Tracker

I have decided to hold myself publicly accountable for my own creative submissions to agents, editors, magazines, and literary journals.  I hope to continuously update here, but if I know anything about myself, posts could very possibly fall few and far between...here goes...

Background:

Previously, I have submitted query letters and various severed limbs of my first book manuscript, Sense Memory, to 9 agencies.  One responded by asking for the full manuscript, then joined the others in respectfully declining.  

I took several months off from promoting Sense Memory to write some short stories that I could shop around.  "The Game" received an extremely kind editorial reply with several bits of constructive criticism from an editor at Pseudopod (a very cool podcast for horror stories that can be found at pseudopod.org). Of course, they passed, but I will certainly submit to them again soon!!

I have one story, "Eyes to the East," that will appear in this year's issue of The Aims Review Literary Magazine, a student-run publication of Aims Community College here in Greeley, Colorado.

As of yet, no fiction that I have written has been accepted for pay.  It's time to change that.

And why not start at the top.  Recently I wrote a piece with a specific magazine in mind.  It didn't turn out the way I meant, but I really have to give credit to serendipity.  It turned out better.  On Monday, April 5th, I put "Snow on the Tracks" in a flawlessly labeled and delicately sealed envelope, and left it with Bill at the post office.  Today, I assume, it should have arrived in New York at the office of Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine's Department of First Stories.

The Plan:  When Ellery Queen rejects it, I will immediately send it to Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine, and then one step down, one step down, one more step down, making revisions as required, until some amazing soul responds with "yes, I like it and I have about three dollars left in the budget."  And on that day, I will dance like a marionette and buy a large Butterfinger Blizzard,  and eat the whole Goddamn thing all by myself!  Okay, maybe half 'cause I have to share with my wife.

So, for now, here's the count:

             Sense Memory - 2 active agent queries, 1 requested manuscript(rej.), and 9 rejections.
             Snow on the Tracks - Submitted to Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine


Many, many more submissions to come.  Wish me luck.

04/11/2010

Update:  I sent out 5 more queries for Sense Memory today bringing my grand total to 15 agent Queries!!!

And according to the counter, I still have 201 days to get out the other 85.  Wooohooo!!!!   Will I run out of steam too early...I THINK NOT!!