IWSG - Expectations, New Release, Stats, & Links

It's the first Wednesday of August, which means it's time for a gathering of the Insecure Writer's Support Group, created by Alex J. Cavanaugh.

IWSG was created to lend support to writers and allow them a place to share their insecurities among friends. Anyone is welcome to participate. Just go to Alex's website above, go to the IWSG tab, and sign up. Then post on the first Wednesday of the month and visit fellow posters.

Our co-hosts for August are  Christine Rains, Dolarah @ Book Lover, Ellen @ The Cynical Sailor, Yvonne Ventresca, and LG Keltner! Be sure to stop by and visit as thanks for co-hosting.

The optional question for August: What are your pet peeves when reading/writing/editing?

The first thing that popped into my head was using the word "till" instead of "until" or "'til." I have far more pet peeves, I'm sure, but I can't think of them right now. However, anyone who's been a critique partner knows this annoys me. (That, and not using proper manuscript format.)

One of my insecurities this month involves a problem I never thought about. Expectations. And not mine. I've started hearing from people who enjoy my stories, and it actually freaks me out, because now I over-analyze everything due to fear of letting people down who've liked other stories.

Obviously, this is a good problem to have, but it's hard not to let it paralyze me sometimes when going to push "send."

Now for July's stats:

I submitted 16 pieces.
0 acceptances.
12 rejections.
Currently have 14 pieces on submission.
I have three stories pending submission.
My goal is to have 20 pieces out at any given time, so I'm getting there.
1 publication.

My short story "Faceless" is in this month's Dark Moon Digest! Available from Perpetual Motion Machine Publishing and Amazon in e-book and paperback.

Link time. Bear in mind that I'm not endorsing these, merely passing them along. Always do your own due diligence before submitting.

Accepting Submissions:

Litmag is seeking short fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. Up to 15,000 words. Pay varies, depending upon type and publication medium, but is between $250 and $1000. Deadline August 15.

Radix Media is seeking fiction, personal essays, and poetry for Aftermath: Explorations of Loss and Grief. 500 to 3000 words. Pays $.06/word. Deadline August 15.

Tyche Books and Rhonda Parrish are seeking fantasy short stories for Fire: Demons, Dragons, and Djinns. Up to 7500 words. Pays $50 CAD. Deadline August 15.

Splickety Publishing Group is seeking flash fiction for Spark with a theme of Picture Perfect. 300 to 1000 words. Pays $.02/word. Deadline August 25.

Fantasia Divinity is seeking fantasy and dark fantasy for Autumn's Harvest. 500 to 10,500 words. Pays half cent per word. Deadline August 25.

Dark Moon Digest is seeking horror short fiction. 1500 to 7000 words. Pays $.01/word.

The Centropic Oracle is seeking science fiction and fantasy. Up to 6500 words. They take flash fiction and short stories. Pays $.01/word CAD.

Misanthrope is seeking fiction and essays. 1000 to 5000 words. They give a nominal payment, but don't state specifics.

What are your insecurities? How are your stats for the month? Any submissions? Acceptances? Any of these publications of interest? Anything to share?

May you find your Muse.

IWSG - The Irks of Editing, New Release, Interview, & Links

It's the first Wednesday in August, which means it's time for the Insecure Writer's Support Group, created by Alex J. Cavanaugh.

By the time the September IWSG post comes along, the kids will be back in school, I will have been to World Con, and I will have officially been married 20 years! And so much more. August is a busy, busy month.

Co-hosts this month are Tamara Narayan, Tonja Drecker, Ellen @ The Cynical Sailor,Lauren @ Pensuasion, Stephen Tremp, and Julie Flanders! Thanks for co-hosting!

This month's question is: What was your very first piece of writing as an aspiring writer? Where is it now? Collecting dust or has it been published?

The first thing I wrote upon deciding I wanted to actually write a novel was a paranormal horror story. I only got a few chapters in. I then wrote a few short stories that I submitted and got rejected, then got so busy with school, work, and health issues that I gave up for awhile. None of those things have been published, but I might revisit the short stories. The novel is a lost cause, and that's okay.

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This month's insecurity is really frustration with myself. I love the writing part, but not so much the editing part. I've got two novels needing to be edited. Instead, I write. It's time I buckle down and finish those edits. Both should be on the final round. I need to finish them and start querying! But I'm plagued with insecurities once I get through that fun part, and they hold me back, because this is the analysis portion of writing, and the more I think about it, the more doubts I have. I may love my stories, but will anyone else? The technicalities start to hang me up. Is this a sufficient story arc? Do my characters arc? Is the good guy good enough? Is the villain legitimately the hero of his or her own story? Are there too many cliches? So on and so forth. What I need to do is move past those and get the stories out there. I suppose I'll get my answer if they never sell.

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As part of a larger interview, which will be posted next week, AmyBeth Frederick interviewed me on video. It's less than two minutes, so check it out!

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My stats for July:

12 short story submissions
1 acceptance of an already published story by Audible
8 rejections
1 publication
2 new short stories turned in to critique group

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My short story Shifting Sands came out in Dark Moon Digest, #24!

It's currently for sale on Amazon in paperback. It will be available in e-book soon.

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Links! I took an unintentional break for a few weeks (somehow I screwed up and posted two posts the same day that were meant to be a week apart, and then I was out of town), so now I'm way behind on links!

Bear in mind that I'm not endorsing these, merely passing them along. Always do your own due diligence before submitting.

Accepting Submissions:

Turn to Ash is seeking short fiction for a themed anthology. The story must be in the form of a phone call to a late night paranormal talk radio show. Up to 3000 words. Pays $.01/word. Deadline August 8.

The Lorelei Signal is accepting short fantasy stories. Must involve strong/complex female characters, though they do not have to be the main character. Up to 10,000 words. Pays flat fees between $2.00 and $7.50, depending upon submission type. Current deadline August 15.

World Weaver Press wants your Krampus stories for Krampusnacht Two, an anthology. 1000-10,000 words. Pays $10, plus contributor copy. Deadline August 15.

Revolving Door Press is seeking new fairy tales or retellings for the anthology "Turn Left at Grandmother's House." 500-7000 words. Also takes poetry and artwork. Pay for short fiction is $.06/word. Deadline August 15.

Splickety Publishing Group is taking submissions for Splickety Love with the theme "All's Fair in Love and Uniforms." Needs to be romance and have something to do with uniforms. 300-1000 words. Pays $.02/word. Deadline August 26.

Wicked Tales is open for submissions to their themed anthology "A Scratch at the Door." 3000-15,000 words. Paying publication. Deadline August 26.

Vine Leaves Literary Journal is seeking vignettes and poetry. Pays $5 AUD. Deadline August 31.

Farenheit Books is seeking submissions for their Spekulative Stories Anthology Series. The current theme is Automobilia. Up to 7500 words. Pays $.05/word. Deadline August 31.

Owl Hollow Press is accepting short stories for their anthology Dark Magic: Witches, Hackers, and Robots. Up to 8500 words. Pays $50, plus there is a Readers' Choice Award with an additional cash payment. Deadline August 31.

Blog Hops:

The August Write Edit Publish (WEP) Challenge is open for signups now. Theme "Gardens." Post on August 17.

What are your insecurities? How do you feel about editing? What's your favorite part, editing or writing? Have you submitted anything this month? Have you ever read Dark Moon Digest? Any of these links of interest? Anything to share?

May you find your Muse.