IWSG: Exciting News & Links

It's the first Wednesday of April, which means it's time for another edition of the Insecure Writer's Support Group, created by Alex J. Cavanaugh!

This group was created for writers to express their insecurities and seek support from fellow writers. Anyone is welcome to participate. Just click on Alex's name above and sign up, post the first Wednesday of the month, and visit your fellow IWSG'ers.

This month's co-hosts are  Olga Godim, Chemist Ken, Renee Scattergood, and Tamara Narayan! Be sure to drop by and say hi and thanks for their hard work.

Speaking of the IWSG, I've got some news: As of this month, I've joined the IWSG team! Christine Rains is stepping down from her reign as the newsletter queen, and I'm taking over. I'm excited to be part of the IWSG crew!

This month's optional question: When your writing life is a bit cloudy or filled with rain, what do you do to dig down and keep on writing?

First, if something else is going on, I try to give myself a break. Maybe I just need a break from writing. Otherwise, I tend to set reasonable goals if I'm struggling, and to seek out themed submissions calls to see if anything catches my interest and sparks a story idea. If I need to work on something else, that's what I'll do.

While I spend plenty of time beating myself up when I'm not accomplishing what I think I should be, I try not to. If I make myself miserable over writing, the joy of it will dissipate. And who wants that? So if I'm struggling with my writing, I try to figure out why so I can figure out the best solution.

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March Submission Stats

Each month, I do a submissions/publication summary of the month before in order to keep myself accountable. Here's March:

Submitted: 3 short stories

Acceptances: 2

Rejections: 1

Short Listed: 3

Published: 0

Currently on Submission: 10

Other: A magazine I was due to have a story in went under about a month before the projected release date. While I was disappointed, as it was a cool magazine, that story was picked up by the new publication being put out by one of the creators of the previous magazine, and will release in May or June in the first issue of the new magazine.

I didn't get much writing done this month or last, which was a letdown after a productive January. I'm trying to get regular life back in order after the book launch, and then I should get more done.

Other Publishing News in March:

My short story collection, Blue Sludge Blues & Other Abominations was released on March 15! Clicking on the title will take you to the Amazon page, but it is also for sale from Barnes & Noble and Apple. More buy links can be found on my Publications tab.

My release party the week after it came out was great fun! We celebrated with pie and wine.

I had a flash fiction piece up at Cottonwood Center for the Arts that was inspired by a piece of art by Linda Logan (the artwork was untitled). This was a cool inter-arts program run by Pikes Peak Writers, with plans to flip it and have artists create pieces of artwork inspired by pieces of flash fiction. This was the brain child of Bowen Gillings.

Some April News (this week):

My short story A Cold & Carnal Hunger is in Beneath the Waves - Tales From the Deep, an anthology of water-based horror edited by Steve Dillon, and including stories from Clive Barker, HG Wells, HP Lovecraft, and Brian Lumley. The price goes up to $22 this weekend, so grab it now for $16! A hardcover edition will be releasing next week for $33.

I'll be signing copies of the Necro-Om-Nom-Nom-Icon, an anthology including two of my HP Lovecraft related stories, at Stir Coffee & Cocktails this Saturday from 1-4 with my fellow anthology authors. Copies of Blue Sludge Blues will also be available for sale. If you're local, come on out! This should be a good time. I don't have buy links for this yet, but once I do, they'll be on the Publications tab and the left sidebar.

Wow, it's been a busy month. Really, it's been a busy year, so far! I absolutely can't wait to have copies of the above two books in my greedy little hands. 

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Submission Link Time!

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

Accepting Submissions:

Bayou Magazine is seeking short fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and art. Up to 7500 words. Pays $25-$50. Deadline May 1.

Carte Blanche is seeking narrative fiction, non-fiction, poetry, comics, photography, and art. Up to 3500 words. Pays "a modest honorarium." Deadline May 1.

The First Line is seeking short fiction and non-fiction with the first line "'I wanted you to be the first to know,' Rowan tentatively confided in me." 300 to 5000 words. Pays between $5-$50. Deadline May 1.

Midnight Hour is seeking horror, dark sci-fi, neo-noire, cyberpunk, and dark speculative fiction for Midnight Hour. 1500 to 8000 words. They're also seeking dark Christmas stories for Midnight Before Christmas. 1000 to 10,000 words. Both pay $.02/word. Deadline for both is May 1.

Nosetouch Press is seeking folk horror for Fiends in the Furrows, an anthology. 5000 to 10,000 words. Pays $.01/word. Deadline May 1.

What are your writing insecurities? Do you read the IWSG newsletter? Are any of these links of interest? Any you might submit to? Anything to share? Have you had any submissions this month?

May you find your Muse.