Thursday 28 August 2008

If at first you don't succeed...

How things stand at the beginning of Day 13...

Okay, we still have three very important gaps to fill but I've slipped behind with a) adding new projects that weren't originally planned (though in all truth I didn't expect to write stories for the entire list - my cape is in the wash), and b) fighting the rejection plague by trying the same market again. Okay, I've only done b) once so far (give me time) but I am tempted to try Dark Jesters again. The tentacles are out though - I don't do tentacles very well at all. There is a definite lack of cthulhu in my reading past and I very nearly did a story about octopuses!!! Wipes sweat off brow and thanks the internet god for wikipedia.

So that's 2 acceptances, 2 hold requests and 3 rejections and a lot of anxious waiting.

The Book of Tentacles - 'A Strange Artificial Light' - 2311 words - submitted - rejected
Cinema Spec - 'Ugly Duckling' - 1434 words - submitted - on hold
Dark Jesters - 'Uncle Eric's Leather Bound Tale' - 1803 words - submitted - rejected
Footprints
Mother Goose is Dead - this antho is now full - I was too late!!!!
Clockwork Phoenix 2 - Trench Foot - 2780 words - submitted
Infradead
Catastrophia
Hotel Guignol - cheated & sent 'Frog & The Mail Order Bride'
Potter's Field - 'Hand Scratched Note' - 2052 words - submitted - rejected - cut to 1550 words - submitted to Postscripts - accepted
Trying Potter's Field again - Lazarus Jones' Creepy Carnival of Corpses - 2050 words - submitted
The Morrigan Ezine - 'Curious Robot' - 854 words - submitted - hold request
Apex Digest Election Horror Competition - 'Nobody Smiling' - 613 words - entered
Northern Haunts - 'The Restoration of Purple Curtains & Other Things' - 605 words - submitted - accepted.

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

Potters Field is apparently going to be a tricky one to get into. The story I subbed was rejected and, like you, I re-edited and sent it elsewhere where it was accepted ("Grave Seasons" at SFW).

Still super excited for you about Post Scripts!

Cate Gardner said...

This is going to be my last try for Potter's Field - otherwise I'll have a heap of graveyard stories to go with my collection of zombie stories. :)

Aaron Polson said...

Potter's field does seem to be a tough nut to crack. (I've been rejected twice) I think the editor likes carnival bits; by your title, you might have a shot. Best of luck.

Cate Gardner said...

It also has zombies - which seem to garner (Permuted Press aside) an automatic no at the moment.

Damn those dead people. :)

Carrie Harris said...

OMG. Now that you wrote this, I know EXACTLY what my next blog post will be about. I once tried to write a comedy story about Cthulhu. Because really, comedy and Cthulhu go together like bread and butter.

Fox Lee said...

I submitted a tentacle poem yesterday. It's about something that only looks like an octopus ; )

Katey said...

Man you are tearing it up, Cate. When this is over you get to sit down, take a deep breath, and drink half a bottle of the liquor of your choice. At least.

If you WANT more Cthulhu in your life, you may already know this, but there are a few places online to get Lovecraft. I use this one. (Yay public domain!) But in spite of reading that stuff half my life, I couldn't think of a single idea for the Tentacles antho. I'm impressed that you had one!

Cate Gardner said...

Carrie - glad to be of help and can't wait to read the blog post.

Natalie - show off. ;)

Katey - I suppose I should have looked up cthulhu on the net before trying to attempt something with tentacles. I picked up a Lovecraft book in a book shop a couple of months ago but figured I wouldn't read it and put it back.

Katey said...

Ha, that's EXACTLY how I got into the habit of using the free online Lovecraft Libraries. I'd pick up the books, go "hmmm what if this has something boring in it..." and go and find it for free online instead. (And then often wish I'd bought it, but you know.)

Anyhow, I like his Other Stories better than the Cthulhu ones. Total sacrilege, but true!

Cate Gardner said...

I imagine I'll like the 'other stories' more too... So now we're both in trouble. ;)

Anonymous said...

... go crazy?

Good luck, and thanks for commenting on my wordpress blog, btw.

Horace James

Fox Lee said...

Come on now, it could be a terrible poem! I mean really, where do I get off even writing poetry? Although in high school I did write a short poem about a sunny day, squirrels, and suicide.

Unknown said...

My tentacle story is... awkward.

Think Thelma and Louise on Mars... with tentacles.

a hold for CinemaSpec is impressive as well, Cate. I'm seeing that's another tough nut to crack.

K.C. Shaw said...

I'd say you're doing great! Congrats on the hold for Cinema Spec (I've just sent them my fourth submission, myself).

Rena Jones said...

Thanks for signing my blog, Catherine. I write mostly picture books, so obviously our interests are WAY different, other than our love for Elvis. ;) Just wanted to stop by and say hi. Cool site too!

Rena

Kimbra Kasch said...

2 acceptances and 2 holds - not bad - in fact very, very good :)

Cate Gardner said...

Horace - thanks for popping on over.

Natalie - never.

Jeremy - sounds interesting to me. :)

KC - That's dedication. Fingers crossed this story makes it.

Rena - Thanks for returning the visit. YAY Elvis! I'm still totally jealous. And hey, I've written picture books two - not very good ones, but I'm trying. :)

Cheers, Kim.

Danette Haworth said...

Whoa! I'm seriously impressed. That's a whole lot of writing and submitting! Congrats on promising results!