you can be sure I'm going to check in on the nominees and winners on an annual basis to see what stories I need to read. After all, they're the best.

The last time I was on the Hugo site, I spotted a link for the John W. Campbell Award which, unbeknownst to me at the time, "is given to the best new science fiction or fantasy writer whose first work of science fiction or fantasy was published in a professional publication in the previous two years". They have a whole list of definitions for "professional publication" but the one that caught my eye was any publication that pays out a minimum of 3 cents/word and a total payment of at least $50. I've had a couple of those. Sure enough, I shot the administrator an email and my name was added to the list of 2015 eligible authors!

I'm not telling you this to brag (although I'm super honored to have my name listed with such talented folks, even though I don't have a snowball's chance of winning), I'm telling you so that you can check to see if you qualify! Check out the rules and the FAQ page! See if you qualify! If you don't look you'll never know!

Introducing My Daughter

Please forgive the belated introduction but I am pleased to introduce to you my daughter, Amelia Florence Gaylord!

She's 5 months old as of yesterday and strong as a bear. She's sleeping well and growing every day.

Cute, isn't she?

But not to be trifled with...

Favorite Short Fiction Markets

I write short fiction and I like to get published which means I submit to a ton of markets...often. Everyone knows the top tier markets like Clarksworld or Tor but there are so many smaller markets, some of which are great to deal with, some less so. Here are my favorites in to particular order:

For constructive personal feedback, nobody beats Shimmer. You'll probably only get a sentence or two, and it will probably be terse, but how wonderful is it to get editor insight? Fantastic.

DailyScienceFiction is my unicorn. I've submitted every single short story I've ever written and I've yet to lure this mythical beast into my service. Two stories shortlisted but to no avail. And several of my stories have been PERFECT for DSF. It drives me nuts. I have a running list of lifetime writing goals (maybe I'll share it sometime) and landing on DSF is near the top. Someday...

Here's a fun one: Ruthless Peoples Magazine. They are serious when they say they want ruthless stories about ruthless people. They are also seriously nice. Best rejection letters ever.

In the "Paid More Than I Expected" category, check out Eldritch Press and  Liquid Imagination. For semi-pro markets they treat their authors right.

For themed issues, keep an eye on Penumbra (also good for personalized rejection letters) and Crossed Genres. They both come up with some great monthly themes and both pay professional rates.

MUST ACT NOW: If you haven't seen this one yet, go check out The Lane of Unusual Traders, a super cool author and reader interactive world. They have a great prompt up right now but stories are due the end of August so hurry up! (I have 2 in the works)

I've only sent one story their way (still pending) but I love the concept behind Scigentasy. We need more gender diversity in speculative fiction and that's what they're all about.

Other cool markets that respond with personalized rejection letters:
Untied Shoelaces of the Mind
Pseudopod
Lightspeed (currently closed to submissions)
Fantasy and Science Fiction (great feedback but snail mail only)
Waylines
Stupifying Stories
Kasma SF
Phobos

Finally, one to watch out for. I won't get into why but if I were you I'd avoid TheWiFiles. Not to be trusted.

What about you? Any favorites? Any you disagree with?

Did I Mention I'm Gonna Be a Daddy?

Looking back through my last few months of posts (as few and far between as they may be) I see that I haven't shared the biggest news in my life:

We're having a baby!

Hilary's due August 28th and we're having a girl.

Yes, we've picked out a name. No, we're not telling anyone what it is.

Happy Days!

My beautifully round wife. Prego!

Accept Your Story’s Place

Every story has a place. 

I firmly believe that for every story you write there’s an agent or an editor out there that will both love and want to publish it. I also believe that with patience and persistence you can find these people. And by all means, shoot for the moon. I send every story I write to every professional paying market I know. But not every story I write is worthy of a professional market. Hell, most stories I write aren’t up to snuff. And that’s OK. 

After I exhaust every pro market I hit the semi-pro, then the token. And if my story ends up at some e-mag I’ve never heard of with thirty subscribers and I end up making $5 on the deal, that’s OK. I write because I love it; anything else is a bonus. Sometimes it’s hard not to feel bitter when the perfect market passes on your story (I’m looking at you DailyScienceFiction) but bitterness and anger hurt the process, not help it. Remember, the market decides your story’s price but you decide your story’s worth. 

Hope blooms eternal. 

Wherever your story ends up is where it belongs.