Tag: writing tips

Rejectomancy Rabbit Hole: Acceptance Rates

Recently, I was discussing the chances of getting published at some of the big genre markets with my author pals, and a few numbers were thrown around, some by yours truly. These numbers were mostly guess-work. None of us really know the exact percentage chance… Continue Reading “Rejectomancy Rabbit Hole: Acceptance Rates”

The Monsters the Guidelines Forgot: Zombies

In this series of posts, I’m going to talk about writing and selling stories featuring classic monsters. You know, the ones you often find in publisher guidelines after the words “absolutely no”. It’s usually the big three—vampires, werewolves, and zombies—that make the do not… Continue Reading “The Monsters the Guidelines Forgot: Zombies”

Query Quest: Postmortem

Last month, I marked the last outstanding query for my novel SECOND DAWN as closed, no response (CNR), ending my first trek through the deep, dark jungle of query land. It was a rough trip, but I learned a lot, and I will absolutely… Continue Reading “Query Quest: Postmortem”

The Writer’s Block Post or How I Yeet the Yips

I’ve been running this writing blog for the better part of a decade, and not once have I really covered writer’s block. Quite the oversight; I know. Do you even write, bro? In this post, I will talk about the aforementioned writer’s worst nightmare,… Continue Reading “The Writer’s Block Post or How I Yeet the Yips”

2023: A Writing Rearview Review

Well, 2023 is in the books, and as writing years go, it wasn’t all I hoped it would be. Though not a complete failure by any means, 2023 was nowhere near as productive as years past. This is largely due to a focus on… Continue Reading “2023: A Writing Rearview Review”

Leaving the Nest: Where To Send My New Story

I recently finished a new story, and it’s time to send my poor little word baby out into the dark, feral wastes of submission land. In this post, I thought it might be fun to talk about how I go about deciding which markets… Continue Reading “Leaving the Nest: Where To Send My New Story”

Query/Submission Statement: November 2023

I was fairly active in November, but, overall, it was a disappointing month for both short story submissions and agent queries. It was a month of cleansing, and I cleared out a lot of stale agent queries with the goal of heading into 2024… Continue Reading “Query/Submission Statement: November 2023”

Query/Submission Statement: October 2023

October was another busy month, and I sent a fair number of queries and submissions. That said, queries are winding down as I wait for replies to those still outstanding. Anyway, here’s how I did in the tenth month of the year of our… Continue Reading “Query/Submission Statement: October 2023”

Short Story Subs vs. Agent Queries: Two Big Differences

In the last four months, I’ve been querying my novel SECOND DAWN, and while querying a novel is a new to me, submitting my work to publishers is definitely not. I have sent well over 700 short story submissions, so it’s fair to say… Continue Reading “Short Story Subs vs. Agent Queries: Two Big Differences”

Query/Submission Statement: September 2023

September was another busy month, as I fired off more agent queries for my novel SECOND DAWN. I even, somehow, managed to find time to send a few short story submissions. (I know!). It was a productive month, but not necessarily a fruitful one.… Continue Reading “Query/Submission Statement: September 2023”