I decided a little while ago to edit "Magna's Plea" and submit it to Pill Hill Press's Shadows & Light, Vol II: More Legends anthology. On Saturday, I edited the first five pages, and I finished it up tonight. I didn't change much to the actual story, but I did add more emotions, which is something a previous publisher who rejected the story suggested to me.
At 6:47 PM, I submitted "Magna's Plea" to Pill Hill Press.
At 6:57 PM, I received an email from Pill Hill Press saying that "Magna's Plea" had been short listed.
Yes, in ten minutes it was short listed.
Wow. Just wow.
Showing posts with label pill hill press. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pill hill press. Show all posts
Monday, September 20, 2010
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Acceptance!
On Thursday, I mentioned writing a zombie flash fiction piece. I sent it to several critique buddies, and on Friday, I submitted it to Pill Hill Press's Daily Bites of Flesh 2011: 365 Days of Flash Fiction. By Friday evening, I received my acceptance for "Zombies Don't Exist." I'm so excited about this acceptance for a few reasons. For one, "Zombies Don't Exist" is the first thing I've written in a couple months that I submitted. For two, I've been trying for several months and several of Pill Hill Press's anthologies to no avail. I've been short listed twice by Pill Hill Press, and I have one more story still with them, but this is my first acceptance. True, it's only for exposure, but I'm excited about it.
In other news, I've been thinking a lot about my novel Virtuoso. I've edited the first couple chapters, and I'm thinking about where to place such a story. It could probably easily be an e-book, I think, but at the same time I would like to try more. But, there I have the problem. It has a vampire (vampires actually but one main vampire) in it, and vampires are a little overdone. I don't know what to do with it. Do I change Marcus into a zombie? Do I change him into someone who is still alive but gone from Nadia's life for another reason (like being disfigured)? Or do I make Virtuoso into a more serious novel and take out the paranormal stuff? Do I make it into a novel about grief, coping, and finding a way to move on after a tragedy? It is about that, but the paranormal stuff adds more fun and whimsy to the story, I suppose. I just don't know.
Well, I have to go. My cousin's graduation is in forty-five minutes.
In other news, I've been thinking a lot about my novel Virtuoso. I've edited the first couple chapters, and I'm thinking about where to place such a story. It could probably easily be an e-book, I think, but at the same time I would like to try more. But, there I have the problem. It has a vampire (vampires actually but one main vampire) in it, and vampires are a little overdone. I don't know what to do with it. Do I change Marcus into a zombie? Do I change him into someone who is still alive but gone from Nadia's life for another reason (like being disfigured)? Or do I make Virtuoso into a more serious novel and take out the paranormal stuff? Do I make it into a novel about grief, coping, and finding a way to move on after a tragedy? It is about that, but the paranormal stuff adds more fun and whimsy to the story, I suppose. I just don't know.
Well, I have to go. My cousin's graduation is in forty-five minutes.
Monday, March 1, 2010
In like a lion...
Well, I received my first rejection for the month. I figured that I would be getting one, but it still stings a little. They were really nice, though, although it didn't give much criticism, so I can improve the story. Here is what Pill Hill Press said about rejecting "The Golden Staff":
Thank you for your recent submission to Pill Hill Press' The Quest for Atlantis: Legends of a Lost Continent anthology. We have reevaluated our short list, and unfortunately, have decided to pass on your story.
We received over 200 submissions for this anthology and many of the stories (including yours) were well-written and interesting. With only limited space available in the anthology, we were forced to set aside stories we enjoyed.
We truly hope you find another home for your story and that you continue to submit to Pill Hill Press (www.pillhillpress.com) in the future.
Best wishes in all of your writing endeavors,
Alva J. & Jessy Marie Roberts
It is the nicest rejection email that I've received from Pill Hill Press, not that any of them were mean. To take away with what they said, they enjoyed my story, thought it was well-written and interesting, but it just didn't quite make the cut. I'm waiting to hear about my two friends' stories, and I wish them better luck than I have.
Now, I'm off to find someplace else to send my story. I like it pretty much as is, so maybe I'll find a home for it soon.
UPDATE: I submitted "The Golden Staff" to New Myths and "Breaking Bifrost" to Fantasy Magazine today. I'm not expecting much from it, especially Fantasy Magazine, but I thought I should give it a chance. You never know.
Thank you for your recent submission to Pill Hill Press' The Quest for Atlantis: Legends of a Lost Continent anthology. We have reevaluated our short list, and unfortunately, have decided to pass on your story.
We received over 200 submissions for this anthology and many of the stories (including yours) were well-written and interesting. With only limited space available in the anthology, we were forced to set aside stories we enjoyed.
We truly hope you find another home for your story and that you continue to submit to Pill Hill Press (www.pillhillpress.com) in the future.
Best wishes in all of your writing endeavors,
Alva J. & Jessy Marie Roberts
It is the nicest rejection email that I've received from Pill Hill Press, not that any of them were mean. To take away with what they said, they enjoyed my story, thought it was well-written and interesting, but it just didn't quite make the cut. I'm waiting to hear about my two friends' stories, and I wish them better luck than I have.
Now, I'm off to find someplace else to send my story. I like it pretty much as is, so maybe I'll find a home for it soon.
UPDATE: I submitted "The Golden Staff" to New Myths and "Breaking Bifrost" to Fantasy Magazine today. I'm not expecting much from it, especially Fantasy Magazine, but I thought I should give it a chance. You never know.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Atlantis Submission and Shortlisted
Today I submitted my short story "The Golden Staff" to Pill Hill Press's Quest for Atlantis: Legends of a Lost Continent anthology. The deadline for the anthology is February 28, so I just made it in. Here is a blurb about it: After Sophia watched her love, Kastor, leave for war, she stumbled upon a strange golden staff. She journeys to the center of Atlantis and produces the staff to the Atlantean council. They deem the object to be a gift from the gods. Still disheartened from Kastor's departure, Sophia works on a flying machine to keep from thinking of him. That night, the staff is activated. The automatons are destroying the city, and earthquakes shake Atlantis to its core. Can Sophia survive the chaos before it destroys her? Will she ever see Kastor again?
Other than that, I haven't been doing much else. I'll be blogging in the next couple of days on February's goals (whether they were met or not) and March's goals.
In other news, I received an email from Pill Hill Press. They have shortlisted my story "Defying Gravity" for their Fire & Ice anthology. I was really surprised to see that my story was shortlisted for two reasons: one, the other stories I've sent to Pill Hill Press were rejected before the deadline for the respected anthologies and two, the story is a science fiction romance story, which is nothing like I've ever written before. I tend to write mysteries, horror, and fantasy, but I'm branching out a little bit here and there. I do like to experiement with new genres, and I'm pleased it was shortlisted, even though I know it doesn't really mean anything. Fire & Ice anthology's deadline in December 31, 2010. I still have a long way before I find out if it was accepted (unless they decide to reject it before then, which they could do, but I hope not).
Friday, January 8, 2010
Submission: Eat Your Heart Out
I finished writing my first short story of 2010. It is a psychological horror short story titled "Eat Your Heart Out." Here is what it is about: Jim Reynolds has suffered a painful betrayal when his wife Melissa had an affair years ago on Valentine's Day. She broke his heart, and he has to now break hers. As the pounding in his head increases each Valentine's Day, he has to find a way to stop it. After finding a nearly identical person to be his wife Melissa, he relives the day everything changed. Yet, once again, "Melissa" breaks his heart, and he has to do what he can to stop the pain.
I submitted this story today to Pill Hill Press for their first writing contest. The top three winners receive money and a copy, and the runners up receive a contributor's copy. The stories will be published in an anthology called Love Kills. I hope that my story has a decent chance to be a runner up, although it would be amazing to have one of the top three stories. I doubt that'll happen, though. So, I'll be happy for it to be a runner up.
As for my writing goals in January, I want to do a complete rewrite of "Soul Survivor" for Abandoned Towers. I would like to write my thriller short story "Grave Mistakes" for Emerald Tales "It was a bright and sunny day" issue. I plan to begin writing book two of the Phoenix Trilogy: The Phoenix Sorceress.
I also need to continue doing my rewrites/edits for The Phoenix Prophetess.
Otherwise, I hope everyone has a happy Friday. I really wish it would warm up some. My hands and fingers are ice cold and my joints ache, even though I'm not even twenty-eight yet. Sad, I know. Oh, well. C'est la vie!
I submitted this story today to Pill Hill Press for their first writing contest. The top three winners receive money and a copy, and the runners up receive a contributor's copy. The stories will be published in an anthology called Love Kills. I hope that my story has a decent chance to be a runner up, although it would be amazing to have one of the top three stories. I doubt that'll happen, though. So, I'll be happy for it to be a runner up.
As for my writing goals in January, I want to do a complete rewrite of "Soul Survivor" for Abandoned Towers. I would like to write my thriller short story "Grave Mistakes" for Emerald Tales "It was a bright and sunny day" issue. I plan to begin writing book two of the Phoenix Trilogy: The Phoenix Sorceress.
I also need to continue doing my rewrites/edits for The Phoenix Prophetess.
Otherwise, I hope everyone has a happy Friday. I really wish it would warm up some. My hands and fingers are ice cold and my joints ache, even though I'm not even twenty-eight yet. Sad, I know. Oh, well. C'est la vie!
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Rejection and Submission
"Soul Survivor" was rejected by Emerald Tales last week. Here is what was said:
I apologize for the delay in giving you an answer to your submission. It is with great difficulty that I pass on your story "Soul Survivor". It is a wonderful story, but it's not a good fit with Emerald Tales. Good luck submitting it elsewhere. It will find it's proper home.
Sincerely,
Diana Lyles
CEO Scribblers and Ink Spillers, LLC
I have to say that this is the nicest rejection letter I've ever received. I went back through the story, made some edits/rewrites. I changed the story from first to third person, and today I submitted it to Pill Hill Press for their The Bitter End: Tales of Nautical Terror anthology. The deadline is October 31, so I likely won't hear from them until the end of November. I do think my rewrites have made the story better, so we'll have to see. *crosses fingers*
I haven't heard from anywhere else yet about my stories. I should know by the end of next week about two of them ("Hell Has No Fury" and "Bella's Battle").
In other news, I'm working on "Hounded" for The Beast Within 2: Beasts Unleashed. I also have been thinking a lot about Moonlight Murders, and I hope to get to it soon. I have several more short stories planned for various anthologies, including another submission for Emerald Tales: Winter Solstice, which will be an ancient Roman horror story called "Io, Saturnalia." I will likely work on it after "Hounded," but we'll have to see how things go. Of course, I'll be working on the rewrites/edits for The Phoenix Prophetess in the meantime. Writing never seems to end, does it?
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