Author Topic: Rifles Hanging on the Wall  (Read 10945 times)

gunsofchekhovia

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on: August 07, 2014, 06:41:23 PM
I've been playing at writing for years, but I've only gotten really serious about it within the last 9 months or so. I've had some drabbles on The Drabblecast, but I haven't sold anything... yet.

Hopefully I'll have an update in that department some time soon. I've got a few rejections under my belt, from such prestigious rejecting institutions as Pseudopod, The Drabblecast, Daily Science Fiction, and Bete Noire, as well as a story that completely failed to be included in the second Machine of Death anthology. I currently have submissions out to Pseudopod and Lamplight Quarterly.



DKT

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Reply #1 on: August 07, 2014, 06:44:33 PM
Sweet. Keep at it, and keep us updated :)


gunsofchekhovia

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Reply #2 on: August 27, 2014, 03:48:16 PM
Well, not much in the way of progress, but I did get a rejection from Pseudopod this morning. My second from them, and both (I think) were personal, which is really nice. Still got two submissions out and a couple of first drafts half-done, but I think I'm going to do some revision on this one (funny how many times you can think a story is done and then realize you were wrong) and send it back out first.



SpareInch

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Reply #3 on: August 27, 2014, 04:13:32 PM
I don't have many subs to my credit, Guns, but if it helps, they were all rejected. Which is why I'm trying to raise my game at the moment and holding off on submissions.

Of all my rejections, though, the only markets which took the time for a personal rejection were Pseudopod, with some useful crits on The Shadow Stalker, and Tales To Terrify, back when Harry Markov (Think that's the spelling) was Assistant Ed. He had some good points about NEVER supplying extra info that wasn't asked for, as it annoys editors. ;)

Not that I'm complaining about the others. Can't be easy to find time for that sort of thing, but it's a more tolerable form of gutted when you have some idea where you might have gone wrong.

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gunsofchekhovia

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Reply #4 on: August 27, 2014, 04:36:07 PM
I'm in the same boat as you, SpareInch. This is the first year I've been reasonably active about submitting (my only submission before this year was to the second Machine of Death anthology, and my story was a mess). Both of my rejects from Pseudopod have said basically the same thing, but in different ways, and it was an accurate criticism of both stories--pretty language, less-than-compelling plot. Both were written as essentially dark prose-poems, and while the second one definitely had more plot than the first, it's definitely missing something. I'm going to try to fix it today and figure out where to sub it next.



gunsofchekhovia

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Reply #5 on: September 04, 2014, 12:10:18 PM
I have some actual progress to report!

I have a flash piece called "The Sordid Sky." After two rejections and several rounds of revisions, it got accepted by the Perpetual Motion Machine Publishing newsletter. This is my first fiction sale, so I'm pretty excited about it!



SpareInch

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Reply #6 on: September 04, 2014, 12:16:02 PM
WOOHOO!  :D

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gunsofchekhovia

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Reply #7 on: September 04, 2014, 12:20:31 PM
As an aside, it's the one that just got rejected by Pseudopod.

Which means I got it rejected, fixed it, and got it sold.

I actually edited something and got it right!



Varda

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Reply #8 on: September 04, 2014, 03:10:23 PM
Wow, huge grats, my friend!! :D

Nothing quite like your first sale. How are you celebrating? :)

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gunsofchekhovia

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Reply #9 on: September 04, 2014, 05:34:08 PM
Thank you!

I'm celebrating by working all day while patiently waiting for the contract. :-)



DKT

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Reply #10 on: September 04, 2014, 05:48:19 PM
Congrats, sir :) First sales are awesome!


Scattercat

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Reply #11 on: September 04, 2014, 06:24:29 PM
Congratulations!



gunsofchekhovia

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Reply #12 on: September 04, 2014, 09:37:24 PM
Thanks, y'all! I have been feeling unusually positive pretty much all day. :)



Varda

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Reply #13 on: September 04, 2014, 09:50:12 PM
Enjoy that feeling. It is SO THE BEST! Do you know when the story will be published yet, or still waiting to hear?

BTW, let me (or anyone in the crit group) know if you want some advice on author contracts. Unblinking showed me the ropes when I made my first sale, and I'd be happy to pay the favor forward. :)

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gunsofchekhovia

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Reply #14 on: September 04, 2014, 09:54:34 PM
The acceptance email I got told me they want to run it in their newsletter this Saturday (!) and they'll be sending me a contract soon. (It would have to be soon, wouldn't it?) It'll be interesting to have a look at.

From what they say on their submissions page and what the EiC has said on Facebook, all they want is first publication and you're free to sell your story elsewhere as soon as they run it in the newsletter, which seemed pretty unusual to me, but what do I know? They're a small press and this is a brand new thing they're doing. Evidently my story will be the first one they run in the newsletter.

Thanks for the offer of contract advice. I may take you up on that if it looks muddier than the writing I look at daily. :)
« Last Edit: September 04, 2014, 09:58:04 PM by gunsofchekhovia »



Varda

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Reply #15 on: September 04, 2014, 09:58:53 PM
That's great--how cool to get such fast turnaround, and to run early in their lifespan! :)

Anyway, PM me or post in the crit group if you end up wanting to talk contracts (either this one specifically once it comes in, or contracts generally). Also, be sure to post a link if it's going to be available online, once it runs! I'd love to read it! :)

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gunsofchekhovia

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Reply #16 on: September 04, 2014, 10:02:09 PM
I don't know if they keep their newsletter content around on their site or not. It doesn't seem like they do, but that might change once they start sending out flash.

Just in case anyone's interested, here's the submission call and a subscription link for the newsletter:

http://perpetualpublishing.com/2014/08/27/call-for-submissions-flash-fiction/



gunsofchekhovia

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Reply #17 on: September 09, 2014, 02:42:45 AM
Update: Published today, archived here.

http://us8.campaign-archive2.com/?u=6275ea8c40ef6fd387b4a022c&id=149a4e186f

And I submitted my clown story to DSF, because I'm a masochist.