Life as an Editor

This has been a productive week for me. I've updated my Different Dragons spreadsheet preparing for Vol 2. The deadline is 10/31/2013. I'm looking forward to re-reading the stories I already have and reading the new ones that will be coming from invited writers.

I've sent out the email reminders and am pulling or keeping stories as the writers indicate. Replies seem to be coming in everyday.

Life as an editor is good. 

Submission list mishap

I hate it when I misplace something. Earlier today I came across a wonderful writing opportunity and couldn't find my 2013 submissions list. I know I had it a couple of months ago but it was nowhere to be found in my hard drive. Unfortunately, I think maybe it was on my flash drive which died about a month ago.

So, I had to recreate what I could remember was on it by going through my favorites list and checking what publishers had open calls for anthologies. Now I have a new document and a great place to start for short story submissions.

Now, if I could just place the completed short stories I already have...

Rejections and Releases

This week my story for Beyond the Sun rejected. It was disappointing as it would have been a good writing career move for me. The anthology already had stories from four 'big name' Science Fiction writers, including Nancy Kress and Robert Silverberg. However, nothing happens before I'm ready so I'm happy to allow the path set out for me.

On the upside, The Mystical Cat with my story 'Keeping the Tradition' has been released on ebook.
I'm very excited about this one because it's a ghost story set on a lighthouse in space.

Here's the link: http://www.amazon.com/The-Mystical-Cat-Anthology-ebook/dp/B00B1Y2CHI/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1358545190&sr=1-1&keywords=the+mystical+cat+anthology

Pondering Next Year's Goals

This has been a very busy year. I've had quite a number of short stories published not to mention editing Time Traveling Coffers.

Next year I'm already planning on what my goals should be. Tentatively they will be:

1. Edit Different Dragons. There could be two volumes. Have already talked with publisher about possible release dates not to mention compiling an invite list for the second.

2. Finish Winter Emergence. I have those who have read Winter Awakening wanting to know what happens next.

3. Pitch my romance Worth the Wait. I have a publisher in mind who is searching for books for the over 50 crowd.

5. Pitch a Tween/Young Adult series involving winged cats. I've already informed by two young collaborators I might have found a market for it. They're excited.

6. Several short story submissions. Although, I think I'll slow down a bit in this arena.

7. Shaking, terrified, I'm thinking of pitching a series to either Baen or Tor.

8. Possible collaboration with a fellow writer to see if her vampire hunting dog and my vampire cats might be combined in a story/series.

9. Taking advantage of anything that comes my way.

Now bear in mind, all these goals are in between life, my day job, caring for the cats and my spouse.

Write when you can

I've started back to work and finding time to write has been hard to come by. However, since I have several looming deadlines, I finally sat myself down and started two short stories. One is for a particular anthology, the other is answering a question I've asking myself about the series I am working on.

Granted I will have to work on them daily instead of one long session which is what I did while unemployed. Yet I know they'll both be completed even if it takes several days.

Lesson here, use the time you have to work on writing projects, even if it's only an hour, and you'll be amazed at how much you've accomplished at the end of week. I myself wrote half a novel during lunch hours while working one of my previous full-time jobs.

It works fellow writers. And you'll feel like you've actually accomplished something productive with your day.