Copies of Circuits and Slippers are making their way into people's homes (my grandparents got theirs Monday, and I've signed a copy that I'm sending to my aunt, and STRANGERS who aren't related to me are reading my story!), and even though I'm pretty sure mine is the shortest piece in the book, it's still very exciting.
Anyway. I keep a writing log. It's where I write what I've submitted where, whether it's been rejected or is pending, and, on occasion, long ranty rants about how I'm the worst writer ever. :D
Because I still can't wrangle my feelings about being published into a coherent post, I thought it would be fun to go back and look at my journey to publication in Circuits & Slippers by way of my writing log. Because what's the point of a blog if I can't use it to amuse myself? (Today's comments in parentheses and italics)
Monday, January 11, 2016 (Eleven days after I decided to start submitting my stories to editors and publishers. I actually had success quickly, but I wouldn't know it for months)
Submitted Scrapefoot to Lyssa Chiavari's Slippers and Sprockets sci-fi fairytale anthology, after writing it specifically for it based on an idea I already had. (Lyssa was originally an editor for the project. As for the title, I don't honestly know if it was called Slippers and Sprockets in the beginning or if I'm the doofus who couldn't remember the title two seconds after submitting to it.)
Tuesday, 19 April, 2016The Circuits and Slippers people have extended their deadline to May 6 (I had actually forgotten that I submitted to them, but something reminded me and I started checking the site every day) and anticipate all notices will be sent by May 20. BUT they say that stories they know they will pass on will have been notified by April 8. I am not getting too excited, but I did not get a definite no yet!
Friday, May 20, 2016 (aka "I get ramble-y and philosophical when I'm anxious")
May 20. The day I should hear from Circuits and Slippers. And morning finds me with an unread message in my inbox. I will never assume anything is good news, that I am going to be picked or that they will love my work. I am not going to be the kind of person who expects good things and is constantly disappointed. I will accept that, statistically, it is unlikely a certain story will be chosen, but that it has happened before and will happen again. It's cautious optimism, and right now that email could be anything from anyone. It's Schrodinger's cat, only it might not even be a cat. Could be Schrodinger's friendly automated response dolphin letting me know some submission has gone through or someone commented on my blog.
Now I'm afraid and excited in equal amounts.
Oh, it's [a rejection for a story called Siamese, about a cat]. Hey, lookit that. Schrodinger's cat was a cat after all, just a different breed than I expected. (How much of a dork am I?)
Saturday, May 21, 2016Scrapefoot was accepted.
AAAAH! Off to email everyone I know! AAAAAAAAH!
I mean seriously. Is this happening to me? I've gone to check to make sure the email is still there, and that it hasn't changed its words while I wasn't looking. Don't need a quantum state issue today. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH. (Apparently I am very much a dork.)
Monday, June 6, 2016Got my C&S contract. Addressed with purple ink and with a Batman stamp. (Because my editor is awesome. I knew right then that it would be an enjoyable experience working with her. And I was right.)
Tuesday, August 2, 2016We have cover art for C&S! AND. IT'S. AWESOME! Our names are on the back. My name is on a book! Aaaaaah!
Saturday, August 6, 2016C&S is on 36 people's TBR on Goodreads and I'm only related to one of them! (This was even more exciting than the first time my blog got a view that wasn't me!)
Thursday, September 8, 2016 (After I got an advanced download copy.)
This book is so good; how am I allowed to be in it?
Monday, September 19, 2016Publication is so close. Ten days. It's really happening, isn't it? I mean... me, with my words being read by strangers. My words becoming real, existing on paper outside of my head. I'm a writer. An author. And I feel like Jodie Foster in Contact because I think "they should have sent a poet". I can't even begin to explain how this feels. This stupid little hobby that has dominated my life. These silly little stories that I spend so much time and energy on. They're about to put my name into the world. And yes, it's an anthology being sold online and my story is undoubtedly the shortest and I'm not going to get famous from it. But there will be a book in someone's home that has my name on the back cover. And my words on pages 221 through 229 (that's where they were in the advance copy; might have changed slightly). And when I say that means everything to me, it is not hyperbole.
Wednesday, September 28, 2016Tomorrow. In 24 hours, I will be a published author. I'm trying not to think about it, honestly, and just get things done. I've got a blog post and email announcement to go out to family. I'm sure they're sick of hearing from me EXCEPT THAT IS THE DEPRESSION TALKING AND I AM ACTUALLY AWESOME AND MY FAMILY LOVES HEARING ABOUT MY EXPLOITS IN THE WORLD OF FICTION WRITING. (When in doubt, scream at the depression.)
Jaylee got the proof copy of the book and posted a video and you can see my name on the back and as she's flipping through you can totally see my story for half a second! It's super blurry and you can't really tell it's mine but I know it comes right after Christopher Walker's and you can clearly see his bio on the page before my blurry page so I know it's mine! AAAH! (When I sent the video to my aunt, she wrote back saying "If you pause it just right, you can see your name in the table of contents, too." My family is the best. Sidenote: I've been saying "AAAH!" so much lately that spellcheck now believes it's a real word.)
Thursday, September 29, 2016 (I was - and still am - in shock that it actually happened and so didn't write much.)
WE. ARE. PUBLISHED! Have to go blog and email. AAAH!
I've gotten 13 emails today and it isn't even noon. Jaylee sent out a mass email to all the authors and we've been hitting "reply all" and screaming in excitement at each other all morning.
And now I'm up to 21 emails in a day. (beating my previous record of five. I don't email much.)
So now we know exactly how dorky and excitable I am. (AAAH!) Do you keep a writing log or journal?
This is awesome - what a great way to remember. I love the thought of you checking the email again to make sure it said what you thought it said. I did that. In fact, I still do that. Never lose that journal!
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