The Third Eye Opened

Blurbage

2012-01-29T20:20:00.001-08:00

Just a quick update for you all. After sending a few queries, four excellent authors were kind enough to offer Surviving the Crash blurbs. I don't have any news on the edits yet, but I am nervously waiting for round one to start.

Meanwhile, I've started work on yet another novel. I'm a little over 4,000 words in at the moment. I should get far more done on it later this week. It feels good to escape the monotony of editing my own work into the ground for awhile.

To The Editor!

2012-01-22T11:40:00.000-08:00

Surviving the Crash has survived its journey to its editrix. I can only hope she enjoys it.

In other news, both "Black Corners of a Blood-Red Room" and "Surviving the Crash" now have Facebook pages. Additionally, I have an author profile up at Amazon.

Links shall be posted in the sidebar.

Done!

2011-12-23T06:40:00.000-08:00

The final novella, "Bit By Bit, Piece by Piece," is finished. Consequently, so is Off the Grid and Other Isolations.

The novella collection weighs in at just over 80,000 words. Unfortunately, it will have to await the ministrations of self-editing until January. I have a novel to prepare for my editor, after all!

Meanwhile, I think I'll indulge in a nice break until the end of the year. 2012 is going to get nuts.

Stay tuned.

The Last Update Before the End

2011-12-10T10:55:00.000-08:00

Hi folks,

The fourth and final novella in Off the Grid and Other Isolations is coming close to the halfway mark and should be done by the new year. Things are also progressing very nicely on Surviving the Crash. The book has an editor lined up thanks to the fabulous generosity of Bobbie Metevier (whose editing talent graced several of the short stories in Black Corners), and my wife, Hannah, is already playing with some mock-ups of the cover art.

It's been a mad and stressful year, but it's almost over. I intend to make sure I have something to show for it in 2012. I also have two new novels I'm itching to start work on once the dust settles...

Stay tuned.

And so the Next Round Begins

2011-11-19T19:40:00.000-08:00

Hi folks,

I've been taking a little break following the third novella in Off the Grid. It's been a crazy couple of months and I sorely needed it. Now that it's over, it'll be time to get started on the last story in the collection ASAP. I have no doubt the holiday season is going to make the job a major hassle for me (I work in retail), but I'll shoot for a January 1st deadline. After all, why not start the new year with two books ready for the editor?

I look forward to introducing you to Ms. Borelli much more formally in 2012. She may even make an appearance here. Stay tuned.

P.S. You can check out the first time paranormal exterminator, Frances Borelli appeared in print in Black Corners of a Blood-Red Room (along with forty-five other rather nasty short stories to keep you up at night):
http://www.amazon.com/Black-Corners-Blood-Red-Patrick-Rutigliano/dp/1453756531 /ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1321760819&sr=8-1

Or if you prefer reading on those newfangled computubes:
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/30939

A (Not so) Happy Halloween

2011-10-30T17:49:00.000-07:00

Bad news, folks.

The crappy economy we're stuck coping with has caused a strain on everyone, publishers included. Unfortunately, Library of the Living Dead press has not been immune to these conditions. In short, ten of the forthcoming works I had awaiting publication through the Library are now shelved.

Additionally, the publisher of one of my poems has yet to pay me five months after the fact. The book is already out of print too.

Life's a real schmuck sometimes.

The GOOD news is that all the short stories are still available via Black Corners of a Blood-Red Room. As to the flash pieces, articles, and poem...well, I'll just have to start shopping them around again when the time is right.

Also, the third novella in Off the Grid and Other Isolations should be done within the week.

Fall Update

2011-09-03T17:48:00.000-07:00

Okay, it's not technically autumn yet, but I'd like to practice a little self-delusion after suffering summer's infernal heat for the better part of five months.

Things are moving ahead nicely on the writing front. My rounds of self-editing on Surviving the Crash are complete and its gone off for beta reading. I'm sure my teeth will soon be drawing blood from the parts of my fingers that no longer have the benefit of keratin.

I've also commenced composing another little collection for you all. This one will be all novellas. The titular read will be last summer's Off the Grid. The second is already complete, and while the third remains in the research stage, I think you'll all get a kick out of the unique episode in history I've decided to explore.

Meanwhile, the stories I placed in Alien Aberrations, Alienology, Horrorology, and Baconology are all available via Amazon. Oh yeah, and I hear the other stories in those anthologies are pretty good too.

Also! Living Dead Corner, headed by Michael Gardner, gave Black Corners a glowing review AND decided to feature me as the site's first author spotlight. He's also one of the people beta reading StC for me. So far, he's implied it's good.

Happy reading to you all.

Success!

2011-05-28T10:03:00.001-07:00

At 81k, roughly six months after I started, Surviving the Crash is finally done.

I couldn't be happier. I'm pleased with how the book's turned out, and I'm confident I can make it even better with some additional polish and editorial input. However, before then, I'm going to treat myself to a long rest.

After that, there will be three rounds of intense self-editing, beta readers, and an editor to look forward to. I also still need to decide whether I want to self-publish this thing or go the more traditional route. I'm leaning towards the former at the moment.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I think it's time to go for a walk and catch up on my reading (and that review for Shroud I've been putting off).

Sweating Blood

2011-05-06T16:17:00.001-07:00

And now you know the title for the third section/novella of Surviving the Crash. It's currently at 13,000 words and rolling along as well as can be expected when balancing writing with a work schedule. Nonetheless, I think the rough draft of the whole book proper should be done by sometime this month. After that, I think I'll take a nice vacation and get some reading done.

Also, for the benefit of those living under rocks, THE Dunwoody's sequel to the fantastic Empire (Empire's End) is now available for order. Go hunt it down!

Surviving the Crash-35,000 words (done)
The Black Saint-21,000 words (done)
Sweating Blood-13000 words (in progress--estimated total of 24,000 words)

The Black Saint

2011-04-10T18:07:00.001-07:00

Is done!

Okay, it was done awhile ago, and I forgot to make a post (my bad). I'm in the middle of the first re-reading now and it's looking pretty good so far. With a little luck, I'll be able to get started on book three by the end of the month.

After that, I'm going to have to figure out whether I want to go traditional or try this whole self-published e-book thing I hear such good things about.

P.S. Fear not. If I choose the latter, I'll be hiring an editor.

One Down, Two to Go

2011-02-21T08:34:00.001-08:00

That's right, folks, Surviving the Crash is done! It's a lean, pulpy book weighing in at just over 35,000 words. I've already re-read it twice and plan on doing so again before sending it off for beta reading.

However, that length offers me concern.

Trying to find a publisher that will consider a novel of that size is extremely difficult. Heck, even trying to find a publisher that will give a writer a fair shake on a novella is hard. Thus, I have decided to combine my trilogy all into the same book.

Three novels. One book. How's that for bang for your buck?

Thus, I am now in the midst of The Black Saint. It's at 2,500 words right now and rolling along nicely.

Ah, the things I get myself into...

An Update for the New Year

2011-02-04T09:22:00.000-08:00

My apologies for the long absence. It's been a busy couple of months on my end. There's been a lot to occupy me at home as I've been looking for a job better suited to my skills...and cranking away on that novel.

Which is now almost done.

That's right, folks. Surviving the Crash is now at 32,500 words and the rough draft should be finished by the end of the weekend at the very latest. Saying I'm psyched would be an understatement, and I'll be leaving updates regarding its progress (as well as Off the Grid) here and on my Facebook account.

And I suspect there will soon be many more short stories filling the submission queue I normally have at the bottom of these posts.

Black Corners of a Blood-Red Room:

Cheap:

http://www.amazon.com/Black-Corners-Blood-Red-Patrick-Rutigliano/dp/1453756531/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1293144318&sr=8-1

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Black-Corners-of-a-Blood-Red-Room/Patrick-Rutigliano/e/9781453756539/?itm=1&USRI=black+corners+of+a+blood-red+room

Cheap as Free:

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/30939

Overdue Updates!

2010-12-23T14:34:00.000-08:00

My apologies for the length of time between posts. Retail is my dayjob, so things have been very hectic during the last month or so. That said, there IS progress!

My poem, "A Flytrap Grins in Eden," has been picked up for publication by Poe Little Thing! This is very good news as it means I now have half the credits I need for HWA membership. Whether I'd be financially capable of paying dues to said organization remains another matter.

Progress on Surviving the Crash is also going well. I'm 11,000 words into the book and things are picking up nicely both in terms of plot and character development. It feels as though this is going to end up on the shorter side of the novel range, but I promise you, there is going to be a hell of a lot going on in there. And yes, I am hoping to work on sequels in the future.

Perhaps the only thing really vexing me at the moment is how much my short story output remains damaged by the novel. I've got a few great ideas rolling around in my head that really deserve a voice. Alas, my muse's tunnel vision does not take kindly to diverting its attention.

Now, go get you and yours a kick-ass Christmas present, won't you?

Black Corners of a Blood-Red Room:

Normal Price:
http://www.amazon.com/Black-Corners-Blood-Red-Patrick-Rutigliano/dp/1453756531/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1293144318&sr=8-1

Cheap:

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Black-Corners-of-a-Blood-Red-Room/Patrick-Rutigliano/e/9781453756539/?itm=1&USRI=black+corners+of+a+blood-red+room

Cheap as Free:

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/30939

Black Corners up on Smashwords!

2010-11-22T21:56:00.001-08:00

Thanks to the good Kody Boye, Black Corners of a Blood-Red Room is now available on Smashwords! It includes 46 tales of zombies, witches, (proper) vampires, mummies, and things far stranger conjured by my own crazed mind. It's also a great Library of the Living Dead sampler as it contains several stories slated for release in future anthologies (thanks to the graciousness of the good Doctor Pus), and it's a steal at $2.99, so go give it a look!

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/30939

Black Corners Review Collection

2010-11-13T13:29:00.000-08:00

I thought I'd just post up links to all of them here for your convenience. I've included everything here regardless of the opinions stated. I'm all about giving everyone an equal voice as long as it's backed up, and I do believe any prospective readers should have access to more than one opinion before making a purchase.

Two excellent ones on Amazon (one a short version of the review posted on Living Dead Media):
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1453756531/ref=s9_simh_gw_p14_d0_i1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=0FZJ4NQQTCAV7484NSDC&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=470938631&pf_rd_i=507846

Living Dead Media: http://www.livingdeadmedia.com/zombie-books-and-fiction/174-tauseret.html

Pissed-Off Geek: http://www.pissedoffgeek.com/wordpress/?p=751

Dark Markets: http://darkmarkets.com/2010/11/black-corners-of-a-blood-red-room-by-patrick-rutigliano/

So, two folks wrote glowing reviews and two mixed bags. Not bad for a first effort methinks.

As to the writing front, it goes...slowly. I intended to write while on vacation but simply didn't have the time to do so. The fact that I had work, jury duty, and a body to get back into shape upon my return hasn't helped much either.

However, I do have a piece of flash fiction up at 52 Stitches for those interested. Behold, the flash piece that was supposed to be in my book but isn't! http://52stitches.blogspot.com/2010/11/last-crunch-of-autumn.html

Surviving the Crash: two chapters done

Off the Grid (novella): about 20,000 words (20 chapters)-Complete-First beta reader response positive. Next beta reader awaiting manuscript.

A Flytrap Grins in Eden-Poe Little Thing-submitted July 13th:
4 months
Changing Seasons-Illumen Magazine-submitted July 16th:
3 months 27 days
A Billboard Story-Bards and Sages-submitted October 2nd:
1 month 11 days
One of Those Faces-Ghostology-submitted October 2nd:
1 month 11 days

2010:
6 acceptances
4 active
13 rejections
1 withdrawn
1 lost

That Time of the Year

2010-11-03T13:19:00.000-07:00

That's right, it's the anniversary of the birth of this particular nut. So far, it's been a good one. I'm on vacation and got to do some sight-seeing, and I also received a positive beta reader response to Off the Grid. There was also an acceptance letter waiting in my inbox yesterday informing me that "One Hunch is as Good as Another" has been picked up for Grand Mal's alien horror anthology.

So, what else might I like you ask? Donations? Kudos? No. All I want is for you to go look up Black Corners of a Blood-Red Room on Amazon, read the first story in the book's preview, and consider picking up a copy. No more than that. Unless you perhaps already have a copy and might be willing to write a review for me instead.

Oh, and I also have a story going up over at 52 Stitches in a few days, so keep your eyes open!

The 7 Habits of Highly Infective People

2010-10-24T08:15:00.000-07:00

Hi folks,

Just thought I'd take a moment to do a little promotional work for a friend o' mine.

I met author William Todd Rose at Horror Realm but briefly. However, I've talked to him a bit more at length via Facebook since returning home and he's every bit as cool a guy as he seemed to be.

On top of that, his most recent novel, The 7 Habits of Highly Infective People mixes zombies with something I've never actually seen before in zombie novel: time travel. What's more, it apparently does it pretty darned well; Permuted Press has picked up the rights for the book. The description and ordering information can be found on its Amazon page here: http://www.amazon.com/Habits-Highly-Infective-People-Contagion/dp/1453715223/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&qid=1287933438&sr=8-11

Go give it a look!

Short Update

2010-10-23T05:20:00.000-07:00

But a good one.

Living Dead Media has posted up their review of Black Corners over here: http://www.livingdeadmedia.com/zombie-books-and-fiction/174-tauseret.html

I also got fed up with the short story I was working on and ended up spending most of my afternoon spinning my wheels. Then I wrote the prologue to my next novel out of the blue when I was supposed to be doing something else *facepalm* Ah well, I'll take what I can get.

Surviving the Crash: Prologue done (600 words)

Off the Grid (novella): about 20,000 words (20 chapters)-Complete-Awaiting First Beta Reader Response

A Flytrap Grins in Eden-Poe Little Thing-submitted July 13th:
3 months 10 days
Changing Seasons-Illumen Magazine-submitted July 16th:
2 months 27 days
A Billboard Story-Bards and Sages-submitted October 2nd:
22 day
One of Those Faces-Ghostology-submitted October 2nd:
22 day

2010:
6 acceptances
4 active
13 rejections
1 withdrawn
1 lost

Unbreakable

2010-10-13T08:34:00.000-07:00

At least for me anyway. At this point, I've come to the conclusion that Necrotic Tissue and Shock Totem must be really, REALLY sick of me sending them stuff. They're very nice about it in their rejection letters, but I imagine the editors must roll their eyes every time my name appears in their inbox. Alas, I can only keep sending new stories in the vain hope they might like one on some far off day.

In brighter news, "Black Corners" received it's first review ever on Amazon. I will let those five stars nurse my injured pride.

Meanwhile, writing and editing are at a stand-still. I don't know if something is bugging me or if I just burned out my faculties after the massive push to get the first draft of "Off the Grid" out. Either way, it's frustrating. Fortunately, reading David Dunwoody's, "Empire" is a great way to pass the time.

Oh yeah, and I also recently started following Mallory Dyer's blog. If you don't know who she is, I suggest you go check it out in addition to her page on DeviantArt. Her level of talent in art borders on the absurdly ridiculous.

Off the Grid (novella): about 20,000 words (20 chapters)-Complete-Seeking Beta Readers

A Flytrap Grins in Eden-Poe Little Thing-submitted July 13th:
2 months 30 days
Changing Seasons-Illumen Magazine-submitted July 16th:
2 months 17 days
Dusty Old Bones-Shock Totem-submitted October 2nd:
12 day
A Billboard Story-Bards and Sages-submitted October 2nd:
12 day
One of Those Faces-Ghostology-submitted October 2nd:
12 day

2010:
6 acceptances
5 active
12 rejections
1 withdrawn
1 lost

An October Blitz

2010-10-02T15:34:00.001-07:00

Today, I decided it was high time to dust myself off and get back to the markets.

Subs have now been made to Necrotic Tissue, Shock Totem, Ghostology, and Bards and Sages. I'm not really expecting anything, but you never know until you swing the bat. Keep your fingers crossed for me.

Meanwhile, all but two of the reviewers I've contacted have answered me back with requests for the book to be sent over to them (one even sounded eager after reading the sample story!), and I'm still trying to hammer away at the novella.

Oh yeah, and I rewrote an old dark science-fiction story. I'm happy to say it's far better now and awaiting a verdict. Now, I've just got two more short stories in front of me before I can devote all my time to Off the Grid and the series of novels to come.

Off the Grid (novella): about 20,000 words (20 chapters)-Complete-Seeking Beta Readers

A Flytrap Grins in Eden-Poe Little Thing-submitted July 13th:
2 months 19 days
Changing Seasons-Illumen Magazine-submitted July 16th:
2 months 6 days
Dusty Old Bones-Shock Totem-submitted October 2nd:
1 day
The Fear Merchant-Necrotic Tissue-submitted October 2nd:
1 day
A Billboard Story-Bards and Sages-submitted October 2nd:
1 day
One of Those Faces-Ghostology-submitted October 2nd:
1 day

2010:
6 acceptances
6 active
11 rejections
1 withdrawn
1 lost

Self-Promotion Madness

2010-09-30T20:36:00.000-07:00

As the title says, I've been trying to spread the word about Black Corners wherever possible.

I contacted several review sites today with offers of .PDF review copies and interviews (one bite already so far). I also scheduled a podcast interview with Sonar 4.

I think it's a good start, but there's a lot yet to be done. I may contact one or both of the local papers, and I'll probably hunt for yet more sites that might want to do a review.

Meanwhile, you can all do me a favor by linking to Black Corners' first story and/or it's Amazon page on your blogs, sites, etc. I also have a banner for the blog and a wrap-around image of the book if anyone wants them. Just drop me a comment on this post.

Cheers.

Off the Grid (novella): about 20,000 words (20 chapters)-Complete-Seeking Beta Readers

A Flytrap Grins in Eden-Poe Little Thing-submitted July 13th:
2 months 17 days
Changing Seasons-Illumen Magazine-submitted July 16th:
2 months 4 days

2010:
6 acceptances
2 active
11 rejections
1 withdrawn
1 lost

Quick Update

2010-09-23T18:55:00.001-07:00

While perusing Black Corners' Amazon page, I discovered the titular wrap-around story is available in the book's preview for free.

It provides a nice appetizer for the creepiness that follows. Go check it out here!

Link

My Longest Work to Date--Complete!

2010-09-23T13:50:00.000-07:00

Well, the first draft anyway.

But yes, folks! "Off the Grid" is now done, weighing in at approximately 20,000 words.

I've been consistently surprised at how smoothly the writing process for it rolled along. I'd only attempted one work that long in the past, and it ended disastrously. However, this one just wouldn't let me stop.

I think I've got some good stuff in there. Really, I do. I think the characters are all very well-drawn and the situation they're in, while not altogether unique, covers some new ground.

As to whether I'm altogether happy with the execution...I can't say for sure yet. It's too soon after the writing process and I want to give myself some distance before I go back and read the whole thing from start to end again.

After that, it'll be time to hit up some beta readers and write some cover letters.

Now, on to the short stories I've been putting off!

Off the Grid (novella): about 20,000 words (20 chapters)-Complete!

A Flytrap Grins in Eden-Poe Little Thing-submitted July 13th:
2 months 10 days
Changing Seasons-Illumen Magazine-submitted July 16th:
2 months 7 days

2010:
6 acceptances
2 active
11 rejections
1 withdrawn
1 lost

BACK!

2010-09-20T12:55:00.001-07:00

Hannah and I just got home from Horror Realm yesterday night.

Man, what a hoot! We hung out with so many cool people from the Library of the Living Dead and Permuted Press: Doctor Pus, Dave Dunwoody, Rhiannon Frater, Patrick Dorazio, Dan Galli, Stephen North, Jason Hornsby, Jacob Kier, D.L. Snell, and a whole mess of other folks (I even got to meet my first editor, the great Kim Paffenroth, who was set up a mere few feet away from my table!). Much to my surprise and delight, everybody was super nice and supportive, and for a misanthropic cynic such as myself, that's really saying something as to the quality of the company.

As to the bad news, the crowd was very tightfisted with the cash. I only sold six copies of the book, and most of those were to the folks mentioned above. Still, it was a great learning experience as to how things run at these conventions, and I feel I'll be far better prepared next time.

Anyway, it's nice to be home again. Except for the work schedule I just picked up today the rejection letter from Shroud waiting in my e-mail. Nerts.

The markets have been really rough lately, and the open period for most of them is going to close at the end of next month. It's tough to say whether I'll bother going after them some more this time around or if I'll just focus on the novella instead. In the meantime, I think I'll just write and edit wherever the hell I can.

Off the Grid (novella): 15,500 words (16 chapters)

A Flytrap Grins in Eden-Poe Little Thing-submitted July 13th:
2 months 7 days
Changing Seasons-Illumen Magazine-submitted July 16th:
2 months 4 days

2010:
6 acceptances
2 active
11 rejections
1 withdrawn
1 lost

Rolling Along Towards Horror Realm

2010-09-11T18:53:00.000-07:00

Well, despite some various travel plan snafus, it appears Hannah and I shall indeed be taking up residence at the Library of the Living Dead table at Horror Realm. I'm only going to have a very limited number of copies to sell (sorry, limited resources on my part), so make sure you stop by and pick yours up sooner rather than later. It should be good fun.

Also, after a short hiatus, Off the Grid is in full swing again, reaching 15,500 words as of this evening. It's officially the longest bloody thing I've ever written, and I'm somewhat in a state of shock that it has not only been writing smoothly, but that I know that it will continue to do so. It's a strange feeling, but also reassuring given my plans to write my first novel proper soon.

Aside from that, my submission status remains the same. However, there are some new markets that opened up recently that I'm quite interested in. Hopefully, I'll have some time to bang out half a dozen short stories or so before I get back to work on Ms. Borelli's strange little world.

My book, Black Corners of a Blood-Red Room, available here: http://www.amazon.com/Black-Corners-Blood-Red-Patrick-Rutigliano/dp/1453756531/ref=sr_

Off the Grid (novella): 15,500 words (16 chapters)

A Flytrap Grins in Eden-Poe Little Thing-submitted July 13th:
1 month 29 days
Changing Seasons-Illumen Magazine-submitted July 16th:
1 month 26 days
The Thing Called John Doe-Shroud Magazine-submitted July 25th:
1 month 17 days

2010:
6 acceptances
3 active
10 rejections
1 withdrawn
1 lost

Promoting My Comrades!

2010-09-08T15:35:00.000-07:00

Considering all the promoting I've been trying to do for my own book, I thought I'd take some time to make you all aware of the books released by a few of my Permuted/Library brethren:

Chaptered and Versed; Poetic and Cursed by Zombie Zak: http://www.amazon.com/Chaptered-Versed-Poetic-Zombie-Zak/dp/1453695672/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1283985586&sr=8-1

Really, if you don't know Zak, you're missing out. He's the best kind of kook--intelligent, funny as hell, and possessing a seemingly endless supply of love for the horror genre. He also produces insane poetry like its a bodily function. Great fella.

Amorous Things by Kody Boye: http://www.amazon.com/Amorous-Things-Kody-Boye/dp/1453750126/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1283985742&sr=8-4

I am chagrined to admit that Kody beat me to the punch on producing a book by several...years. Seriously, he's about ten years my junior! He's also a really nice guy and hardworking as hell, doing everything from writing to editing and layout for the horror business. Go give him a look.

As for me, it's been a mixed bag of a week. My collection pulled some really nice numbers starting off, breaking 100,000 a few times before steadily declining beyond the 500,000 point. I hope to help remedy this with some flyers in key locations around town and some other promotion. I was also rejected by Shimmer in a very nice rejection letter. Alas, I could not bring myself to write a first-person supervillain origin story as anything but a monologue, even if it was one that I felt conveyed the story effectively. C'est la vie.

My book, Black Corners of a Blood-Red Room, available here: http://www.amazon.com/Black-Corners-Blood-Red-Patrick-Rutigliano/dp/1453756531/ref=sr_

Off the Grid (novella): 12,000 words (12 1/2 chapters)

A Flytrap Grins in Eden-Poe Little Thing-submitted July 13th:
1 month 26 days
Changing Seasons-Illumen Magazine-submitted July 16th:
1 month 23 days
The Thing Called John Doe-Shroud Magazine-submitted July 25th:
1 month 14 days

2010:
6 acceptances
3 active
10 rejections
1 withdrawn
1 lost

Black Corners...

2010-09-02T16:26:00.000-07:00

is now on Amazon! Go buy a copy!

http://www.amazon.com/Black-Corners-Blood-Red-Patrick-Rutigliano/dp/1453756531/ref=sr_

If anybody reading this would be so kind as to provide some pimpage on their blog, etc., I would be very much appreciative.

I've got some time off this weekend and there will be busy times ahead! Book reviews, novellas, and short stories ahoy!

Off the Grid (novella): 10,000 words (11 chapters)

A Flytrap Grins in Eden-Poe Little Thing-submitted July 13th:
1 month 20 days
Changing Seasons-Illumen Magazine-submitted July 16th:
1 month 17 days
The Thing Called John Doe-Shroud Magazine-submitted July 25th:
1 month 8 days
The Dominion of John T. Smith-Shimmer-submitted August 21st:
12 days

2010:
6 acceptances
4 active
9 rejections
1 withdrawn
1 lost

Red Letter Day

2010-08-29T15:25:00.000-07:00

Well, I had to give up my daily writing for a few days, but it was for a worthy cause. I have now gone over every line of writing in the proof of my book and thoroughly edited the crap out of it one final time (with the assistance of my lovely wife, Hannah), and the very last PDF is now waiting in my publisher's e-mail.

Getting this book written and out there has been one of the most rewarding and hair-pulling experiences of my entire life. I'm so proud I did it, but damned happy I don't have to look at it again until the final copy is in my hands.

Also! I finally got word back from Death Rattle today, and my rather silly little horror poem "Missing...Verne?" is set to appear in their debut issue. Excellent. If I can just bag a few more poems at pro rate, I can finally sneak my way into that little organization known as the HWA...once I have enough money to pay dues of course.

Off the Grid (novella): 10,000 words (11 chapters)

A Flytrap Grins in Eden-Poe Little Thing-submitted July 13th:
1 month 16 days
Changing Seasons-Illumen Magazine-submitted July 16th:
1 month 13 days
The Thing Called John Doe-Shroud Magazine-submitted July 25th:
1 month 4 days
The Dominion of John T. Smith-Shimmer-submitted August 21st:
8 days

2010:
6 acceptances
4 active
9 rejections
1 withdrawn
1 lost

Productive Writer Must be Productive!

2010-08-24T15:41:00.000-07:00

Okay, I have to admit, I'm kind of digging this whole writing every day thing. I usually can't pull it off with short stories (perhaps because I need a period of mental recharge between each one), but it's been moving progress on my new book in leaps and bounds. I'm pretty confident as of now that it's actually going to end up as a novella rather than a novel. Thus, it will be a pain in the rear to sell.

Ralan and Duotrope are less than encouraging regarding potential markets. So far, Shroud Publishing is looking like my only really solid candidate (once they open again).

Ah well, it is what it is, and hopefully, it'll be good.

Off the Grid (novella): 9,000 words (10 chapters)

Missing...Verne?-Death Rattle Magazine-submitted June 30th:
1 month 24 days
A Flytrap Grins in Eden-Poe Little Thing-submitted July 13th:
1 month 11 days
Changing Seasons-Illumen Magazine-submitted July 16th:
1 month 8 days
The Thing Called John Doe-Shroud Magazine-submitted July 25th:
30 days
The Dominion of John T. Smith-Shimmer-submitted August 21st:
3 days

2010:
5 acceptances
6 active
9 rejections
1 withdrawn
1 lost

Both Barrels? Both Ends of the Candle More Like

2010-08-21T20:18:00.000-07:00

Seriously, folks, I am exhausted!

Here's the rundown:

-Finally made some time and read both my Shroud book review assignments.
-Started a new novel which I've been trying to work on every day (except today...holy crap, the lack of sleep and muscle soreness from work are really getting to me this time).
-CHECKING THE PROOF OF MY BOOK!

Oh, man, that last one. Getting that in the mail was a thrill. The cover looks just as gorgeous in person as on the computer. Hannah and I just need to go over it thoroughly one more time to make sure we haven't missed anything that requires correction. After that, we go to print.

Rock on.

Also, I finally decided to try to press on through this slump and sent a story to Shimmer. Here's hoping they don't hate it. It's a weird one.

Off the Grid (novel): 4,500 words (5 chapters)

Missing...Verne?-Death Rattle Magazine-submitted June 30th:
1 month 21 days
A Flytrap Grins in Eden-Poe Little Thing-submitted July 13th:
1 month 8 days
Changing Seasons-Illumen Magazine-submitted July 16th:
1 month 5 days
The Thing Called John Doe-Shroud Magazine-submitted July 25th:
27 days
The Dominion of John T. Smith-Shimmer-submitted August 21st:
0 days

2010:
5 acceptances
6 active
9 rejections
1 withdrawn
1 lost

Slumps and New Beginnings

2010-08-18T17:48:00.001-07:00

Unfortunately, my Shock Totem submissions has been rejected. Normally, I would say the hell with it and just send it somewhere else, but my patience (and luck) with selecting publishers has been crap lately. Thus, I think I'll sit on it awhile...along with the eight other homeless stories I have sitting in my folder.

Blah. My desire for progress always hates such states of inactivity.

On the plus side, I am now awaiting the final proof for Black Corners. Once any necessary corrections are made, it'll be time to to wait for the book proper to arrive!

In addition, I finally got over my recent writer's block and started some new work today. It looks like I'll be at it awhile, so let's start the word count posting for this new project, shall we?

Off the Grid (novel): 2,300 words (3 chapters)

Missing...Verne?-Death Rattle Magazine-submitted June 30th:
1 month 18 days
A Flytrap Grins in Eden-Poe Little Thing-submitted July 13th
1 month 5 days
Changing Seasons-Illumen Magazine-submitted July 16th
1 month 2 days
The Thing Called John Doe-Shroud Magazine-submitted July 25th
24 days

2010:
5 acceptances
5 active
9 rejections
1 withdrawn
1 lost

End Game

2010-08-13T13:17:00.000-07:00

Well, folks, the PDF's for both the book cover and manuscript were sent to the good Doctor Pus yesterday. All I need to do now is wait to get/approve the review copy, and this thing is a go! I'll post up all the ordering information for the book and so forth once it goes live.

This all comes as rather a relief. I'm damned proud of that book, but holy crap, I'm just plain sick of looking at it at this point (the sheer number of variant/tweaked/re-tweaked manuscripts I have in my folder right now is terrifying), and Hannah's computer made doing the cover a very touch and go procedure.

That said, I'm eager to get going on my next book, and this one is going to be a novel. I've got my setting, scenario, and a few characters fleshed out in my mind, now I just need some time to sit down and write the thing. Fortunately, I have a few days off work after tomorrow...

Aside from that, there's not too much else going on. However, the rejection I got from Bards and Sages gave me a self-deprecating chortle. It's the first time any publisher has ever stated there was too much dialogue in a piece, which is pretty funny to a guy who usually accuses himself of avoiding it like the plague.

Oh well.

Missing...Verne?-Death Rattle Magazine-submitted June 30th:
1 month 13 days
A Flytrap Grins in Eden-Poe Little Thing-submitted July 13th
1 month
Changing Seasons-Illumen Magazine-submitted July 16th
28 days
The Thing Called John Doe-Shroud Magazine-submitted July 25th
19 days
The Fear Merchant-Shock Totem-submitted August 8th
5 days

2010:
5 acceptances
5 active
8 rejections
1 withdrawn
1 lost

One Barrel Empty...and a Miss

2010-08-07T05:48:00.000-07:00

Alas, the story I sent to the Shroud Halloween issue has been rejected. However, Mr. Lucia was kind enough to inform me that it survived several rounds and was rejected on the issue of not quite fitting the issue. This gives me hope. I think I'll send it to Shock Totem tomorrow after another look.

Aside from that, Hannah has finished the cover of my book! And it looks awesome! Scroll down a bit and check it out here: http://libraryofthelivingdead.lefora.com/2010/07/27/critique-on-the-blood-red-room-cover/

The text is proving a bit more tricky to cope with (friggin' chapter headers...), but one way or the other, we'll have this thing ready to go soon.

In other news, I am now officially a Shroud Magazine book reviewer. This makes me happy. Now, I just have to get off my rear and finally get to reading and doing my assignments!

Missing...Verne?-Death Rattle Magazine-submitted June 30th:
1 month 7 days
Lucky Shot-Bards and Sages Quarterly-submitted July 1st:
1 month 6 days
A Flytrap Grins in Eden-Poe Little Thing-submitted July 13th
25 days
Changing Seasons-Illumen Magazine-submitted July 16th
22 days
The Thing Called John Doe-Shroud Magazine-submitted July 25th
13 days

2010:
5 acceptances
5 active
7 rejections
1 withdrawn
1 lost

Both Barrels

2010-07-25T17:20:00.000-07:00

I shall now try to redeem myself following the Necrotic Tissue rejection by sending two subs to Shroud Magazine (one for the magazine proper, the other for the Halloween issue). Other than that, nothing much is going on regarding acceptances/rejections. I'm just hoping my G-mail account isn't eating/failing to send e-mails like my Yahoo! one did.

Missing...Verne?-Death Rattle Magazine-submitted June 30th:
26 days
Lucky Shot-Bards and Sages Quarterly-submitted July 1st:
25 days
A Flytrap Grins in Eden-Poe Little Thing-submitted July 13th
12 days
Changing Seasons-Illumen Magazine-submitted July 16th
9 days
The Fear Merchant-Shroud Magazine (Halloween issue)-submitted July 25th
0 days
The Thing Called John Doe-Shroud Magazine-submitted July 25th
0 days

2010:
5 acceptances
6 active
6 rejections
1 withdrawn
1 lost

A Momentous Day

2010-07-23T15:10:00.000-07:00

I have now signed and mailed my contract to the good Doctor Pus.

Hell. Freaking. Yes.

It's been a terribly exhausting ride, and there's still a bit left, but I feel as though I've finally accomplished something important. So, for just a little while, I'll allow myself some peace.

Except for that Halloween story I'm writing for Shroud. That sucker is getting done.

Missing...Verne?-Death Rattle Magazine-submitted June 30th:
24 days
Lucky Shot-Bards and Sages Quarterly-submitted July 1st:
23 days
A Flytrap Grins in Eden-Poe Little Thing-submitted July 13th
10 days
Changing Seasons-Illumen Magazine-submitted July 16th
7 days

2010:
5 acceptances
4 active
6 rejections
1 withdrawn
1 lost

Win Some, Lose Some

2010-07-16T18:08:00.000-07:00

I've already been rejected by both Necrotic Tissue and Fantastique Unfettered. Bugger. I really want to get a story picked up by NT too.

Ah well, one can but soldier on. Unfortunately, it doesn't feel like I have much to soldier on with.

The short number of short stories I currently have available for sale either feel like they are either lacking something or are poor fits for the markets available. Very annoying.

However, I did manage to sub out a poem to Illumen this evening, and I mailed out the final version of my manuscript to Doctor Pus. I've only got about four weeks to order copies in time for Horror Realm, but Hannah still needs to do the art and I need my contract! It's going to be tight.

Missing...Verne?-Death Rattle Magazine-submitted June 30th:
17 days
Lucky Shot-Bards and Sages Quarterly-submitted July 1st:
16 days
A Flytrap Grins in Eden-Poe Little Thing-submitted July 13th
3 days
Changing Seasons-Illumen Magazine-submitted July 16th
0 days

2010:
5 acceptances
4 active
6 rejections
1 withdrawn
1 lost

Book Update

2010-07-13T14:24:00.000-07:00

A few bits of good news. First, is that the Doc and I are going to try to have the book ready to sell by Horror Realm this year. Second, is that that book's art will be done by my own lovely wife, Hannah. And believe me folks, that means it will rock and rock hard.

I've been hitting a bit of a block writing prose lately, and satisfied my urges with some otherworldly poetry instead. The most recent of which was sent to Poe Little Thing this afternoon. Wish me luck!

Missing...Verne?-Death Rattle Magazine-submitted June 30th:
14 days
The Thing Called John Doe-Necrotic Tissue-submitted July 1st:
13 days
Lucky Shot-Bards and Sages Quarterly-submitted July 1st:
13 days
A Flytrap Grins in Eden-Poe Little Thing-submitted July 13th
0 days

2010:
5 acceptances
4 active
4 rejections
1 withdrawn
1 lost

It's On!

2010-07-06T15:43:00.000-07:00

Just got done talking to the good Doctor Pus.

The contract for my book is going to be be sent out to me this week.

So yeah, that fifth acceptance is definite now.

Holy crap.

Missing...Verne?-Death Rattle Magazine-submitted June 30th:
6 days
The Thing Called John Doe-Necrotic Tissue-submitted July 1st:
5 days
Lucky Shot-Bards and Sages Quarterly-submitted July 1st:
5 days

2010:
5 acceptances
3 active
4 rejections
1 withdrawn
1 lost

What NOT To Do As An Editor

2010-07-01T07:36:00.000-07:00

I've decided to put a little laundry list of things here for the use of any editors who happen to stumble across it.

Enjoy.

-Do NOT say you don't accept attachments. Yes, I know the reasoning behind this one. All manner of nasty viruses and the like can be sent via attachment. Fine. However, is it really fair to immediately put the writers at odds with your publication by making them pull their hair out? Worse yet, flaws in e-mail programs can cause you to think they've done a sloppy job on the formatting when it happened during the submission itself. It's much more responsible and professional to invest in a good virus scanner (and to be smart enough to make system backups just in case the worst does happen).

-Do NOT include your own stories in your publication. This rule can seem a bit murky at times (particularly with big name authors working as editors), but I would never do it. I can't imagine being fully objective concerning a story you've spent long hours tweaking and rewriting. At the very least, it gives you an unfair advantage that many writers are not going to appreciate when they happen on the TOC.

-Do NOT request ridiculous formats. The Shunn manuscript format is the standard, and there's no two ways about it. Virtually every spec fic writer is going to be using this format, and it's kind of ridiculous to make each of them reformat their document just for you.

I'm not writing these suggestions as the result of a lot of sour grapes. It just seems commonsense to keep the prospective pool of talent coming to you as large as possible and the playing field fair.

Landing the Big One

2010-06-22T06:45:00.000-07:00

At least, it seems that way. Conversation lifted from the Library of the Living Dead forum:

"Me: Reservations are now sorted (for Horror Realm). I'll be getting my tickets this week. Now, I just have to hope I have a book to promote when I'm over there.

Doc: You'll have a book Pru. It's now being edited.

Doc"

It's looking good folks--very, very good.

And I do apologize for the lack of updates, but I've thrown myself into the midst of a ton of projects in an effort to get my creative juices flowing again. It looks a little something like this (completed drafts in bold):

1. Prime Books: Bewere the Night-pro-anthology-open until December 31st
2. Dark Wine and Stars: Cat’s Eye New Bella Anthology-semi-pro-anthology-open until filled
3. Northern Frights: Fallen: An Anthology of Demonic Horror-semi-pro-anthology-open until filled
4. Groanology-semi-pro-anthology-open until filled
5. Fearology 2: Beware All Animals Great and Small-semi-pro-anthology-open until August 22nd
6. Malicious Deviance-Stories About Bad People-semi-pro-anthology-deadline not yet announced
7. Call of Lovecraft-token-antholgy-open until July 15th
8. Tattered Souls 2-semi-pro-pro anthology-open until October 31st
9. Shock Totem-pro-magazine
10. Escape Clause-semi-pro-anthology-annual-opens June 1st
11. Necrotic Tissue-Semi-pro-magazine
12. GUD-semi-pro-magazine/various
13. Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine-semi-pro-magazine(lighter material)
14. Bards and Sages Quarterly-semi-pro-magazine
15. Parsec Ink-semi-pro-anthology-annual
16. Monster Mash-semi-pro-anthology-open until August 31st
17. Shadows and Light vol. II-semi-pro-anthology-open until October 31st
18. Space and Time-semi-pro-magazine
19. Weird Tales-semi-pro-magazine
20. DemonMinds-semi-pro (pro for poetry)-online, some print issues
21. Shroud Magazine-token-magazine
22. Sybil’s Garage-token (token to semi-pro, pro for poety)-magazine
23. Poe Little Thing-pro (flash, poetry)-magazine-open until September 20th
24. Vestal Review-semi-pro (flash)-magazine-open until May 31st
25. Dreams and Nightmares-pro (poetry)-magazine
26. Magazine of Speculative Poetry-pro-magazine
27. Redstone Science Fiction
28. Daily Science Fiction

Whew!

In addition to that, I may soon have a gig writing book reviews for a magazine! Busy, busy month!

2010:
5 acceptances (I think)
0 active (the hell?!)
4 rejections
1 withdrawn
1 lost

A Late Wedding Present

2010-05-29T13:15:00.001-07:00

After I was forced to pull the story placed in the BBM anthology to fill up the remaining wordage for my book, I sent Greg Michaels a new one as a replacement.

And that one is apparently go.

Excellent.

Also, as many of the issues hanging over my head have now been resolved (wedding, cat stuff, selling the car), I will now be increasing my literary output--a lot. I've got about 27 markets written down that I'm interested in, and I'm going to try to get something done for as many of them as possible. I figure at the very least it'll be good mental exercise after my little hiatus.

I'm also going to try to spread out into new areas in an effort to earn some extra cash. I will almost certainly be doing a webinar, possibly a community class, and I may even give editing and articles a try.

Busy times ahead!

Black Corners of a Blood-Red Room (collection)-Library of Horror-May 10th
19 days

2010:
4 acceptances
1 active
4 rejections
1 withdrawn
1 lost

Sorry I Was Out Folks

2010-05-25T18:09:00.001-07:00

I was busy getting married and all. If you've never been to Chicago on a honeymoon, I highly recommend it.

Still no word on the book, and it's back to the grind I go.

However, this coming month will see the beginning of webinar plans that might be the beginning of the end for that...

Mighty Jo(e?) Young

2010-05-15T10:32:00.000-07:00

I apologize for not updating more frequently, but calling the past month hectic would be an understatement.

In the space of the last week we sold our car (and had a bugger of a time receiving/verifying payment--still not 100% done on that yet), adopted a stray cat that showed up on our doorstep after the ASPCA and shelters failed us, received the bed we ordered, and are STILL finishing up the plans for our wedding/trip next week!

On top of that, the Doc informed me he never received the e-mail with the book attached. I re-subbed and he has it now. I should have a response in the next week or two if all goes well. Keep your fingers crossed.

Any donations anyone wants to give towards Jo's care (the deposit we had to put down on our lease and her vet expenses) can be sent through the donation button on Hannah's blog:
http://herutigliano.blogspot.com/

And here's some photos!

Not Much Happening Here, BUT!

2010-05-01T19:39:00.000-07:00

One of my online comrades, Jennifer Hudock, has released the newest story in the Dark Journeys collection. It's available on Amazon or Smashwords for a mere $0.99. Check out the details here: http://jennybeans.net/2010/04/29/dark-journeys-6-the-faeries-kiss/

As much as I am generally not fond of doing the online publication thing, I rather like this approach. Per view payments seems a good way of profiting from and building an online fanbase. It may bear consideration for future use.

Black Corners of a Blood-Red Room (collection)-Library of Horror-March 29th
1 month, 3 days

2010:
3 acceptances
0 active
4 rejections
1 withdrawn
1 lost

Prologues and Dusting Off Old Chestnuts

2010-04-15T16:24:00.001-07:00

Argh, it's been rather awhile since I made a post here. That's what happens when there's nothing much to report on regarding submissions (I still haven't gotten word back on the collection yet). However, there has been some progress.

Firstly, I got a short story done this month. It came out pretty damned good and I'm confident I can find a publisher for it.

Secondly, I finally started my second book. It's a protagonist-oriented collection of short stories. So far, I just have the prologue done, but even that reads pretty damned nicely. I'm hoping to get the whole thing finished by the end of the year.

Thirdly, that novella I was writing and gave up on some months back? I read what I had last night on a whim. I was shocked to find it surprisingly readable--even enjoyable. I shall endeavor to finish the thing and include it in the collection.

That's about it for now.

And so it begins

2010-03-29T15:07:00.000-07:00

After a query, a final reading/round of edits, and a professional cover letter, I now have a book awaiting a verdict. A freaking book that's all me! I can't even begin to say how surreal that is.

I now have no individual short stories out in the ether. This also feels very weird. Ah well, at least one of the two I needed to reclaim for the book got lost anyway which saved me the chagrin of a withdrawal letter.

I'll update any additional developments on this blog as they occur.

Black Corners of a Blood-Red Room (collection)-Library of Horror-March 29th
1 day

2010:
3 acceptances
0 active
4 rejections
1 withdrawn
1 lost

The Last Stage

2010-03-19T14:30:00.000-07:00

Whew! I have now finished line editing the book. I also took one of the stories out and replaced it with a new one that seems a better fit. I'll read everything from front to back one more time (and double-check on a few contract issues) before preparing it for submission. If all goes well, I may have this sucker out to a publisher by the end of the month.

Aside from that, nothing much is happening on the writing/publishing front aside from the short story I just mentioned. However, I do have a killer idea for a new one I'm dying to get to work on. I may just have enough time to do so next week after I address a few wedding concerns.

Five O'clock Shadow-Wolfology I-(re)submitted September 8th:
6 months 12 day
The Woman With One Green Eye-Foetus Fatale: Fubar'd Noir-submitted October 9th:
5 months 11 days

2010:
3 acceptances
2 active (1 short listed)
4 rejections
0 withdrawn

Haha...I Suck

2010-03-08T21:05:00.000-08:00

March has not been at all kind to me so far.

Between internet problems, work, rejected stories, and the progress on my book going in fits and sputters lately (but of course still not leaving time to work on much of anything else), I've been having a rather nasty time of it.

Oh, and for the icing on the cake, the pay at the one place I'm currently short listed has dropped by thirty bucks. Super.

Ah well, this will pass. Meanwhile, I'll just bang my head on the keyboard for awhile.

Five O'clock Shadow-Wolfology I-(re)submitted September 8th:
6 months 1 day
The Woman With One Green Eye-Foetus Fatale: Fubar'd Noir-submitted October 9th:
5 months

2010:
3 acceptances
2 active (1 short listed)
4 rejections
0 withdrawn

My Eyes Are Officially Crossed

2010-02-24T15:57:00.000-08:00

Oog, I have now copy/pasted/formatted every one of the collection's stories into the same document, as well as manually copied their publishing information and made a table of contents. It all looks very neat and orderly. All that's left now is to give all the stories another thorough proof (or two...or three--cursed OCD!), and start on the cover letter.

Meanwhile, I've been enjoying a bit of R&R away from the keyboard to recharge a bit. It's been fun checking out silly things on the internet and introducing myself to the tales of Doc Savage, but I'll be getting back to work on the last couple of short story ideas I have rolling around in my head soon.

After that, it's going to either be a short story collection based around my favorite protagonist or a novel(la?).

Either way, it should be interesting.

Also! I do realize I have been horrid about commenting on other folks' blogs for awhile now. Thus, I shall attempt to make up for it by doing some free promotion:

William Meikle--Pulp writer extraordinaire, and arguably the most prolific writer I know, has a whole mess of material out there. This collection of chapbooks is a steal at the current price: http://williammeikle.blogspot.com/2010/02/special-offer-meikle-chapbook.html

Peter Clines--One of my Permuted brethren, and an all-around spiffy individual, has a new novel out. It's got superheroes and zombies. What's not to like? http://www.amazon.com/dp/1934861286?tag=writonwrit-20&camp=213381&creative=390973&linkCode=as4&creativeASIN=1934861286&adid=0KECRXH1MPKBZ744N8Z3&

I think that covers all the recent business.

P.S. My reprint sub to Best New Zombie Tales was rejected after making the short list. Bugger. The rejection letter was very nice though.

Five O'clock Shadow-Wolfology I-(re)submitted September 8th:
5 months 16 days
The Woman With One Green Eye-Foetus Fatale: Fubar'd Noir-submitted October 9th:
4 months 15 days
A Few Grams Lighter on the Scale-Monster Mash-submitted October 23rd:
4 months 1 day
One Final World to Conquer-Quest for Atlantis-submitted October 26th:
3 months 28 days

2010:
3 acceptances
4 active (1 short listed)
2 rejection
0 withdrawn

Success!

2010-02-13T10:17:00.001-08:00

Black Corners of a Blood-Red Room: now finished and weighing in at just over 80k.

It's pure relief to finally have such a huge project off my plate, and boy, did that sucker take a lot out of me. I only vaguely know what my next project will be (outside of all the merciless self-editing I'll be doing on the book), and my well of short story ideas is almost completely dry.

That said, another long project may very well be next on my agenda.

Five O'clock Shadow-Wolfology I-(re)submitted September 8th:
5 months 5 days
The Woman With One Green Eye-Foetus Fatale: Fubar'd Noir-submitted October 9th:
4 months 4 days
A Few Grams Lighter on the Scale-Monster Mash-submitted October 23rd:
3 months 20 days
One Final World to Conquer-Quest for Atlantis-submitted October 26th:
3 months 17 days
A Touch of the Divine-Best New Zombie Tales-submitted January 18th
25 days

2010:
3 acceptances
5 active (1 short listed)
1 rejection
0 withdrawn

More Good News for January

2010-01-29T09:15:00.000-08:00

Knowing editors can be a wonderful thing. It provides one with friendly contacts you enjoy working with and an additional ease of communication that can save you some unanswered questions and unnecessary waiting.

Incidentally, my second submission to the Moron's Guide is go, as is another story I was invited to sub to the Best of Brave Blue Mice anthology. So yes, quite a productive month so far.

On that note, I'm halfway through the next story in the collection. After that, there's just one more to go. I expect to be done with the rough by the end of next week. The book probably won't see the light of day for another year or so due to inclusion of some of the stories in anthologies that have yet to come out. Ah well, it just gives me that much more time to polish things up.

Five O'clock Shadow-Wolfology I-(re)submitted September 8th:
4 months 21 days
The Woman With One Green Eye-Foetus Fatale: Fubar'd Noir-submitted October 9th:
3 months 20 days
A Few Grams Lighter on the Scale-Monster Mash-submitted October 23rd:
3 months 6 days
One Final World to Conquer-Quest for Atlantis-submitted October 26th:
3 months 3 days
A Touch of the Divine-Best New Zombie Tales-submitted January 18th
11 days

2010:
3 acceptances
5 active (1 short listed)
1 rejection
0 withdrawn

First Rejection of the Year!

2010-01-25T13:11:00.000-08:00

Well, I'm now officially out of the Fight On! contest, but it's not all bad. The story made it through the first reading and received a good critique from the editor (which reinforced my recent feeling that there is a good story there that may just need a bit more meat on its bones).

Also, I am now down to two stories on the collection. The one I just finished ate up almost half of the remaining necessary wordage and got a story out of me that I've been struggling to voice for the last couple years. It probably still needs a bit of polishing, but for now, I'm just happy to have a rough.

Five O'clock Shadow-Wolfology I-(re)submitted September 8th:
4 months 17 days
The Woman With One Green Eye-Foetus Fatale: Fubar'd Noir-submitted October 9th:
3 months 16 days
A Few Grams Lighter on the Scale-Monster Mash-submitted October 23rd:
3 months 2 days
One Final World to Conquer-Quest for Atlantis-submitted October 26th:
2 months 31 days
Phobia: Manipulating the Latent Fears of the Zombie Hordes-The Moron's Guide to the Inevitable Zombocalypse-submitted December 9th:
1 month 16 days
A Touch of the Divine-Best New Zombie Tales-submitted January 18th
7 days

2010:
1 acceptance
6 active (1 short listed)
1 rejection
0 withdrawn

Nearing the End of the Road

2010-01-20T18:34:00.000-08:00

I now only have three stories left to write for my collection. After writing/rewriting/heavily editing much of my work of the last four years, I have THREE stories left to do. I'm still in rather a state of shock at the situation.

I was planning on starting up on the next one today, but found something more important to do. It struck me last night that a slight alteration to the book's format would allow for smoother flow and greater coherence. Unfortunately, it also meant I had to find new places to fit all the stories from the section I removed. The process was difficult to put it mildly, but the result is looking quite impressive thus far.

I also sent out my first ever reprint sub yesterday to Best New Zombie Tales. It'll be interesting to see if that goes anywhere.

The Last Miracle of Ba'al-Hamon-Fight On!-submitted August 3rd:
5 months 17 days
Five O'clock Shadow-Wolfology I-(re)submitted September 8th:
4 months 12 days
The Woman With One Green Eye-Foetus Fatale: Fubar'd Noir-submitted October 9th:
3 months 11 days
A Few Grams Lighter on the Scale-Monster Mash-submitted October 23rd:
2 months 28 days
One Final World to Conquer-Quest for Atlantis-submitted October 26th:
2 months 25 days
Phobia: Manipulating the Latent Fears of the Zombie Hordes-The Moron's Guide to the Inevitable Zombocalypse-submitted December 9th:
1 month 11 days
A Touch of the Divine-Best New Zombie Tales-submitted January 18th
2 days

2010:
1 acceptance
7 active (1 short listed)
0 rejections
0 withdrawn

I Think I've Finally Arrived

2010-01-15T13:24:00.000-08:00

Because people keep posting product spam in my comments section! Seriously, knock it off.

Of other news, there isn't much to report. The collection continues to slowly chug along. I have about three short stories and three flash pieces left to go. I should finish sometime in February if I keep on track.

After that, I've got a few longer pieces I'm itching to work on...

The Last Miracle of Ba'al-Hamon-Fight On!-submitted August 3rd:
5 months 12 days
Five O'clock Shadow-Wolfology I-(re)submitted September 8th:
4 months 7 days
The Woman With One Green Eye-Foetus Fatale: Fubar'd Noir-submitted October 9th:
3 months 6 days
A Few Grams Lighter on the Scale-Monster Mash-submitted October 23rd:
2 months 23 days
One Final World to Conquer-Quest for Atlantis-submitted October 26th:
2 months 20 days
Phobia: Manipulating the Latent Fears of the Zombie Hordes-The Moron's Guide to the Inevitable Zombocalypse-submitted December 9th
1 month 6 days

2010:
1 acceptance
6 active (1 short listed)
0 rejections
0 withdrawn

The New Year Thus Far

2010-01-05T09:14:00.000-08:00

I got home from work last night to find an acceptance to the Library of Horror's bacon anthology waiting in my inbox. Yeah, that's right, bacon. When you can make something like bacon terrifying you know you can put a dark slant on anything.

After that, I woke up this morning to find a short list notice on my Foetus Fatale submission. So yes, 2010 is starting off quite well. Now, I just have to get moving on actually doing some writing.

The Last Miracle of Ba'al-Hamon-Fight On!-submitted August 3rd:
5 months 2 days
Five O'clock Shadow-Wolfology I-(re)submitted September 8th:
3 months 28 days
The Woman With One Green Eye-Foetus Fatale: Fubar'd Noir-submitted October 9th:
2 months 27 days
A Few Grams Lighter on the Scale-Monster Mash-submitted October 23rd:
2 months 13 days
One Final World to Conquer-Quest for Atlantis-submitted October 26th:
2 months 10 days
Phobia: Manipulating the Latent Fears of the Zombie Hordes-The Moron's Guide to the Inevitable Zombocalypse-submitted December 9th
27 days

2010:
1 acceptance
6 active (1 short listed)
0 rejections
0 withdrawn

The Home Stretch

2010-01-01T19:29:00.000-08:00

Well, news on the subs I have out is as slow as ever, but things are progressing nicely on my collection.

I spent my day off tinkering with the format. Consequently, a new section was added that put me just over 70,000 words. I also have a story I intend to finish tomorrow that should add at least 2,000 more. With a little luck, I'll have this whole thing finished a bit ahead of schedule.

I'm looking forward to subbing it out as I already have a publisher that seems interested. As to the relentless second (and in some cases third or fourth) round of self-editing/formatting, not so much.

The Last Miracle of Ba'al-Hamon-Fight On!-submitted August 3rd:
4 months 29 days
Best Served Hot-Baconology-submitted August 26th:
4 months 6 days
Five O'clock Shadow-Wolfology I-(re)submitted September 8th:
3 months 24 days
The Woman With One Green Eye-Foetus Fatale: Fubar'd Noir-submitted October 9th:
2 months 23 days
A Few Grams Lighter on the Scale-Monster Mash-submitted October 23rd:
2 months 9 days
One Final World to Conquer-Quest for Atlantis-submitted October 26th:
2 months 6 days
Phobia: Manipulating the Latent Fears of the Zombie Hordes-The Moron's Guide to the Inevitable Zombocalypse-submitted December 9th
23 days

2009:
20 acceptances
7 active (1 short listed)
15 rejections
3 withdrawn

Early Christmas Presents

2009-12-22T15:23:00.000-08:00

Huzzah! My check and contributor copy of The Bitter End arrived in the mail today!

Meanwhile, my collection keeps slowly growing. I doubt the rough will be done for at least a few more months though.

I've got no new submission responses to report, although the story I had accepted into Letters from the Dead will now be going into a different anthology due to retroactive guidelines issues. I've got no idea which one yet though.

The Last Miracle of Ba'al-Hamon-Fight On!-submitted August 3rd:
4 months 19 days
Best Served Hot-Baconology-submitted August 26th:
3 months 26 days
Five O'clock Shadow-Wolfology I-(re)submitted September 8th:
3 months 14 days
The Woman With One Green Eye-Foetus Fatale: Fubar'd Noir-submitted October 9th:
2 months 13 days
A Few Grams Lighter on the Scale-Monster Mash-submitted October 23rd:
1 month 29 days
One Final World to Conquer-Quest for Atlantis-submitted October 26th:
1 month 26 days

2009:
20 acceptances
6 active (1 short listed)
15 rejections
3 withdrawn

My First Non-Fiction Sale! (Sorta)

2009-12-04T19:52:00.000-08:00

I just got an acceptance for The Moron's Guide to the Zombocalpyse! I'm at something of a loss as to how to categorize the piece. It's definitely an article rather than a story, but based firmly in the post-apocalyptic wackiness of the zombie genre. The editor also requested I try one or two more, so I might just have a few more to add to this new section of my bibliography.

I find this all rather exciting as it proves that I may indeed have the chops to do the whole article thing in addition to short stories. It's always good to be able to branch out into new areas.

Also, I'm now at twenty acceptances for the year. One more, and I'll actually meet the arbitrary New Year's resolution I made in '08--I just pushed it back a little.

The Last Miracle of Ba'al-Hamon-Fight On!-submitted August 3rd:
4 months 1 day
Best Served Hot-Baconology-submitted August 26th:
3 months 8 days
Five O'clock Shadow-Wolfology I-(re)submitted September 8th:
2 months 26 days
The Woman With One Green Eye-Foetus Fatale: Fubar'd Noir-submitted October 9th:
1 month 25 days
A Few Grams Lighter on the Scale-Monster Mash-submitted October 23rd:
1 month 11 days
One Final World to Conquer-Quest for Atlantis-submitted October 26th:
1 month 8 days

2009:
20 acceptances
6 active (1 short listed)
15 rejections
3 withdrawn

Change of Plans and WTF's?!

2009-11-30T14:35:00.001-08:00

Well, it was an interesting morning.

I woke up and found a letter from a publisher in the e-mail I haven't used to sub anything in about two years. I got a very nice rejection stating the story I sent was held for consideration and came very close, but was ultimately rejected. Considering I gave up on that thing ages ago, it was...odd...to hear mention of it again. Perhaps I'll give it another look and do some rewriting.

S'nice to know at least some of my older stuff doesn't suck as much as I usually think.

Also! I happened upon a post on the Library of the Living Dead forums regarding the release of Zombonauts for which I was accepted. Alas, when I went to the site linked, my name was nowhere in the TOC. I sent a message to the good doctor who informed me of an unfortunate filing snafu. He kindly offered to put the story in Zombology III for me instead which suits me just fine.

So yeah, no harm, no foul, just a whole lot of weird.

And I'm not including that rejection in this year's count (once is enough).

The Last Miracle of Ba'al-Hamon-Fight On!-submitted August 3rd:
3 months 27 days
Best Served Hot-Baconology-submitted August 26th:
3 months 4 days
Five O'clock Shadow-Wolfology I-(re)submitted September 8th:
2 months 22 days
Economic Independence in Undead Times-The Moron's Guide to the Inevitable Zombocalypse-submitted October 5th:
1 month 25 days
The Woman With One Green Eye-Foetus Fatale: Fubar'd Noir-submitted October 9th:
1 month 21 days
A Few Grams Lighter on the Scale-Monster Mash-submitted October 23rd:
1 month 7 days
One Final World to Conquer-Quest for Atlantis-submitted October 26th:
1 month 4 days

2009:
19 acceptances
7 active (1 short listed)
15 rejections
3 withdrawn

The Last Crunch of Autumn

2009-11-12T15:18:00.000-08:00

I just found out today that my little flash story, "The Last Crunch of Autumn" has been picked up for publication by 52 Stitches. It'll be a strange experience to see my work online to be sure, but I know a number of people that have published with them and speak very well of its editor, so all is well.

I'll be looking forward to nabbing a copy of the print release too of course.

As I've had the last few days off from work, I also wrote a 2,000 word short story. I think I'll hold that one for use in my collection. Tomorrow, maybe I'll get started on that ghost story I've been wanting to do...

Oh yeah, and I'm taking my submission to Big Ole Face Full of Monster off the list as I am now quite sure they're dead.

The Last Miracle of Ba'al-Hamon-Fight On!-submitted August 3rd:
3 months 9 days
Best Served Hot-Baconology-submitted August 26th:
2 months 17 days
Five O'clock Shadow-Wolfology I-(re)submitted September 8th:
2 months 4 days
Economic Independence in Undead Times-The Moron's Guide to the Inevitable Zombocalypse-submitted October 5th:
1 month 7 days
The Woman With One Green Eye-Foetus Fatale: Fubar'd Noir-submitted October 9th:
1 month 3 days
A Few Grams Lighter on the Scale-Monster Mash-submitted October 23rd:
20 days
One Final World to Conquer-Quest for Atlantis-submitted October 26th:
17 days

2009:
19 acceptances
7 active (1 short listed)
15 rejections
3 withdrawn

Progress Report

2009-11-03T15:47:00.001-08:00

Today's my birthday, so there shall be no writing. However, October proved to be a pretty successful month in that regard. Six finished pieces in 31 days may be be an all-time record for me. When you're a writer who works a blue-collar job, brevity is your friend.

Perhaps this habit is why getting my first collection up to the proper wordage is such a pain in the rear. It's rolling along nicely, but each new story I add only gives it another one to two thousand words.

That said, at least the title story is done. Here's how things are looking so far:

53, 100 words
10 published
28 unpublished
12 that need to be written/redone

I need to get up to 80,000 words, so it's a long road ahead.

In other news, I'm planning on trying to get a story into 52 Stitches within the next couple of weeks (yeah, they're an e-zine, but they do release a print anthology at the end). Also, despite my output in October, I didn't make a single sale the entire month! Hopefully, November will treat me better in this regard.

The Power of Peruasion-Big Ole Face Full of Monster-submitted February 21st:
8 months 13 days
The Last Miracle of Ba'al-Hamon-Fight On!-submitted August 3rd:
3 months
Best Served Hot-Baconology-submitted August 26th:
2 months 8 days
Five O'clock Shadow-Wolfology I-(re)submitted September 8th:
1 month 26 days
Economic Independence in Undead Times-The Moron's Guide to the Inevitable Zombocalypse-submitted October 5th:
29 days
The Woman With One Green Eye-Foetus Fatale: Fubar'd Noir-submitted October 9th:
25 days
A Few Grams Lighter on the Scale-Monster Mash-submitted October 23rd:
11 days
One Final World to Conquer-Quest for Atlantis-submitted October 26th:
8 days

2009:
18 acceptances
8 active (1 short listed)
15 rejections
3 withdrawn

Black Corners of a Blood-Red Room

2009-10-27T18:11:00.000-07:00

I just did a little over 5oo words on the title story of my first short story collection. So far, pretty good. The whole production currently stands at 52,600 words, and I still have about ten stories left to write/rewrite for inclusion. An estimate of 40-50 stories is looking likely at this point.

Meanwhile, I've submitted stories to two more Pill Hill Press anthologies. I've also written a few movie reviews and articles in hopes of building a portfolio and looking for a job with one of the local newspapers or magazines. It's pretty unlikely they're even looking for anyone in the current economy, but meh, one never knows.

There are no new acceptances or rejections to report, but I was pleased to receive my contributor copy of Zombology II with my first royalty check tucked inside the inside cover. Very cool.

Oh, and if I don't get to it on the 31st, have a happy Halloween!

The Power of Peruasion-Big Ole Face Full of Monster-submitted February 21st:
8 months 6 days
The Last Miracle of Ba'al-Hamon-Fight On!-submitted August 3rd:
2 months 24 days
Best Served Hot-Baconology-submitted August 26th:
2 months 1 days
Five O'clock Shadow-Wolfology I-(re)submitted September 8th:
1 month 19 days
Economic Independence in Undead Times-The Moron's Guide to the Inevitable Zombocalypse-submitted October 5th:
22 days
The Woman With One Green Eye-Foetus Fatale: Fubar'd Noir-submitted October 9th:
18 days
A Few Grams Lighter on the Scale-Monster Mash-submitted October 23rd:
4 days
One Final World to Conquer-Quest for Atlantis-submitted October 26th:
1 day

2009:
18 acceptances
8 active (1 short listed)
15 rejections
3 withdrawn

Out of the Loop

2009-10-17T16:27:00.000-07:00

So, my internet service has been out for the last week. Upon returning, I noticed about half a dozen anthologies on Ralan I'm interested in pursuing. Cripes.

It doesn't look like I missed much in my e-mail. No new acceptances, rejections, or any of that jazz. However, I did just query one editor as whether or not I can re-submit my story. Between the spotty internet service and the words, "open until filled," my trigger finger gets overly twitchy at times (not to mention the fact I always notice things I kick myself for after I send).

Ah well.

Now, I just have to catch up on all the forum/site news I've missed over the past seven days.

The Power of Peruasion-Big Ole Face Full of Monster-submitted February 21st:
7 months 26 day
The Last Miracle of Ba'al-Hamon-Fight On!-submitted August 3rd:
2 months 14 days
Best Served Hot-Baconology-submitted August 26th:
1 month 21 days
Five O'clock Shadow-Wolfology I-(re)submitted September 8th:
1 month 9 days
Economic Independence in Undead Times-The Moron's Guide to the Inevitable Zombocalypse-submitted October 5th:
12 days
The Woman With One Green Eye-Foetus Fatale: Fubar'd Noir-submitted October 9th:
8 days

2009:
18 acceptances
6 active (1 short listed)
15 rejections
3 withdrawn

Breakin' Out

2009-09-30T05:12:00.000-07:00

Okay, I am now back from my vacation. Trumbull was a nice visit as always, and Boston was cool (although I have to admit I think I liked Salem more than the latter). This also means that I will now begin looking for a new job more suited to my abilities. I've got a lead on an online freelancing site which looks somewhat promising, but it doesn't pay very well, so I'll have to find some additional means. I may also start up some kind of online tutorial on getting work published or start doing some freelance editing. I'm not sure what my rates will be yet though.

The Power of Peruasion-Big Ole Face Full of Monster-submitted February 21st:
7 months 9 day
The Last Miracle of Ba'al-Hamon-Fight On!-submitted August 3rd:
1 month 27 days
Best Served Hot-Baconology-submitted August 26th:
1 month 4 days
Wolfology I-Five O'clock Shadow-(re)submitted September 8th:
22 days

2009:
18 acceptances
4 active (1 short listed)
15 rejections
3 withdrawn

AWOL

2009-09-22T18:16:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the absence folks. I'm on vacation in New England right now and won't be back until the beginning of next week. I won't have any writing progress to report on for awhile. I'll check back in when something's happening in that department. Later.

P.S. Zombology II is now up for sale on Amazon. Go check it out!

The Power of Peruasion-Big Ole Face Full of Monster-submitted February 21st:
7 months 1 day
The Last Miracle of Ba'al-Hamon-Fight On!-submitted August 3rd:
1 month 19 days
Best Served Hot-Baconology-submitted August 26th:
27 days
Wolfology I-Five O'clock Shadow-(re)submitted September 8th:
14 days

2009:
18 acceptances
4 active (1 short listed)
15 rejections
3 withdrawn

Clearing Out The List

2009-09-12T12:58:00.000-07:00

A Bonfire Hymn is go.
The Gutter Priest is go.
A Trip to Bobby's Bar is go.
Heir to a Vacant Throne (which I didn't even have time to list) is go.

Wow. Not only my first pro sale, but three of them in one fell swoop, and some more love from Library of Horror too. I hope the other stories I have out have luck this good.

I also got a few rounds of edits in my e-mail. I'll get to work on those tomorrow.

The Power of Peruasion-Big Ole Face Full of Monster-submitted February 21st:
6 months 20 days
A Quarter and Your Silence-Shock Totem-submitted August 1st:
1 month 10 days
The Last Miracle of Ba'al-Hamon-Fight On!-submitted August 3rd:
1 month 7 days
Best Served Hot-Baconology-submitted August 26th:
15 days
Wolfology I-Five O'clock Shadow-(re)submitted September 8th:
2 days

2009:

18 acceptances
5 active (1 short listed)
14 rejections
3 withdrawn

Bacon!

2009-09-10T08:27:00.000-07:00

Victorya (the charming editor of Library of Horror's impending bacon-centric horror anthology) recently sent me a message stating my story, "Best Served Hot" has made the short list!

I'll need to make sure I have a credit for my fiancee at the beginning of the story, as she dreamt up much of that wacky scenario for me. Good fun.

Unfortunately, my amoeba story did not make the cut over at The Beast Within 2. I think it was probably a little too slow-paced for the theme of the anthology, but I'm still pleased with how it came out. I do have a half-completed story I'm going to try to finish off and send in though.

Argh, and I still have another project I need to get done before I leave! Ah well, at least I got the alien story done.

The Power of Peruasion-Big Ole Face Full of Monster-submitted February 21st:
6 months 20 days
A Bonfire Hymn-Terror of Miskatonic Falls-submitted April 18th:
4 months 23 days
The Gutter Priest-Terror of Miskatonic Falls-submitted April 19th:
4 months 22 days
A Trip to Bobby's Bar-Terror of Miskatonic Falls-submitted June 3rd:
3 months 7 days
A Quarter and Your Silence-Shock Totem-submitted August 1st:
1 month 10 days
The Last Miracle of Ba'al-Hamon-Fight On!-submitted August 3rd:
1 month 7 days
Best Served Hot-Baconology-submitted August 26th:
15 days
Wolfology I-Five O'clock Shadow-(re)submitted September 8th:
2 days

2009:

14 acceptances
8 active (1 short listed)
14 rejections
3 withdrawn

Whoops!

2009-09-02T18:24:00.000-07:00

Wow, I didn't realize it had been that long since my last update. Sorry about that.

I've actually been working my tail off on different projects in preparation for an upcoming trip/vacation. There's only a few more to go, but I'm burning myself out a little. Hopefully, I'll manage to pull 'em out of the hat while I'm still able.

Anyway, stuff I'm currently focused on:

alien story
last half of werewolf story
rewrite of old ghost story

Yet more subs will be waiting for Doctor Pus in the coming weeks. You can be sure of that.

I'm also pondering the prospect of compiling a collection or two. I'm thinking of asking the Doc to compile a bunch of my Library acceptances for me in addition to some new material for one of them, and doing a Frances Borelli collection and a non-Library published collection for the others. I'll see where that takes me.

The Power of Peruasion-Big Ole Face Full of Monster-submitted February 21st:
6 months 12 days
A Bonfire Hymn-Terror of Miskatonic Falls-submitted April 18th:
4 months 15 days
The Gutter Priest-Terror of Miskatonic Falls-submitted April 19th:
4 months 14 days
A Trip to Bobby's Bar-Terror of Miskatonic Falls-submitted June 3rd:
2 months 30 days
A Quarter and Your Silence-Shock Totem-submitted August 1st:
1 month 2 days
The Last Miracle of Ba'al-Hamon-Fight On!-submitted August 3rd:
30 days
Wolfology I-Five O'clock Shadow-submitted August 31st:
3 days
The Beast Within II-Consumer Interest-submitted September 1st:
2 days

2009:
14 acceptances
8 active
13 rejections
3 withdrawn

Early Acceptance!

2009-08-13T08:55:00.000-07:00

Well, it looks like I won't have to wait until the end of October after all.

The Bitter End is go!

I'm especially pleased about this acceptance as the creature in the story has been evolving in my brain since '05. The big fella's had a long wait. I may use him again.

The Power of Peruasion-Big Ole Face Full of Monster-submitted February 21st:
5 months 22 days
A Bonfire Hymn-Terror of Miskatonic Falls-submitted April 18th:
3 months 25 days
The Gutter Priest-Terror of Miskatonic Falls-submitted April 19th:
3 months 24 days
A Trip to Bobby's Bar-Terror of Miskatonic Falls-submitted June 3rd:
2 months 10 day
A Quarter and Your Silence-Shock Totem-submitted August 1st:
13 days
Of Dust and Clay-Baconology-submitted August 3rd:
11 days
The Last Miracle of Ba'al-Hamon-Fight On!-submitted August 3rd:
11 days

2009:
14 acceptances
7 active
13 rejections
2 withdrawn

Short Listed

2009-08-09T14:15:00.000-07:00

I just found out the other day that the story I sent to The Bitter End is now sitting at the top of the short list pile. Excellent.

There's not much else going on. The weather here has been excruciatingly disgusting and is draining my will to write, or do much of anything else for that matter (the recent disappearance of two of my in-laws' cats hasn't exactly been helping my frame of mind either). However, I do know what my next two projects are going to be.

Oh! And including forthcoming publications, I now have twenty stories to my credit. Not bad.

The Power of Peruasion-Big Ole Face Full of Monster-submitted February 21st:
5 months 18 days
A Bonfire Hymn-Terror of Miskatonic Falls-submitted April 18th:
3 months 21 days
The Gutter Priest-Terror of Miskatonic Falls-submitted April 19th:
3 months 20 days
A Trip to Bobby's Bar-Terror of Miskatonic Falls-submitted June 3rd:
2 months 6 day
A Quarter and Your Silence-Shock Totem-submitted August 1st:
9 days
Of Dust and Clay-Baconology-submitted August 3rd:
7 days
The Last Miracle of Ba'al-Hamon-Fight On!-submitted August 3rd:
7 days
With Open Arms-The Bitter End-submitted August 8th:
2 days

2009:
13 acceptances
8 active (1 short listed)
13 rejections
2 withdrawn

And the Odds Tip Back in my Favor

2009-08-04T17:56:00.000-07:00

But for how long? All kidding aside, both Libraries have been very, very good to me. They're about as close as I may ever get to writing fiction as a steady, paying job.

So yes, Zombology VI and Zombonauts are go!

I'm less optimistic about the story I sent to Baconology. There's really no humor in it aside from the sheer absurdity of a few parts, and given some touchy subject matter, I doubt it will sell. Thus, I already have a back-up story in progress. As for the Fight On! anthology, I have no experience subbing to fantasy/S&S markets, so I really don't know what to expect.

Oh yeah, and I'm also working on a story for the Bitter End anthology. That's coming along nicely and should be done by the end of tomorrow.

The Power of Peruasion-Big Ole Face Full of Monster-submitted February 21st:
5 months 13 days
A Bonfire Hymn-Terror of Miskatonic Falls-submitted April 18th:
3 months 16 days
The Gutter Priest-Terror of Miskatonic Falls-submitted April 19th:
3 months 15 days
A Trip to Bobby's Bar-Terror of Miskatonic Falls-submitted June 3rd:
2 months 1 day
A Quarter and Your Silence-Shock Totem-submitted August 1st:
4 days
Of Dust and Clay-Baconology-submitted August 3rd
2 days
The Last Miracle of Ba'al-Hamon-Fight On!-submitted August 3rd
2 days

2009:
13 acceptances
7 active
13 rejections
2 withdrawn

Okay, Finally, Some Improvement

2009-07-26T18:50:00.000-07:00

After four rejections in about the same week, I got an acceptance for the story I subbed to The Scroll of Anubis anthology.

Yet again, one of the two libraries helps me pull one out of the hat.

In addition, I had a burst of inspiration last night and finished a story I've had rolling around in my brain for the last 2 1/2 years. From start to finish, the thing took me an hour and forty minutes. It's short, but came out pretty damned good if I do say so myself. However, I have not the faintest clue as to where to send it (incidentally, if anyone reading this knows a place that will consider a period weird tale set in ancient times with a bit of a Robert E. Howard bent, let me know).

I also have a few more anthologies I want to get rolling on this week, including a werewolf tale I've been putting off for a year or so. I think it's finally time to see what I can do with it.

The Power of Peruasion-Big Ole Face Full of Monster-submitted February 21st:
5 months 5 days
A Bonfire Hymn-Terror of Miskatonic Falls-submitted April 18th:
3 months 8 days
The Gutter Priest-Terror of Miskatonic Falls-submitted April 19th:
3 months 7 days
A Trip to Bobby's Bar-Terror of Miskatonic Falls-submitted June 3rd:
1 month 23 days
Changing Tastes-Zombology VI-submitted July 17th:
9 days
Laments of a Falling Star-Zombonauts-submitted July 18th:
8 days

2009:
11 acceptances
6 active
13 rejections
2 withdrawn

Win Some, Lose Some

2009-07-21T08:16:00.001-07:00

Well, July has been a complete bust so far--three rejections, and all of them in just a few days, with no acceptances at all. Blah.

I can only hope the few other subs I have out have better luck.

On the positive side, I have found a few interesting anthologies that are taking submissions. Now, it's just an issue of finding adequate time to write something for all of them.

The Power of Peruasion-Big Ole Face Full of Monster-submitted February 21st:
5 months
A Bonfire Hymn-Terror of Miskatonic Falls-submitted April 18th:
3 months 3 days
The Gutter Priest-Terror of Miskatonic Falls-submitted April 19th:
3 months 2 days
A Trip to Bobby's Bar-Terror of Miskatonic Falls-submitted June 3rd:
1 month 18 days
Changing Tastes-Zombology VI-submitted July 17th:
4 days
Laments of a Falling Star-Zombonauts-submitted July 18th:
3 days

2009:
10 acceptances
6 active
12 rejections
2 withdrawn

Some Slight Progress

2009-07-09T18:43:00.000-07:00

Well, things are finally (kind of) moving again.

I got working on a werewolf story on my days off that is now up to 1,200 words, and I also just subbed out a story to Necrotic Tissue. Amazingly, my e-mail didn't completely mess up the formatting like it does for most things I've tried to embed before.

I also got some more information from Mr. Lucia. It seems I should be hearing back from him again in a couple weeks. I am still not completely sure whether I can count any of the poems I subbed to him as acceptances or not, but it's starting to look fairly likely provided the additional editing goes well.

There's a few other places I'd like to write submissions for right now, but I've been having a hard time finding the appropriate amounts of time as of late. Hopefully, I'll have another lull soon when I can work.
The Power of Peruasion-Big Ole Face Full of Monster-submitted February 21st:
4 months 18 days
A Bonfire Hymn-Terror of Miskatonic Falls-submitted April 18th:
2 months 20 days
The Gutter Priest-Terror of Miskatonic Falls-submitted April 19th:
2 months 19 days
A Bitter Harvest-Shroud Magazine-submitted May 1st:
2 months 8 days
A Trip to Bobby's Bar-Terror of Miskatonic Falls-submitted June 3rd:
1 month 6 days
A Quarter and Your Silence-Necrotic Tissue-submitted July 9th:
1 day

2009:

10 acceptances
6 active
9 rejections
2 withdrawn

Mandatory Update

2009-06-30T14:32:00.000-07:00

Well, not really. There hasn't been a lot to report on lately. No new projects started, completed, submitted, or published. However, I do have a few anthology ideas rolling around in my head, so we'll see what develops before my next day of work. I'll also probably pull the story I have awaiting decision over at Big Ole Face Full of Monster soon.

Oh yeah, and I just picked up a Brian Lumley collection at the library.

The Power of Peruasion-Big Ole Face Full of Monster-submitted February 21st:
4 months 9 days
A Bonfire Hymn-Terror of Miskatonic Falls-submitted April 18th:
2 months 12 days
The Gutter Priest-Terror of Miskatonic Falls-submitted April 19th:
2 months 11 days
A Bitter Harvest-Shroud Magazine-submitted May 1st:
1 month 29 days
A Trip to Bobby's Bar-Terror of Miskatonic Falls-submitted June 3rd:
27 days

2009:

10 acceptances
5 active
9 rejections
2 withdrawn

Just In Time!

2009-06-19T07:38:00.000-07:00

Well, I was wondering if I might not get a sale in June, but my fears proved unfounded.

Rhiannon Frater just picked up my story, "The Last Known Whereabouts of 268 Rainey Street" for publication in Tales from the Cauldron!

I'm now up to ten acceptances this year, and eight of those are attributed to either Library of the Living Dead Press or Library of Horror Press. I think I may have to pitch the Doc a collection at some point if things keep going this way.

But yeah, one poem and two short stories written in June--one of which will be published--not too shabby so far! And to think it started off so slowly in the beginning too...

Surviving the Crash: 8,000 words/ten chapters done (on hiatus)

The Power of Peruasion-Big Ole Face Full of Monster-submitted February 21st:
3 months 28 days
A Bonfire Hymn-Terror of Miskatonic Falls-submitted April 18th:
2 months 1 day
The Gutter Priest-Terror of Miskatonic Falls-submitted April 19th:
2 months
A Bitter Harvest-Shroud Magazine-submitted May 1st:
1 month 18 days
A Trip to Bobby's Bar-Terror of Miskatonic Falls-submitted June 3rd:
16 days

2009:

10 acceptances
5 active
9 rejections
2 withdrawn

Yet Another Informational

2009-06-14T19:51:00.000-07:00

After reading about some hardships one of my Permuted brethren suffered at a publication (although the work was art rather than fiction in this case), I thought I'd put up a bit of a publishing guide.

Okay, so let's cut right to the bone--how do you spot a less than reputable publisher?

There are a number of things to check out.

First off, run a search on them. Have well-known writers had work picked up there? Are there entire message boards devoted to the hell the editor has put submitters through? Have they been labeled anywhere as a "vanity publisher.?" It sounds obvious, but running a name through Google can save a writer a lot of hassle. However, it's also important to make sure the people providing the information are reputable themselves.

There are a number of websites devoted to pointing out the con artists in the business. First and foremost amongst these is Preditors and Editors. The site provide information on both publishers and agents, so it's a really good place to start looking for answers. They also have an excellent section regarding ways to spot unsavory characters here: http://www.anotherealm.com/prededitors/pubwarn.htm

Another important component of sniffing out a bad publication is provided by the guilty party itself. Virtually every publication, good and bad, has its own website. While not a guarantee of quality in and of itself, an organized site implies at least some level of effort is going into the production. However, if a publication's site is dripping with typos, tacky graphics, and text following your cursor, it's probably not a place worth your time.

Finally, one of the best weapons at your disposal is the writing community itself. If you know people in the business, even if it's just through a message board, it never hurts to ask if they're familiar with an editor or publication. Even if you don't trust any one member implicitly enough to take his or her word as gospel, you can always start a thread and take a consensus of opinion.

Well, I think that covers the basics. Make sure you check out that link I provided. There's some helpful stuff on there.

Oh yeah, and I got that short story done :)

Surviving the Crash: 8,000 words/ten chapters done (on hiatus)

The Power of Peruasion-Big Ole Face Full of Monster-submitted February 21st:
3 months 23 days
A Bonfire Hymn-Terror of Miskatonic Falls-submitted April 18th:
1 month 26 days
The Gutter Priest-Terror of Miskatonic Falls-submitted April 19th:
1 month 25 days
A Bitter Harvest-Shroud Magazine-submitted May 1st:
1 month 13 days
A Trip to Bobby's Bar-Terror of Miskatonic Falls-submitted June 3rd:
11 days

2009:

9 acceptances
5 active
9 rejections
2 withdrawn

Back on Track

2009-06-12T20:30:00.000-07:00

Hooray for days off!

I just got about 1300-1400 words done on a rewrite of an old story. It's looking much better than the original thanks to a helping of much leaner prose. With a little luck, I just might finish this sucker tomorrow.

The day itself was something of a mixed bag. I think I finally resolved the weird eject disk error I kept getting on my new laptop, but now the speakers are inoperable which isn't so good. I also went for a walk with my girl and got to pet the chihuahua that's we've spotted in the area for a few years (sweet dog). On the downside, Hannah isn't feeling particularly well and I made a hash of dinner...and put off my workout to play some videogames....yeah...*cough*

Ah well, the night is still (kinda) young, so I might just get most of it in yet!

Surviving the Crash: 8,000 words/ten chapters done (on hiatus)

The Power of Peruasion-Big Ole Face Full of Monster-submitted February 21st:
3 months 21 days
A Bonfire Hymn-Terror of Miskatonic Falls-submitted April 18th:
1 month 24 days
The Gutter Priest-Terror of Miskatonic Falls-submitted April 19th:
1 month 23 days
A Bitter Harvest-Shroud Magazine-submitted May 1st:
1 month 11 days
A Trip to Bobby's Bar-Terror of Miskatonic Falls-submitted June 3rd:
9 days

2009:

9 acceptances
5 active
9 rejections
2 withdrawn

...

2009-06-08T20:45:00.000-07:00

I didn't!

Graaaah...it feels like my brain is turning to mush lately. At least I managed to get three pages done on something new today. But yeah, still unforgivably crappy progress. I hope the weekend goes better.

Surviving the Crash: 8,000 words/ten chapters done (on hiatus)

The Power of Peruasion-Big Ole Face Full of Monster-submitted February 21st:
3 months 17 days
A Bonfire Hymn-Terror of Miskatonic Falls-submitted April 18th:
1 month 20 days
The Gutter Priest-Terror of Miskatonic Falls-submitted April 19th:
1 month 19 days
A Bitter Harvest-Shroud Magazine-submitted May 1st:
1 month 7 days
A Trip to Bobby's Bar-Terror of Miskatonic Falls-submitted June 3rd:
5 days

2009:

9 acceptances
5 active
9 rejections
2 withdrawn

Supply Point!

2009-06-04T08:06:00.000-07:00

Sorry it's been awhile since my last post, but my folks came over for a long overdue visit. As a result, you haven't missed any updates writing-wise with the exception of one more poem written and submitted to Miskatonic Falls.

I do have a few ideas percolating though--must get going on those today!

Surviving the Crash: 8,000 words/ten chapters done (on hiatus)

The Power of Peruasion-Big Ole Face Full of Monster-submitted February 21st:
3 months 13 days
A Bonfire Hymn-Terror of Miskatonic Falls-submitted April 18th:
1 month 16 days
The Gutter Priest-Terror of Miskatonic Falls-submitted April 19th:
1 month 15 days
A Bitter Harvest-Shroud Magazine-submitted May 1st:
1 month 3 days
A Trip to Bobby's Bar-Terror of Miskatonic Falls-submitted June 3rd:
1 day

2009:

9 acceptances
5 active
9 rejections
2 withdrawn

Now, Really...

2009-05-27T06:54:00.000-07:00

does it have to be so hard to find a paying print market these days?

Okay, I feel another minor rant coming...

Are "for the love" markets a bad thing in and of themselves? Of course not. More markets means more places to sell your stories, and if you're a writer beginning his career, they're often a lot less intimidating than the big boys like Cemetery Dance. You may not get paid, but at least you'll finally have something to put on that cover letter for the next publisher that actually shells out cash.

That said, all good things in moderation.

It goes something like this. A free market by its very nature has fewer expenditures than paying print as they don't have to pay the contributors. In the case of electronic markets, there's even less expense as there are no material, printing, or shipping fees to worry about. This presumably makes the latter most appealing to editors looking to start up their own publication as the risk is far lower than the alternative.

This is where things get sticky.

What was once a valid alternative gradually becomes commonplace--and so does its level of payment. By paying contributors for their hard work, many print markets find themselves at a financial disadvantage. While their editors struggle to handle costs (also true in the case of free print markets), the ether spews forth a few dozen more competitors where you can read everything for nothing or next to nothing. The paying print markets might be forced to lower their standard of payment (Shroud Magazine), or fold altogether under the economic strain.

And what do we have left? A swelling sea of publications that can technically be started by almost anyone and pay the writer nothing.

Things haven't quite gotten to that point yet thank goodness. Paying markets still outnumber free markets by a fairly considerable margin, but I've seen way too many good places go under or lower their payment lately. And the payment for a lot of those "paying" markets isn't much pay at all.

Think I'm exaggerating? Take a look at the postings on ralan.com sometime.

Semi-pro to professional pay markets--64 entries
Paying markets (roughly 1/4 cent per word)--177 entries
"4 the luv" markets--96 entries

Anybody want to try explaining to me why most publishers now are paying rates lower than what they offered in the 1920's?

The sad thing is I really hate badmouthing free e-zines. Really! I do believe that most of the editors who start them up do so with the intention of forwarding their own literary visions and providing some damned good reads. I just wish they'd opt to work out a proper business model and make a publication that lives up to that vision while respecting its writers. If they do, I'll be more than happy to send something their way.

P.S. I am not by any means saying all e-zines stiff their writers. There are a number of electronic publications that pay professional rates, and I've got no beef with them. This rant is about respecting the hard work writers pour into their stories and compensating them for it appropriately.

Surviving the Crash: 8,000 words/ten chapters done (on hiatus)

The Power of Peruasion-Big Ole Face Full of Monster-submitted February 21st:
3 months 6 day
A Bonfire Hymn-Terror of Miskatonic Falls-submitted April 18th:
1 month 9 days
The Gutter Priest-Terror of Miskatonic Falls-submitted April 19th:
1 month 8 day
A Bitter Harvest-Shroud Magazine-submitted May 1st:
27 days

2009:

9 acceptances
4 active
9 rejections
2 withdrawn

The Curse Continues

2009-05-22T12:00:00.000-07:00

Yet again, one of my shortlisted stories gets rejected. Surprise, surprise. Ah well, at least it hung in there for quite awhile.

Unfortunately, there are virtually no markets currently open that I'm interested in/don't have something waiting on a response already. Crap.

Surviving the Crash: 8,000 words/ten chapters done (on hiatus)

The Power of Peruasion-Big Ole Face Full of Monster-submitted February 21st:
3 months 1 day
A Bonfire Hymn-Terror of Miskatonic Falls-submitted April 18th:
1 month 4 days
The Gutter Priest-Terror of Miskatonic Falls-submitted April 19th:
1 month 3 day
A Bitter Harvest-Shroud Magazine-submitted May 1st:
22 days

2009:

9 acceptances
4 active
9 rejections
2 withdrawn

Lost That Lovin' Feelin'?

2009-05-20T18:39:00.001-07:00

Hmm...so it seems whenever I ponder on my novella I immediately want to do something else. This does not bode well.

Today, I spent a good chunk of the afternoon partially rewriting an old short story (it's not looking bad so far). I have plans for several other older stories I want to edit and/or rewrite, so it's going to occupy me for a significant while, and that's even if I don't have any new ideas bite me on the rear in the meantime.

Right now, I'll just say Surviving the Crash is on hiatus. I love the character, I find the world interesting enough...I'm just sick of going back to the same f'ing story over and OVER again. Perhaps I was correct earlier in this endeavor when I was planning a collection of Borelli short stories. That might be worth trying again.

Meantime, unless some minor miracle happens, don't expect any longer work from me. 'Nuff said.

In happier news, sources say the issue of Shroud I'm appearing in should be out in a few weeks. Hooray for that!

Surviving the Crash: 8,000 words/ten chapters done (on hiatus)

The Power of Peruasion-Big Ole Face Full of Monster-submitted February 21st:
2 months 29 days
A Quarter and Your Silence-Withersin Magazine-submitted April 1st:
1 month 19 days
A Bonfire Hymn-Terror of Miskatonic Falls-submitted April 18th:
1 month 2 days
The Gutter Priest-Terror of Miskatonic Falls-submitted April 19th:
1 month 1 day
A Bitter Harvest-Shroud Magazine-submitted May 1st:
20 days

2009:

9 acceptances
5 active
8 rejections
2 withdrawn

The Joys of Repeat Business

2009-05-15T07:51:00.001-07:00

Okay, I know I just posted, but it feels like it's been an age since I put up that last article. I'm thinking I'll try to get at least one done per month from here on in.

Today, I'll be covering a topic near and dear to my heart: finding a true home for your work.

No, I'm not talking about merely placing one of your stories with an anthology or magazine. I'm referring to the rare feat of finding a publication that remains not only a genuinely attractive place to send your work, but remains receptive to it.

I was one of the lucky ones.

The very first place to which I submitted (and indeed, the first place that ever picked up my work--that was submission number two) was a book publisher that steadily put out anthologies that really got my creative juices flowing. On top of that, there was a community forum of very intelligent and helpful folks that was always a good place for support. Before long, it became my literary haven.

There were a number of elements that initially led me there. The publisher's site was organized and readable, the work that was already out appeared to have good production values had generally positive reviews, and the forum was populated by...well, non-idiots to be blunt.

Simply, it was a place I wanted into not because it was a pro-rate market, but because it was a good market.

Over time, I became a regular on the forums. In doing so, I came to have some first-hand knowledge and contact with the editors of the anthologies that were planned, and the initial community heads-up that allowed me to get moving on a project before the folks on the market posting sites even knew about it. Both advantages were invaluable, and definitely boosted my odds of placing work there.

Since then, I've received two acceptances and two rejections--one of them short listed--from the same publisher. That may not sound like much, but it's actually an acceptance rate of fifty-percent, and that is considerably above average (I won't count the first thing I sent them, as that was before I even knew how to write a proper cover letter, let alone how to edit worth a damn). Moreover, I'm really looking forward to increasing it as circumstances permit.

Okay, that was a bit short and sort of slowly mutated into more of an article dealing with the usefulness of forums, but it'll have to do. I've got some business to attend.

Oh, and Permuted Press, keep on rockin'.

Some Slight Updating

2009-05-15T07:38:00.000-07:00

Phew! I finally get some time to rest!

Well, from the dayjob anyway. I intend to finally get moving on my novella again today (after re-reading what I've already got down of course).

In addition, I found out yesterday that my story at Withersin has now been short listed! That's usually the kiss of death for my stories destined to be classified as "good, but not quite what we're looking for," but I shall remain cautiously optimistic.

I'm also going with Hannah to a student showcase over at the ITT she used to attend. There's free food, and she gets to go show off some of her work, so it should be a good time.

Oh, and I'll pulling my story from Doorways at some point today.

Surviving the Crash: 8,000 words/ten chapters done (still)

The Power of Peruasion-Big Ole Face Full of Monster-submitted February 21st:
2 months 24 days
A Quarter and Your Silence-Withersin Magazine-submitted April 1st:
1 month 14 days
A Bonfire Hymn-Terror of Miskatonic Falls-submitted April 18th:
27 days
The Gutter Priest-Terror of Miskatonic Falls-submitted April 19th:
26 days
A Bitter Harvest-Shroud Magazine-submitted May 1st:
15 days

2009:

9 acceptances
5 active
8 rejections
2 withdrawn

Mm-Hmm...

2009-05-12T13:11:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm now officially over a year at Doorways. I don't know if I'm necessarily going to pull my piece from there altogether, but I'm definitely going to inform the editor that I'll be sending it elsewhere for consideration.

I've also had a story over at Withersin for a little over a month, and it seems to be performing pretty decently for the moment (I've seen at least two or three folks get shot down there on Duotrope in less time than I've had my piece there).

I also did some edits on my poems for the Terror of Miskatonic Falls anthology. I think one may be ready to go now, but I had a hell of a time finding anything to tighten on the other, so I'm waiting for further editorial feedback.

Also, and alas, my girl's animation did not make it into the final round of judging. Looks like Sallie Mae will be breathing down our necks for some time to come. However, a few folks in high places have been showing some interest in her commissions page. Hopefully, that will help earn some much-needed revenue for the cause.

Oh yeah, and still no novella progress--blaaaah.

Surviving the Crash: 8,000 words/ten chapters done

The Third Eye Opened-Doorways Magazine-submitted May 11th:
1 year 1 day (WTF?!)
The Power of Peruasion-Big Ole Face Full of Monster-submitted February 21st:
2 months 21 days
A Quarter and Your Silence-Withersin Magazine-submitted April 1st:
1 month 11 days
A Bonfire Hymn-Terror of Miskatonic Falls-submitted April 18th:
24 days
The Gutter Priest-Terror of Miskatonic Falls-submitted April 19th:
23 days
A Bitter Harvest-Shroud Magazine-submitted May 1st:
12 days

2009:

9 acceptances
6 active
8 rejections
1 withdrawal

Promotion!

2009-05-07T16:20:00.000-07:00

For those who don't know, my fiancee is a pretty damned fine artist, and she now has a commissions section up on her blog: http://herutigliano.blogspot.com/

She offers a wide variety of services for very reasonable rates, so I encourage anybody here who wants some cool art, animation, etc. to go look her up.

Also, go check out her webcomic if you haven't already done so:
http://www.webcomicsnation.com/silly-stungun-millie/

In other news, I got my e-mail from Mr. Lucia. He offered me several bits of editorial advice on BOTH my poems (very good news as I only expected interest in the one), and asked if they could be kept for consideration. I, of course, consented.

Now, I just need work to finally give me some friggin' breathing space so I can get back to work on them.

Surviving the Crash: 8,000 words/ten chapters done

The Third Eye Opened-Doorways Magazine-submitted May 11th:
11 mo.'s 26 days
The Power of Peruasion-Big Ole Face Full of Monster-submitted February 21st:
2 months 16 days
A Quarter and Your Silence-Withersin Magazine-submitted April 1st:
1 month 6 days
A Bonfire Hymn-Terror of Miskatonic Falls-submitted April 18th:
19 days
The Gutter Priest-Terror of Miskatonic Falls-submitted April 19th:
18 days
A Bitter Harvest-Shroud Magazine-submitted May 1st:
7 days

2009:

9 acceptances
6 active
8 rejections
1 withdrawal

At Long Last!

2009-05-06T07:14:00.000-07:00

I just finally placed The Grove with Doctor Pus' Horrorology anthology.

And thank god! I was about out of places to send the poor thing.

I also got an acceptance for the little Snow White-inspired zombie story I sent his Feary Tales anthology as well.

I still have no word back from Mr. Lucia over at Shroud, but I remain cautiously optimistic about my odds of getting into the Terror of Miskatonic Falls anthology. I may be stuck at work the rest of the week, but at least I accomplished something first!

Surviving the Crash: 8,000 words/ten chapters done

The Third Eye Opened-Doorways Magazine-submitted May 11th:
11 mo.'s 25 days
The Power of Peruasion-Big Ole Face Full of Monster-submitted February 21st:
2 months 15 days
A Quarter and Your Silence-Withersin Magazine-submitted April 1st:
1 month 5 days
A Bonfire Hymn-Terror of Miskatonic Falls-submitted April 18th:
18 days
The Gutter Priest-Terror of Miskatonic Falls-submitted April 19th:
17 days
A Bitter Harvest-Shroud Magazine-submitted May 1st:
6 days

2009:

9 acceptances
6 active
8 rejections
1 withdrawal

Hang In There

2009-05-04T17:01:00.001-07:00

Thanks to everyone who voted so far. Really, it helps my girl's odds out a bunch, so keep it up!

Voting remains open until noon on May 11th, and you can vote once every 24 hours. If you don't know what I'm blabbing on about, take a look at the previous post.

In other news, I just got an e-mail today from Mr. Lucia over at Shroud stating that one or both of the poems I sent to the anthology are being held for further consideration and that I should be hearing from him in a week or so. As it's a pro-rate market for poetry, I'm pretty damned keen to see how things turn out.

My productivity lately has been crap--must fix that tomorrow!

Surviving the Crash: 8,000 words/ten chapters done

The Third Eye Opened-Doorways Magazine-submitted May 11th:
11 mo.'s 23 days
The Power of Peruasion-Big Ole Face Full of Monster-submitted February 21st:
2 months 13 days
A Quarter and Your Silence-Withersin Magazine-submitted April 1st:
1 month 3 days
A Bonfire Hymn-Terror of Miskatonic Falls-submitted April 18th:
16 days
The Gutter Priest-Terror of Miskatonic Falls-submitted April 19th:
15 days
A Bitter Harvest-Shroud Magazine-submitted May 1st:
4 days

2009:

7 acceptances
6 active
8 rejections
1 withdrawal

Help My Girl Out!

2009-05-01T17:52:00.000-07:00

Normally, I reserve this blog for purposes of promotion, but tonight is an exception.

Recently, my fiancee learned of a video contest being held. The winner of said contest is to receive $10,000 towards their student loans. Unfortunately, she receive no notification of any of this until about a week ago, and she's been working her butt off ever since (she is one of the extremely few people who did something more than a simple youtube-esque v-log--she did a very amusing animation instead).

She finally finished it up and posted it today.

20% of scoring on this contest is through viewer voting, so I am asking you as I have never asked before--go vote for her video and help get her out of this stinking debt! There are still a few days left!

Her animation can be found here (don't let the thumbnail fool you, it looks just fine): http://tuition-tales.com/video-contest-entry-profile.asp?vid=44F9533E8634473987A736286E747247

God speed!

Surviving the Crash: 8,000 words/ten chapters done

The Third Eye Opened-Doorways Magazine-submitted May 11th:
11 mo.'s 20 days
The Power of Peruasion-Big Ole Face Full of Monster-submitted February 21st:
2 months 10 days
A Quarter and Your Silence-Withersin Magazine-submitted April 1st:
1 month
A Bonfire Hymn-Terror of Miskatonic Falls-submitted April 18th:
13 days
The Gutter Priest-Terror of Miskatonic Falls-submitted April 19th:
12 days
The Grove-Morpheus Tales-submitted April 19th:
12 days
A Bitter Harvest-Shroud Magazine-submitted May 1st:
1 day

2009:

7 acceptances
7 active
7 rejections
1 withdrawal

Ha!

2009-04-24T17:16:00.000-07:00

Okay, I've had an ungodly stretch of days this week that will be running over into the next (blaaah), BUT I just barely managed to finish and submit a story before the fecal matter hit the fan.

So, on that note, Library of Horror's Vampology is GO!

Hehe, it's my first ever accepted (not to mention submitted) story in the vampire genre, and I actually think it turned out to be quite an entertaining little piece. A word of advice though, if you're a rabid fan of certain sparkly vampires, this story is definitely not for you!

Surviving the Crash: 8,000 words/ten chapters done

The Third Eye Opened-Doorways Magazine-submitted May 11th:
11 mo.'s 13 days
The Power of Peruasion-Big Ole Face Full of Monster-submitted February 21st:
2 months 3 days
A Quarter and Your Silence-Withersin Magazine-submitted April 1st:
23 days
A Bonfire Hymn-Terror of Miskatonic Falls-submitted April 18th:
6 days
The Gutter Priest-Terror of Miskatonic Falls-submitted April 19th:
5 days
The Grove-Morpheus Tales-submitted April 19th:
5 days

2009:

7 acceptances
6 active
7 rejections
1 withdrawal

Progress

2009-04-20T21:58:00.000-07:00

Well, I've now made up for last week's debacle a bit.

I now have two poems subbed out to Shroud's Miskatonic Falls anthology and the before-mentioned story awaiting judgment at Morpheus Tales. In addition, I just hit 7,500 words on Surviving the Crash before going to work this morning, so I am now officially over minimum novelette length from this point on! Huzzah!

The rest of my week is packed with work hours (grumble), but I'm at an interesting little climax in my story right now, and I'm eager to see just what kind of hell is about to break loose. More importantly, I hope I can handle it to maximum effect.

Surviving the Crash: 7,500 words/nine chapters done (and a little more)

The Third Eye Opened-Doorways Magazine-submitted May 11th:
11 mo.'s 9 days
The Power of Peruasion-Big Ole Face Full of Monster-submitted February 21st:
1 month 30 days
A Quarter and Your Silence-Withersin Magazine-submitted April 1st:
19 days
A Bonfire Hymn-Terror of Miskatonic Falls-submitted April 18th:
two days
The Gutter Priest-Terror of Miskatonic Falls-submitted April 19th:
one day
The Grove-Morpheus Tales-submitted April 19th:
one day

2009:

6 acceptances
6 active
7 rejections
1 withdrawal

Now For Something More Positive

2009-04-19T08:19:00.000-07:00

Okay, I retaliated to the nastiness of the last week by writing/subbing a poem, writing another poem (which will be subbed to the same anthology tonight), and subbing The Grove out to Morpheus Tales.

As an additional attempt to banish any residual malaise, here's a list of the ten stories I'm most proud of writing (jacked from Matthew Baugh, who jacked it from Catherine Gardener...who jacked it from Aaron Polson! Ha!).

1. The Enemy of my Enemy-A wild tale of alternative history chemical warfare and the consequent giant lice roaming the trenches of Europe during WWI. The prose is lean and the story squirm-inducing. I actually got some of my inspiration for the narrative flavor via a WWI-set level in Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem (it's a fabulous game, play it if you haven't!).

2. A Bitter Harvest-A tale of assassination, revenge, and eventual madness with hefty doses of Medieval folklore and one of the best monsters I ever wrote. It's been rejected by almost everywhere, but always with positive comments. Damned shame there.

3. The Menace-This is probably my most successful attempt at literary horror. It has lush descriptions of New England, and a slow-paced atmospheric story. The Willows' editor gave it a very favorable comparison to Arthur Machen's work, although that was completely unintentional. It's still the best review anyone has ever given me.

4. The Grove-I had put this thing through the wringer about a half-dozen times and had just about given up on it when I sent it to Bobbie Metevier. What she was able to help me shape it into stripped almost all of the fat stubbornly clinging to its bones. It's partly inspired by H.P. Lovecraft's "The Street" but on a larger scale and with a much more insidious tone.

5. A Touch of the Divine-The first story I ever got published, and according to Kim Paffenroth, his favorite story in History is Dead. It has zombies running amok in plague-era England, an immune (and rather zealotous) priest, and scheming lords. It's far from my best story, but I have a lot of affection for it.

6. An Allure Forgotten-Forthcoming from Shroud Magazine. This story started out as a very amateurish short-short from my earlier days. Later, when I was intent on getting something to Shroud, it occurred to me that I could not only greatly upgrade its potential with minimum effort due to its length, but change the monster in such a way as to include almost every element the publisher was looking for. It's short, creepy, and includes one of my great old loves--Greek mythology.

7. The Vigil on the Banks-It may be a flash fiction, but I'm still very happy with how atmospheric it turned out. There's no dialogue, and almost no interaction between characters, but it all works together to make something slightly surreal and just a bit unsettling. And yes, more Greek mythological references.

8. The Decoy-Another flash fiction included in Northern Haunts (same as above), but with a completely different flavor. This one has a lot more dialogue per page than most of my work, and some of my best despite its length. It also has one of my more evocative endings. I owe this one to Lovecraft, as he first brought the legend of those nasty little birds to my attention.

9. The Third Eye Opened-The namesake of this blog, and the first story I ever wrote that I was confident didn't suck. It probably needs a serious editing job by this point in time to get rid of gratuitous language, but I'm still proud of the pacing and the plot twist near the end.

10. Whispers From the Tank-My first ever Frances Borelli story. Writing was starting to become a bit mechanical, and even boring before I dreamt her up. This is probably the most poorly written story she appears in, but I had a blast writing it, and writing her. Pulp always needed far tougher women as far as I'm conerned.

There's A First (and a sucky one at that)

2009-04-18T07:26:00.000-07:00

Well, it would appear that The Willows is no more. I had a story slated to appear there sometime by the end of the year which will now need a new home.

It's an atmospheric, old weird tales-esque period piece set in the early 1900's, so yeah, I don't really have much idea as to where to send it now. If anybody knows any good potential print markets for it, let me know.

Nerts

2009-04-17T17:43:00.000-07:00

Wow, this week sure did suck a bunch to compensate for the holiday.

I got a form rejection letter from Shock Totem last night (major bummer as I was beginning to think I might actually have a chance there), and a personal rejection from Murky Depths when I got home from work just now.

I've said it once, and I'll say it again--nobody ever likes my freakin' endings!

Apparently, not even the ones I've rewritten because they were supposedly bad the first time.

Blah.

At least I did get some positive feedback, and the response time was very quick. Still, the last thing I needed after the way this week went at work was another kick in the teeth.

In retaliation, I shall now tuck into whatever sweet morsels I can find in my household and laugh myself stupid with some MST3k. I can worry about markets and the related big 'ol bucket of B.S. tomorrow.

Surviving the Crash: 6,000 words/eight chapters done

The Third Eye Opened-Doorways Magazine-submitted May 11th:
11 mo.'s 6 days
The Power of Peruasion-Big Ole Face Full of Monster-submitted February 21st:
1 month 27 days
A Quarter and Your Silence-Withersin Magazine-submitted April 1st:
16 days

2009:

6 acceptances
3 active
7 rejections
1 withdrawal

Easter!

2009-04-13T13:16:00.000-07:00

Well, it was an interesting holiday.

Hannah and I waited until the clock turned over for Easter before tearing into the package of candy my folks sent us, and spent the next hour or so killing the ants that snuck into the box (fortunately, all the candy was saved with the exception of one fun-size Snickers).

Later, we went out for an Indian buffet with some of her relatives and watched the 1973 version of The Wicker Man upon our return. Good times.

I also managed to get another chapter done today. This story is starting to go in some odd and interesting places. Hopefully, I can keep it up!

In more annoying news, I am now closing in on a full year waiting on Doorways. Bugger.

Surviving the Crash: 6,000 words/eight chapters done

The Third Eye Opened-Doorways Magazine-submitted May 11th:
11 mo.'s 2 days
The Grove-Shock Totem-submitted February 18th:
1 month 26 days
The Power of Peruasion-Big Ole Face Full of Monster-submitted February 21st:
1 month 23 days
A Quarter and Your Silence-Withersin Magazine-submitted April 1st:
12 days
A Bitter Harvest-Murky Depths-submitted April 9th:
4 days

Hooray For Invites!

2009-04-09T15:38:00.000-07:00

The editor who invited me to sub to his collection has now officially approved "Burnt Offerings."

Have I mentioned it's been a nice two days?

Also, I took some time this morning giving "A Bitter Harvest" a thorough cleaning and it reads much more smoothly as a result. I later subbed it out to Murky Depths where it is currently awaiting its fate.

If Shock Totem sends me an acceptance, I'll actually meet not only one, but ALL of my New Year's goals. That would definitely be a first. I can hardly believe I still have so much of the year left to work!

Surviving the Crash: 5,500 words/seven chapters done

The Third Eye Opened-Doorways Magazine-submitted May 11th:
10 mo.'s 29 days
The Grove-Shock Totem-submitted February 18th:
1 month 22 days
The Power of Peruasion-Big Ole Face Full of Monster-submitted February 21st:
1 month 19 days
A Quarter and Your Silence-Withersin Magazine-submitted April 1st:
8 days
A Bitter Harvest-Murky Depths-submitted April 9th:
1 day

2009:

6 acceptances
5 active
5 rejections
1 withdrawal

Can't Win 'Em All

2009-04-08T04:26:00.000-07:00

I just received a 57-day rejection from Hideous Evermore. The editor had some nice things to say about it though, so I remain undeterred. I'm now trying to figure out where on earth I should send it next.

At least my sub to Shock Totem is still hanging in there for the moment.

EDIT: Two acceptances were waiting at home for me this evening. I need to find a quality beverage to raise in the good Doctor's honor again tonight!

Surviving the Crash: 5,500 words/seven chapters done

The Third Eye Opened-Doorways Magazine-submitted May 11th:
10 mo.'s 28 days
The Grove-Shock Totem-submitted February 18th:
1 month 21 days
The Power of Peruasion-Big Ole Face Full of Monster-submitted February 21st:
1 month 18 days
A Quarter and Your Silence-Withersin Magazine-submitted April 1st:
7 days

2009:

5 acceptances
4 active
5 rejections
1 withdrawal

Well, Finally

2009-04-06T13:50:00.000-07:00

After the lack of progress over the last week or so, I finally managed to bang out another chapter. I must admit, it is rather fun watching the pieces fit together as one goes along. However, even though this story definitely has some heavy mystery/hard-boiled P.I. elements, I'm feeling like things are going to gear up very soon into more of a pulp adventure mode and probably continue that way for quite awhile. It should be good fun provided I make sure I don't end the story with some stereotypical a-splodey nonsense.

I haven't received any word back from The Willows yet, but it's still early, and I have a few subs out that I'm probably going to have to query on pretty soon (which is actually a good thing).

Surviving the Crash: 5,500 words/seven chapters done

The Third Eye Opened-Doorways Magazine-submitted May 11th:
10 mo.'s 26 days
A Bitter Harvest-Hideous Evermore-submitted February 9th:
1 month 28 days
The Grove-Shock Totem-submitted February 18th:
1 month 19 days
The Power of Peruasion-Big Ole Face Full of Monster-submitted February 21st:
1 month 16 days
One Little Taste-Putrefied Poetry-submitted March 30th:
7 days
Country Road-Letters from the Dead-submitted March 30th:
7 days
A Quarter and Your Silence-Withersin Magazine-submitted April 1st:
5 days

Oh....

2009-04-04T10:53:00.000-07:00

crap.

Yeeeah, I was looking through my contracts folder earlier and noticed I accidentally typed '08 into the "To Be Published No Later Than" section of the contract I sent to The Willows some months ago instead of '09. I just sent them an e-mail about this moronic error of mine and am still awaiting a response, but yeah, not good.

I STILL haven't gotten any writing done this week due to a crammed schedule. However, this should be remedied soon as I have time off until going back to work on Tuesday. I also pulled my story from consideration at Raw Terror as they pushed their response time back by several months and I found another interested party willing to give it a home.

I don't think the editor wants to spill the beans yet regarding contributors, so I'll keep my mouth shut until he releases a list.

Surviving the Crash: 4,500 words/six chapters done

The Third Eye Opened-Doorways Magazine-submitted May 11th:
10 mo.'s 24 days
A Bitter Harvest-Hideous Evermore-submitted February 9th:
1 month 26 days
The Grove-Shock Totem-submitted February 18th:
1 month 17 days
The Power of Peruasion-Big Ole Face Full of Monster-submitted February 21st:
1 month 14 days
One Little Taste-Putrefied Poetry-submitted March 30th:
5 days
Country Road-Letters from the Dead-submitted March 30th:
5 days
A Quarter and Your Silence-Withersin Magazine-submitted April 1st:
3 days