Well, it's been a week since The Absent Willow Review accepted my well-traveled short story "The Machine," and I really haven't come down from the high yet. I've suffered one rejection since (of course) but I've also finished and submitted another story, and we all know that new stories have a cleansing quality about them.
While I have officially backed off of the W1S1 challenge, I'm still using it as something of a yard marker as I go about my writing. And with all of the W1S1-created stories I have out in the slushiverse, I still feel like part of the family. To their immense credit, nobody over at the Absolute Write forums has kicked me out of the W1S1 lounge.
Yet.
Speaking of W1S1, my April story "My Ray Gun and Me" is still out at a certain market that shall remain nameless, and pretty well beyond the expected response time listed on the website. I've queried to see if they can get a move on, but have yet to hear anything back. Hey, I understand being busy, but queries should get priority.
Blink-Ink has yet to get back to me regarding the Blink-Noir issue. The confirmation email I received in May said they would be reading for the issue in June, but we're more than halfway through July with no answer. Have you or anyone you know submitted to this market, and if so, have you heard back?
In an unusual twist, most of the stories I still have out have, at least according to Duotrope Digest, outlasted other submissions that were sent in more recently than mine. I have been told that this is a good thing, that it could mean I've made it to the "Maybe" pile, but I (obviously) don't know how true that is. It's certainly a change of pace from when I first began submitting work a couple of years ago, as those stories tended to come back well under the expected response time. I think I mentioned before, AWR, the market that just accepted "The Machine," once rejected a story of mine in one day. And it wasn't the first one to do that, so I guess this can't be bad, right?
Okay, anyway, I haven't been able to give a positive update since I joined W1S1, so let me get to it.
Written
Thomas Jefferson (3600 words)
Subbed
Thomas Jefferson (Machine of Death Vol 2)
Rejected
Summer of Change (Electric Spec)
Accepted
The Machine (The Absent Willow Review)
Hoorah. Longer response rates are good news. I'm loving the green and yellow, Joe.
ReplyDeleteI like the title for your MoD sub. That's intriguing. Mind you, I liked mine, too. It was 'Astrochicken' and it's a real thing. I don't make this stuff up.
ReplyDeleteDeb, thanks for the kind words about the blog. I like it to. Wanna know a secret? I'm completely colorblind, so I had no idea what the colors are.
ReplyDeleteAs to Astrochicken, YES! Love it! That wouldn't be the same Astrochicken from Space Quest III, would it???
"I like it TOO," not "to".
ReplyDeleteAh, Space Quest III, got there before me did they? I got it off Wiki, it's an idea for a self-replicating star ship that utilises the resources it find. I just loved the name.
ReplyDeleteWell, think of it this way: Great minds think alike.
ReplyDeleteSeriously awesome title. Can't wait to read it!
I'm liking the blog's new look, Joe. We're in the same boat w/ regards to the Blink Noir issue; it sure would be cool if we shared a table of contents, don't you think?
ReplyDeleteHey, you're welcome to drop in on W1S1 any time you like. Drop in and shout about your next acceptance which will doubtlessly be along some time very soon ...
ReplyDeleteMilo: I think it would be the coolest thing ever, yes! And thanks about the blog. I felt like it needs a change every now and then.
ReplyDeleteSimon: Well thank you very much for the kind words and the invitation!
I like the new look of the blog, too. Very clean cut.
ReplyDeleteAnyways, congrats on having so many stories out in markets. I'm sure an acceptance is heading your way soon, since they're taking their time with that story. :)