You Think YOU Had to Wait a Long Time

I received a letter today from the editor of Outer Darkness magazine, Dennis Kirk, that my story, LOVE, OBSESSION & THE DEEP FREEZE, is still going to appear in issue 37.

Now, as writers we all know how hard it is to send out a story, wait months upon months only to get a form rejection. But it makes the acceptances all the more sweet, does it not? Then comes the agonizing time between acceptance and publication. That time period where you cut a path walking back and forth to the mailbox, or you click on an ezine's homepage so many times a day that surly you should win a door prize.

L, O & THE DF has already been published in Midnight Times, but that doesn't mean I'm any less pumped to see it in print again. So, for those of you that think YOU have trudged a long road between acceptance and publication, let me give you a little back ground information.

I submitted L, O & THE DF to Outer Darkness Magazine on 12/06/2004. It was accepted 12/19/2005, and will be appearing in OD sometime in the spring of 2009.

Is four years the record? Oh, I highly doubt it, but it has to be up there somewhere close.

On a side note I would like to say that I am in no way angry or begrudge Dennis Kirk for the long wait. Life has a way of stepping in front of our writing duties and when it does we have no choice but to yield. He has had a full plate, and I think he did right by taking care of Life's tasks instead of the magazine. I'm glad to see that he's able to press on.

Ouch!

It came Friday in the mail. My first letter from an agent.

I'd love to tell you all that the letter was full of praise for my novel along with an offer for representation, but alas, that would be a lie.

It was a rejection . . . a form letter at that.

I knew rejections were coming. Lord knows I've racked up enough of them with my short story submissions. I thought my skin was thick, but man did it hurt to read. I'm still a bit sore.

I have a few more queries floating around out there, but this agent was my top choice. Maybe that's why it hurts so much. I was hoping to at least send in a partial manuscript before being rejected.

It's terribly overwhelming. I now see why writers jump on the first agent (good or bad) that gives them a yes. I mean, how do you know if you REALLY match with an agent or not. Not very many have blogs to follow and a surprising number don't even have websites.

Don't mind me. The pity party is just about over.

I was going to work on fixing a short story I've had tucked away, and I have another one begging to be typed out, but I'm afraid both will have to wait. With the two diaper-dwarves haunting this house, finding time to do writerly-things has become very limited. I need to do a bit more searching. See if any agents (and their limited info) reach out and grab me . . . figuratively, of course.

Cat Tales

Wildside Press's anthology CAT TALES #1 is now in stock.

My story ROMEO'S KISS is not in this book, but will hopefully be in #2. If you recall from earlier posts there is a chance that if the sales for #1 are low then there will be no #2. So pick up your copy today.

If you like cats and you like speculative fiction then you'll love this book. Here is the TOC:

NOT ANOTHER BLACK CAT STORY, by Geoffrey Maloney
SCOUT, by Mary A. Turzillo
AMERICAN CURLS, by Nancy Springer
THE CATS OF ULTHAR, by H.P. Lovecraft
KREATIVITY FOR KATS, by Fritz Leiber
NON-EXISTENT CATS, by Tony Richards
ANGELIQUE'S, by Sandra Beswetherick
THREE HAIKU, by Mark Budman
THE CAT, by Charles Baudelaire
BLACK PUMPS & A SKANKY TOM, by Pat Edsen
DRAGON DREAMS, by Shereen Vedam
CAT CALL, by K.D. Wentworth
A CHRISTMAS CAROL, by Jack Williamson
THE EYES OF RA, by Jim C. Hines

CREEPER SHADOWS, by Fred Chappell

Ramblings of the Sleep Deprived

I told you I would do it. I dug down deep, found three more agents that I liked and sent them each a query letter. So that’s a total of four (just in case you’re two years old or tragically behind in your math skills). I suddenly have the urge to laugh like the Count from Sesame Street.

Sorry. I’m very sleepy.

I’m going to give it a few days, maybe a week, then try to find four more agents that I like. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that one of my top choices requests a partial. But it couldn’t hurt to have some more options lined up in the event that I’m pelted with four fast rejections.

Wow. My stress level just tripled.

Anyway, all joking aside, I’m actually feeling good about this point in my writing career. It’s a lot like when I first sent my short stories out to editors. I got a lot of rejections before I landed my first publication, and that very well might happen with my search for an agent. But I’m not languishing in fear. I’m not hiding from the world. It feels great taking the next step. I’m glad to be moving on. But before I do:

One . . . two . . . three . . . four. Four . . . four agents. Ah, ah, ah!

Again, sorry. I couldn’t help it.