Wednesday, January 7, 2015

IWSG, Good News & Links

It's time for another round of Insecure Writer's Support Group!


Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!


Posting: The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day. Post your thoughts on your own blog. Talk about your doubts and the fears you have conquered. Discuss your struggles and triumphs. Offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling. Visit others in the group and connect with your fellow writer - aim for a dozen new people each time.

Whoops! I missed that we were supposed to be introducing ourselves, so I've edited to add in a quick overview: I write horror and urban fantasy, primarily, and have been focusing on short stories this past year to hone my craft before returning to my novels, one of which is complete and awaiting further editing, the other which is waiting for an ending. I enjoy all things horror rather gleefully (except those fake haunted houses you visit, because I'm convinced it would be an excellent way for a REAL psycho to take out some victims without anyone being onto them until they closed for the evening).

I like to do an update on my submissions for IWSG in order to keep track of what the month looked like. (And because having all those pieces out there just waiting for rejections is a huge chunk of my insecurity.) In December, I:

Submitted one piece
Got one rejection (not for that piece.)
I participated as a guest author in Of Mist and Magic (anthology release news coming super soon!)
AND GOT ONE ACCEPTANCE!

Did you see that last sentence (You should have, seeing as how I put it in all capitals)? I officially signed the contract for one of my horror short stories to be published in the November 2015 issue of Bloodbond Magazine. 

This is the same piece that was shortlisted for an anthology in November, which felt good at the time, but this feels much better.

I know it's a ways off, but I can't wait to see what the cover will look like, and have the chance to share it.

Why did I have so few submissions this month, you might ask (or you might not)? It's just that all my pieces that are ready are out on submission from November still, and I didn't get a chance to edit and submit any others. I hope to remedy that this month. I had several that had been out well past when I expected them, but finally heard back on those (they'll be counted in next month's rejections.) It was actually a relief just to have the official rejections at that point, so I could resubmit them.

Courtesy of the acceptance, I still have the usual insecurities and doubts about my writing, but there's a glimmer of hope. So all I can say to my fellow insecure writers is to keep muscling through and submitting, submitting, submitting until you find the right publisher for your stories.

Now for some links. (Always check these publications out on your own before submitting.)

Accepting Submissions:

Glimmer Train is in one of their open submissions periods, where entry is free. Stories of any genre up to 12,000 words. Deadline January 31. Payment is $700, publication, and 10 contributor copies. They typically charge for submission, so it's always a great opportunity to submit something during the free submission window.

The First Line provides you with a line to start your story then asks you to write a story of up to 5000 words (nonfiction is 500-800 words). The current first line is "Fairy tales hardly ever come true for quiet girls." Deadline February 1. Pays $25-50 for fiction.

Charon Coin Press is seeking submissions for Carpe Noctem: Truly, Madly, Deeply, an anthology of urban fantasy and paranormal romance. 4000-10,000 words. Deadline February 1. Pays in a royalty split and contributor copy.

Splickety Publishing Group is open for submissions this month in their Havok issue. The theme is Crossover Chaos. 300-1000 words. Deadline February 6. Pays $02/word.

Journeys of Wonder is seeking submissions for their fourth volume. Up to 10,000 words. Speculative fiction. Pays a percentage of profits.

Reader's Digest accepts submissions in a wide variety of styles/topics. You have to send a pitch first. Pay starts at $1/word. 

The Magazine of Bizarro Fiction is open for submissions. 100-6,000 words. Pays $.01/word.

Flapperhouse is open to submissions that are surreal, shadowy, sensual, or satirical. Fiction up to 5,000 words. They also take nonfiction, essays, reviews, comics, and artwork. Pays $.01/word for fiction. 

Transition Magazine wants stories about mental health and stories of personal experience with mental health issues. They also take artwork. Pays $50 per printed page.

Epic Saga Publishing has nine anthologies currently open to submissions. These lean toward science fiction with various minglings of genres. They're open until filled. Story lengths vary per anthology. I'm unsure of pay.

What are your insecurities? Any submissions news? Do any of these publications interest you? Do you have information on any of these publishers?

May you find your Muse.

84 comments:

Madeline Mora-Summonte said...

Congratulations on the acceptance!

I had a story in The First Line magazine awhile back, and it was a good experience.

Pat Hatt said...

A glimmer of hope can sure go a long way

Murees Dupè said...

Congratulations! What a great way to start your year. Be very proud of yourself.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Congratulations on the acceptance! Glad it feels right this time.

Arlee Bird said...

You were SHOUTING but an acceptance is worth shouting about. Good for you!

Lee
Tossing It Out

Julie Flanders said...

Hooray!!! Congratulations on that acceptance. I've no doubt your story is fantastic. Exciting!

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

Congratulations. That is so exciting and it deserves caps.

Roland D. Yeomans said...

Susan is right: the acceptance deserves ALL CAPS! :-) May this be the start of a snowball of success this year.

David P. King said...

Score! Congrats on your contract. Wishing you a very Happy New Year and more contracts to come. :)

F. Stone said...

Congratulations. Such good news. Blessings, may all good things be a part of your daily life.

cleemckenzie said...

Glad you put that acceptance into caps! It deserves to be there. Hurray for you.

cheerfuloptimistic said...

Congrats on your good news. It's nice to have a little success.

shelly said...

Thank you for the links. No insecurities this month.

dolorah said...

Congrats on the acceptance; and thanks for the links. There are three I hope to submit to :)

Yolanda Renée said...

That is wonderful! Congratulations! Doubts will always creep in but successes make everything worth while!

Happiest of New Years!

Chrys Fey said...

Congratulations on your acceptance!! Thanks great! It's funny that you put Glimmer Train as the first link...I sent them "Witch of Death" (my short story that my small press recently contracted) and they rejected it. So a rejection is not the end of the road. Not by a long shot. :)

Diane Burton said...

Congrats on the contract. Whoo-hoo! Sure, we all get anxious, filled with self-doubt. Grit you teeth and keep on going. Best wishes.

Liz Blocker said...

Hey Shannon, it's nice to meet you! CONGRATULATIONS on that acceptance - that is huge!! And thank you for that great list; I write personal essays, so I'm going to mosey over and see if any of those places will take 'em :)

good luck!!!

Stephanie Faris said...

YAY!!! Congratulations. That's awesome. I didn't introduce myself but I just left it as was. It was already too convoluted at the top so it's just insecurity for me!

Emily R. King said...

That is huge news. Congratulations! Woot! I am really getting into horror. I look forward to reading it!

Rachna Chhabria said...

Hi Shannon, congratulations on your horror story being accepted. I love reading horror stories, sadly I don't write them. For the IWSG Post, I included my introduction after a few bloggers had already commented as I had no idea that we were supposed to introduce ourselves.

Christine Rains said...

Congrats on the acceptance! That's awesome. I ended 2014 with a rejection and started 2015 with an acceptance if I rewrite. Here's to a grand 2015 for all of us! :)

Shell Flower said...

Woo hoo for you on your story getting accepted. You are truly and inspiration. Keep up the good work!

Tyrean Martinson said...

Congratulations on your story acceptance!!! And, I loved your update. I don't usually include my rejections in my updates and I think I should do that - partly so it's more obvious that I'm not trying to be a braggypants writer, and hopefully so that it encourages other writers to keep submitting through the rejection cycle.
Thanks for the inspiring update and the links!

Anonymous said...

Congratulations on the acceptance, Shannon. Need to learn something from your regular submissions. I'm luck a dragon hoarding my writing, although it could be Fool's Gold. All the best for 2015.

Cathrina Constantine said...

What a great way to start out the New Year, with an accepted story in an Anthology!!! Congratulations, Shannon!!!

Anonymous said...

Congratulations on your story acceptance! Very exciting! I agree, we just need to keep pushing forward. Onward and upward! Best of luck in 2015!

Al Diaz said...

I am so very happy for you! Go, Shannon, go! Congratulations on that acceptance. Hopefully this is the beginning of many more good news and success to come! Dragon Hugs!

Samantha Bryant said...

My policy, starting a few months ago, is that anything that comes back rejected has to be assessed, revised (if I think it needs it), and resubmitted within 30 days. It's beginning to work! I've had a few things accepted (and A LOT of rejection notes).

Toi Thomas said...

Thanks for stopping by my blog. I forgot about the intro too. I'll have to go back and update, just for the records. Glad to hear you got an acceptance. Congratulations!

Kim Van Sickler said...

Congratulations on your acceptance! Bloodbond Magazine sounds intense. Did you write something oozing with gore?

Michelle Wallace said...

Congrats on your piece being accepted!
A great start to 2015, Shannon!
Thanks for the links, and for stopping by my blog on IWSG day!

SittieCates said...

Oh wow! That is wonderful news! Congratulations, Shannon! Way to go!

And thank you for taking the time to visit. Appreciate it.

Donna K. Weaver said...

Congrats on that. Wonderful. And I know what you mean about still being insecure. I've got four books out and still wonder what the heck I think I've doing. lol

Anonymous said...

CONGRATS, that is wonderful news!

Doreen McGettigan said...

Congratulations! There is nothing like an acceptance or another writers acceptance to lift your spirits!
Happy New Year!

Stephsco said...

Something I'd like to do but neglected to add to my list of goals is to pursue article writing. A conference I went to gave some good practical advice on it that's stuck with me. For now, I have some other writing goals. Thanks for those links!

Julie Musil said...

Congratulations on your acceptance! That's wonderful!

Spanj said...

Acceptances are always great, congratulations! The hard part is waiting for responses. I have 6 stories submitted and waiting, and it's driving me nuts checking my email every 20 seconds!

Anonymous said...

That is wonderful. We must submit, submit, submit, and good news happens. Congrats.

klahanie said...

Hi Shannon,

That acceptance is wonderful news. Kudos to you and your ongoing determination.

Gary.

Unknown said...

Hi Shannon!
Thanks so much for reading and commenting on my IWSG post! It's been a long time since I stopped by. Congratulations on the acceptance! That's wonderful!! Keep plugging away. It sounds like you're on a roll! And thank you for those links! I will definitely check them all out for deadlines :D Cheers,
Jen

Shannon Lawrence said...

Great to hear about First Line, thank you!

Shannon Lawrence said...

Can't it, though?

Shannon Lawrence said...

Thank you! It's got me pumped and working on other submissions.

Shannon Lawrence said...

I was, wasn't I? So excited!

Shannon Lawrence said...

Thank you, Julie! I'm enjoying following your writing journey.

Shannon Lawrence said...

Thank you! I kept myself from thanking you in caps. ;)

Shannon Lawrence said...

I sure hope so, thank you!

Shannon Lawrence said...

Thank you! Happy New Year to you, as well.

Shannon Lawrence said...

Thank you, Feather.

Shannon Lawrence said...

It was bursting to come out after a week of keeping it a secret.

Shannon Lawrence said...

Definitely! Even better to have a lot.

Shannon Lawrence said...

Wonderful! Do you have your computer issues worked out?

Shannon Lawrence said...

Good luck submitting!

Shannon Lawrence said...

Doubt is permanent, I think, but success definitely pushes it back a little.

Shannon Lawrence said...

I've had one rejection from Glimmer Train, so far. Always good to hear rejection isn't the end of the road.

Shannon Lawrence said...

I'll keep on, even when it's all about rejections, thanks!

Shannon Lawrence said...

Good luck! I hope you find some markets that do essay. I'll try to keep that in mind when looking at the markets.

Shannon Lawrence said...

No sense adding insecurity to a post on insecurity!

Shannon Lawrence said...

Oh, wonderful! There's a lot of character study in some horror, which can make it so interesting.

Shannon Lawrence said...

I did the same, Rachna. I guess I wasn't paying attention. Glad I saw it in time to add it.

Shannon Lawrence said...

That's great, congratulations! 2015, here we come.

Shannon Lawrence said...

Thank you!

Shannon Lawrence said...

I like listing the rejections for that inspiration (hopefully) and to keep me honest. I'm proud that I'm putting in the effort, and hope to only add to my numbers from here. Yes, even those rejection numbers!

Shannon Lawrence said...

I was hoarding my writing for a long time. I wish you luck in getting your writing out there.

Shannon Lawrence said...

Thank you, Cathrina! I hope it's a positive sign for the year to come.

Shannon Lawrence said...

Good luck to you in 2015! Only good!

Shannon Lawrence said...

Thank you, Al!

Shannon Lawrence said...

That's a great policy. I haven't assigned a number of days, but I do try to get it out the same week (unless I feel it needs revisions.) I choose to see those rejections as successes, too. But there will always be down days.

Shannon Lawrence said...

Thank you! I think a bunch of us had to go back to add the intros. I must not have been participating last January yet.

Shannon Lawrence said...

Surprisingly, there's very little gore in this one, despite the name of the magazine. And thank you!

Shannon Lawrence said...

Always happy to stop by! And thank you.

Shannon Lawrence said...

Thank you!

Shannon Lawrence said...

I wonder if authors ever get past that insecurity? Is Stephen King insecure? He needs to come join IWSG.

Shannon Lawrence said...

Thank you!

Shannon Lawrence said...

Definitely. Good feedback is always a lift, no matter where it comes from.

Shannon Lawrence said...

I'd like to do more article writing, too. The conference you went to sounds interesting.

Shannon Lawrence said...

I keep going to Duotrope, where I track them (for the most part--not all mags are in there, but a good number are), and seeing how long it's been since I submitted to various markets. Good luck to you!

Shannon Lawrence said...

Write, write, write and submit, submit, submit. Thank you!

Shannon Lawrence said...

Thank you, Gary!

Shannon Lawrence said...

Good luck on submitting if you find anything that works for you!

Tia Bach said...

Congrats on the acceptance, and I hope January has been a productive month for you. I'm, sadly, just getting around to some IWSG January entries just in time for February's to come out tomorrow. I'm glad I did, because I realized I forgot to introduce myself, so I'm doing that in tomorrow's post. Wishing you an amazing 2015!

Shannon Lawrence said...

I had to add mine in since I didn't see we needed to. Next year I'll know!