James Dorr's Blog, page 39

Edits for Upward! Gone Over, Sent Back

A few days hiatus, but do these things come in pairs? Well usually no, but coincidences happen — in this case a publisher’s edited copy for proofing and comments (cf. just below). It also opened, even on the Computer Cave laptop, without any problem!

The story this time was “Upward!” (see August 14), a 750-word short short for DARK MOON DIGEST’s special young adults anthology NIGHT FRIGHTS. It’s one I’m proud of — the pay’s not that great but I think it’s important that younger readers be, first of all, encouraged to continue reading for pleasure and, also, to keep horror high on their lists. Thus this story, “Upward!,” about an aspirant with his (her?) own special problems, but always climbing. Not questioning, mind you, not philosophizing or thinking (ahem!) deep thoughts — but simply ascending.

Until. . . .

But then that’s to find out by reading the story. The changes the copy required were few (three small items in all, and only one where I and the editor might have a need to discuss things further). And so back it went this afternoon, with more to be reported as it becomes known.

The Writing Life: Edits Approved, Sent Back for Strange Aeon/Dark of the Moon

Another quickie, though two or three days in the completing. Wednesday the email arrived from STRANGE AEON: 2021 (FEARFUL WISDOM): Welcome to the editing process. . . . Well, we know the routine, the story this time being “Dark of the Moon” (see July 31), originally published in THE CHILDREN OF CTHULU (Del Rey, 2002 — it being a reprint is important in that it means it’s been through a publisher’s edit before, with likely a minimum of changes to be asked for this time). The only problem: the vintage Computer Cave laptop wouldn’t open the file that came with it.

But that’s not new either, and more modern computers are at hand in the County Library. Except the next day, when I packed up an earlier printed copy (just in case) and, at the library, fired up their machine, the file still wouldn’t open! So all one could do was reply to the email, requesting perhaps an RTF or PDF file instead. Except. . . .

Except then I considered. Some of library’s terminals, installed at varying times, have on past occasions shown their own individual strangenesses. So, why not?, I tried another . . . and this one worked! I don’t say I know why, but all that’s important is that, as predicted, the changes and/or questions asked were few and, with only one request for a correction at my end, back the file went Thursday afternoon.

Asinine Assassins Arrives in Computer Cave Mailbox

Inept, brainless, daft, harebrained, loony, witless, lunkheaded, just plain stupid.

Not exactly attributes you seek when employing a hired gun, right?

The 24 stories in this anthology are NOT your typical crime fiction. If you love a wonderful blend of suspense, humor, and general weirdness, expect to be surprised and entertained!

So says the back cover blurb on the copy of ASININE ASSASSINS (see August 22, et al.) that arrived late Wednesday afternoon. A hefty book, too, at 350-some pages, one of the stories in which is by me, a science-fiction take titled “Shooting Fish.” But not the only thing shot, one may be sure, in the 24 stories in the contents. Or for that matter, most likely not the only shot missed.

For more information and/or to buy one’s own copy, one need but press here.

Country Doctor Receives Okay for Black Infinity First Contact Issue

Busy, busy, busy. Yesterday word came from BLACK INFINITY (cf. August 25, et al.) that my story “The Country Doctor” has been accepted for their next issue. That is to say, the issue following the one currently in preparation on the theme of STARSHIPS AND SPACESUITS, with “Hanging Vines.” BLACK INFINITY, I might add, is a classy — and big — magazine with its fiction mixed between “classics,” reprints going back as far as the 1950s and ’60s or even before, and new material, but focused each time on one of the themes that’s pervaded science fiction more or less from the beginning.

Originally published in the Summer 2005 BOOK OF DARK WISDOM (thus kind of in between classic and new, but one does what one does), “The Country Doctor” concerns a strange patient the said rural medic receives one night in the U.S. Southwest, on the road as it were to “Area 51.” More cannot be said now, however — the military that brought the stricken being in has sworn all to secrecy. The theme of this issue, though, will be FIRST CONTACT, which can be revealed — and which, it occurs to me now, can be taken in two ways: us meeting new beings on distant planets, or meeting aliens from distant places who’ve come to Earth.

So “The Country Doctor” is one of the latter, of which Editor Tom English added: [y]our story is not at all what I expected, but nevertheless it fits the theme and does so delightfully. Short and sweet with a great ending. More will be here as it becomes known, but it sounds to me like the issue, when it comes out, will be a keeper.

Another Contract Signed — ‘Tis the Season?

Cowabunga! No more than a few hours after I’d sent back the DAILY SCIENCE FICTION contract for “The Seven” (see post just below), what should appear but another contract? Is September official “Contract Catch-Up” month?

This one comes from Juli Rew of Third Flatiron Publishing for THINGS WITH FEATHERS: STORIES OF HOPE and my story, “The Wise Sister” (cf. August 31). Hi, James– I am attaching a PDF document, which is your contract with Third Flatiron. Could you please print it out, sign it, and mail it back ASAP. . . . An address was given plus several alternatives to mailing, including scanning and emailing that back. The public library, reopened, had not that long ago installed a scanner (I’d already used it once, in fact, to make a PDF copy of my COVID vaccination card). Hmmmm.

So less than two hours ago as of this writing, on Tuesday the 7th, I printed that sucker at the library (on their “good” machine — no Computer Cave primitivism this time), signed it, scanned it, attached the new PDF and sent it back. So that’s two (count ’em, 2) contracts returned on back to back days, the last for a metafiction on fairy tales, this one for a fable in its own right. “The Wise Sister,” by me and not Aesop as a reading of it can attest (no animals, for one thing, except for a few sea birds at the end), on the qualities defining true wisdom, and if things go on schedule expected to be out about mid-October.

DSF Contract Received, Sent Back for The Seven

The beat goes on. A quickie this time, it took more than a month but the contract has come from DAILY SCIENCE FICTION for “The Seven” (see July 25), my “latest” take on “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.” Or maybe not that, maybe a more metafictional look about how folk tales and other stories come about in the first place. Or still maybe not — the dwarfs themselves don’t have time for much speculation of that sort.

In any event one may find out more about the dwarfs in this one than Snow White (which wasn’t her real name, or so the dwarfs say). Or more to the point, an hour or two later this afternoon I sent back the contract with my okay, plus a bio-note and some words on the story, more about which will be here when it happens.

Flying Tagged for Natural Instincts, Witches and Warlocks

It was a highly stylized story, last published more than twenty years ago, even winning a “Best of the Web ’98” award from PULP ETERNITY magazine. And that was for a reprint, in the e-magazine DARK ANNIE, December 1998, while it had first appeared (in print only) in the then-professional DEAD OF NIGHT in Summer 1995. Its title: “Flying.”

It’s one of those things that’s sort of a favorite, but also sort of a guilty pleasure — about the making of a witch in 18th Century Spain. But then I saw the call, with a fairly short deadline: We at Zombie Works Publications are currently accepting thirteen short story submissions. They will go into our NATURAL INSTINCTS TALES OF WITCHES AND WARLOCKS. . . . We are asking for each story to be between 2000 and 3000 words in length and content must be between a Rated “PG-13” to Rated “R”. For some reason I recalled “Flying” then, and checked its length: 2300 words.

That was Friday, September 3, that I sent it in. Today the reply came from Editor Stephanie J. Bardy: We had an overwhelming response for this anthology and it is my pleasure to tell you that your short story has been accepted for inclusion in NATURAL INSTINCTS. We will be in touch shortly with the contract, and to make sure we have an accurate bio and photo.

So, a 2-day acceptance for one of only 13 stories? Seems almost like witchcraft.

Jungle Accepted for Cosmic Crime; Vamps Reissue in Offing?

The call was last June: Hiraeth Publishing is looking for stories and illustrations for COSMIC CRIME STORIES 2022, a print anthology of tales of future crimes and future detectives. This anthology is tentatively scheduled to be published on 1 June 2022 in trade paperback format with a color cover, and black and white interior illustrations. The Editor is Tyree Campbell.

So I sent a story, “The Jungle,” of dastardly doings in a domed future city, initially published in GOING POSTAL (Space and Time, 1998). Then Wednesday (technically Tuesday, but for “internet reasons” I got it Wednesday) came the reply: Nice indictment! I’m accepting “The Jungle” . . . you’ll receive payment with your contributor’s copy. Pasted below is the contract for your story. As noted, it is a tale of future crime, but also how news may be handled in the future, sometimes so close to the actual action as to interfere. But then everything has to be part of the narrative.

And, for this narrative, an unexpected codicil: Once upon a time there was Sam’s Dot Publishing, and Editor/Publisher Tyree Campbell goes back to then too. In 2011 a poetry book appeared, VAMPS (A RETROSPECTIVE), by me, illustrated by Marge Simon (cf. October 17 2018, October 3 2017, et many al.). While things change. Morph. Eventually Hiraeth Publishing comes about . . . and at the bottom of Wednesday’s acceptance: I’d like permission to reissue VAMPS. I never did well with it before, but we’re dealing with a new printing process that gets us ‘out there,’ including sales in the UK and Europe. Please let me know.

So the contract went back, plus my okay on VAMPS. Of the latter no change (for now) if you click its center column picture, but more to come as it becomes known.

Cowabunga! Wise Sister Selected for Third Flatiron Things With Feathers/Hope Anthology

The publication was to be THINGS WITH FEATHERS: STORIES OF HOPE from Third Flatiron Publishing, known for the eclecticism of its separately-titled quarterly anthologies (cf., e.g., March 10 2018, et al.). The story submission was “The Wise Sister,” sent July 20.

Today came the reply, from Editor/Publisher Juli Rew: We’d be pleased to accept the story, “The Wise Sister,” for inclusion in Third Flatiron Publishing’s Fall/Winter 2021 anthology, with the tentative title, “Things with Feathers: Stories of Hope.”

Please let us know if the story is still available and is a first publication.

. . . .

We greatly enjoyed the story of two sisters who make different preparations for a tsunami. Though it is on the long side, we will probably include it in the Grins & Gurgles section.

“Grins & Gurgles” is a section for short, under 1000-word humor pieces while “The Wise Sister” comes in at more like a mainstream 1500-plus, though the story does take a black-humored approach to the prospect of hope (in this case, of course, being for survival — though maybe with a little bit of sisterly rivalry on the side). But the pay is “pro rate” and an acceptance is an acceptance so this afternoon I sent back my assurance the sister in question is indeed unattached and still available.

Unable to resist noting, however, that somehow that sounds more like a dating site reply.

Hanging Vines Contract Received, Returned; A Not-So-Small Royalty for Anthology Offering

Two quickies this time around. The first from BLACK INFINITY Editor/Publisher Tom English (cf. also January 17): Hope all is well with you. Here’s the contract for “Hanging Vines”. I’m sending it as a Word DOC to facilitate signing. I’ll send a story proof for corrections sometime in September. Thanks again!

Due to vagaries of the vintage equipment in the Computer Cave (and area thunderstorms preventing a trip to the public library) it proved less simple than may at first seem. But in not too much time it was downloaded, signed, and sent back, with more to come here (the issue theme: “Starships and Spacesuits,” the story itself originally published in CONADIAN SOUVENIR BOOK for the 52nd World Science Convention, September 1994) as it becomes known.

Then, second, the payment was for just one horror story, and was for a whole year, but still it was surprisingly hefty given that my part was one twenty-fifth of the anthology pie. I will continue the custom of outing neither publisher nor amount (nor the story’s title), but what went ker-plunk in the PayPal pot this time would cover more than just one fancy dinner — or even perhaps a month’s worth of groceries to cook for myself.

And that’s more like the writing life as it should be lived.