The Insecure Writer's Support Group was created by Alex J. Cavanaugh. All are welcome to join. Just sign up and jump in! Tell us about your insecurities or offer uplifting support.
I've mostly posted about short story writing and submitting for IWSG lately, because that's where my focus has been, but now that I'm making progress with editing on my novel, all those old insecurities are popping back up. I've noticed that I'm excited to jump back in now that I've figured out what to do with the plot, yet I keep hesitating. So what's holding me back? Am I scared to do the changes? No, because I've saved a copy as it currently exists, and will edit separate from that. Until I can figure out why I'm feeling this way, I'm not sure how much progress I'm going to make. Time to sit down and do some self-analysis.
As part of IWSG, I always go over my short story submissions process for the previous month in order to keep myself accountable.
I have 12 short pieces on submission.
I submitted 5 pieces in June.
I received 4 rejections this month (and 1 magazine I'd submitted to sent out a notice that it was shutting down).
I completed 1 new short story and sent it to my critique group.
I finished the post-outline and notes for my first revision of WIP #2.
Not too shabby. I still have several short stories I need to finish editing and get submitted.
Now for some links. Please note that I am not endorsing any of these publications, just passing them along.
Accepting Submissions:
Crossed Genres July theme is Anticipation. Sci-fi, fantasy, or a combination of both. 1000-6000 words. Pays $.06/word. Deadline for this theme is July 30.
Collidor is a science fiction app-zine (they publish for tablets and smartphones.) 2000-18,000 words. Pay begins at $.25/word for the first 5000 words and tapers down per 5000 words.
Earth Island Journal is looking for articles on environmental concerns. Short dispatches are 1200-1500 words. Investigative features are 2500-3000 words. Pays $.25/word. Online reports pay $50-100.
Onyx Neon is looking for shorts. They send out one per month. Many different genres, so check the web page. 5000-20,000 words. Pays 50% of the royalties brought in on your story.
Saddlebag Dispatches wants short stories, serial novels, poetry, and non-fiction articles about the west. They don't specify pay, but it is likely royalties.
Odd Tree Press is seeking speculative fiction flash fiction, short stories, artwork, and essays. Flash up to 500. Short stories 500-5000 words. Essays up to 5000 words. Pays between $10-25, depending upon submission type.
Terraform is looking for future fiction, but make it the near future. 2000 words or fewer. Pays $.20/word.
The Sockdolager is looking for adventure stories. 1000-5000 words. Pays $.02/word.
Tales From the Miskatonic Library is looking for, well, tales from the Miskatonic Library, that's what. I imagine it either means something to you or it doesn't. Pays $.03/word with a maximum of $100. Deadline August 8.
Black Mirror Press seeks stories about endless winter, whatever the cause. 3000-7000 words. Pays $25. Deadline August 8.
Do you ever find you're hesitant to write or edit, even though you're simultaneously excited about it? What are your insecurities? Have you done any submitting this month? Any rejections or acceptances? Any of these links of interest to you? Anything to share?
May you find your Muse.
34 comments:
I've felt hesitant about revising a ms before. I'm not exactly sure why, but I think it has to do with a fear of messing it up, making it worse, having too high expectations for one round of revision/edits. :)
Hope you figure out what's holding you back in the revisions. I used to keep the original when I did edits but I don't any more.
Sitting back and reflecting is a good thing to do before you dive into editing. I hope you can figure out what's stopping you. :)
The sites you post are so intriguing, and I am so uncertain. Could I? Should I? That is a story in itself.
Oh, you know, it's because editing sucks.
I'm always so impressed with your submission stats for each month. Definitely not shabby at all.
I'm hesitant to edit mostly because I know it'll turn into the long ordeal where I may just decide to trash it all and rewrite. It's happened a few times for me and I try hard to resist the urge. It's just more work for me. :/
Thanks for the links!!
I've felt that way too and I'm not sure if maybe it's because even though I figured out the plot, I haven't quite figured out how to get there yet (what scenes need to take place or how they should be written). Or if its because maybe there's still something missing or not quite right. Maybe for me it's both. :)
Thank you for the links. Loo
Editing is always scary for me. Period. I'm usually afraid I;m going to go back and reread and realize the whole thing is a MESS. I bet that's not actually going to happen, though :) Good luck!
I enjoy editing and usually tackle it at once. You'll just have to plant yourself in a chair and force yourself to begin.
Awesome stats. Editing and revising are my favorite parts of writing. Thanks for the links.
Congrats on all your submissions! I always keep my old files when I edit, just in case I want to refer back to them about something I cut. Maybe once you get started with the editing, you'll feel better about it. Good luck with it!
I submitted to a few places and got both positive and negative replies.
I've noticed that lots of e-zines/journals ask for spec fic/fantasy/horror/sci-fi. I get the impression that markets for contemporary pieces are limited...
Good luck with the ongoing submissions.
Hi Shannon,
Kudos to you and all your submissions. Your determination, no matter what, resonates within your post.
This insecurity writing stuff is something I just don't relate to. I don't take my writing that seriously and it's nothing more than a bit of therapy. Editing, revising, no thanks. It's good the first time round. Although, Penny the Jack Russell dog and modest internet superstar might disagree :)
Thank you, Shannon.
Gary
Hi,
I find what you have accomplished in June absolutely fantastic. I have short story submissions that I need to get back out there in circulation and reading your post has given me the encouragement I needed.
Thank you and all the best.
Shalom,
Patricia
Those all sound right to me. It should feel better once I jump back in.
If I cut out big chunks, I keep those in a file, too. Just in case. Never know when it might come in handy for later.
Me, too! I do have some ideas, and I think I got through some of it by writing a short story that has to do with something that was foggy in the past that occurs outside the book. I think I need to write one more about a different situation, and then I should be good to go.
You can! You should!
Man, it really does. My least favorite part.
I'm in a race with myself. It keep me going!
Ack! This better not turn out that way.
I think for me it's looking like something was missing. Not that needed to be in the book, but that happened outside the book and was impacting my main character. Making progress, I think.
Welcome!
The one good thing is that I already re-read it. So that part can't happen. Though it does need work.
That is exactly what I'm going to do. I have some business to do this weekend, and then Monday I need to be free and clear to edit. I do remember you like the editing part. You weirdo, you. ;)
You and Alex! It seems people either hate editing or like it.
I think I will. I plan to start Monday. Here's hoping!
When I search at Duotrope, there are a whole lot of General fiction, and fewer speculative fiction. I wonder if it's just that spec fic mags tend to have more of an internet presence? There are only 9 pro-paying markets that will accept horror, and several of those will only take it if it has more of a sci-fi or fantasy bent. So I can't even submit to all of them.
I am definitely determined. I wish I was more determined and would just finish!
I'm so glad! Get those out there! I received two acceptances this week after I posted this. You can't get published if you don't submit!
I've never searched at Duotrope. I check out links that you and other bloggers post.
Will pay a visit to Duotrope in the week.
Thanks Shannon.
HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!
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