writing advice ← Alex Acks: Sound and Nerdery

Slush v Solicitations: Just tell us where we stand 5

Jul

24

2020

Last updated: 8/4/20 I’ve recently written a couple of real salty twitter threads about the issue of short story venues–I mostly mean magazines, but anthologies can count, too–and their complete lack of transparency regarding just how much of their content they actually take from the slush pile versus how much is solicited. A little background ...

The Shitty Trans Take of Remothered: An Analysis 2

Oct

14

2019

One of my social activities is playing horror video games with my friends. Which is to say, my housemate does the hard part of actually driving, and me and my best friend sit and watch and offer helpful advice like “oh god, run away!” because we are both giant weenies who forget how to use ...

Dealing With a Bunch of Fucking Nerds: Research and “Getting It Right” 6

Oct

11

2017

I’ve gotten some interesting blowback since I decided to go public with my irritation over JRR Tolkien’s puzzling geomorphology. Among the “well actually” and personal insults, there’ve been a more interesting complaint, with variations. To paraphrase: “Writers shouldn’t have to be an experts on everything just to tell a story!” Well, yes and no. To ...

Write Every Day

May

29

2017

And lo, there is another writer on a fairly well-trafficked site who has chosen to pull down their trousers and show the internet their ass in an effort to give new writers a complex about if they’re doing it “right.” Because if you don’t write every day, you’re not a real writer, apparently. Well, as ...

Submitting short stories: the waiting period 5

Jan

6

2017

The excellent John D asked on a previous writing nuts and bolts post: On a related note, how soon is too soon to submit another story to a magazine after a rejection. One of them just rejected a story of mine (but included a nice note, which I do appreciate) and I have another story that ...

Have you cold bullshit cake and eat it too. 20

Dec

16

2016

Recently, my buddy Paul mentioned the science fiction short story I love to hate, The Cold Equations. The Cold Equations, and your reaction to it are a keystone to how and what you think about science fiction. Read it, and see into yourself. — Paul Weimer (@PrinceJvstin) December 15, 2016 To be honest, if you want ...

Here, let me write your cover letter for you 1

Oct

1

2015

You are trying to be charming/funny in your cover letter, but don’t. Say “hey this is my story, X words, thanks,” and be done. — E Catherine Octobler (@ECthetwit) October 1, 2015 I would like to make Elise’s job, and that of all editors less painful. I’ve mentioned this before, but the cover letter was ...

[Ask the Dapper Sir] Is it okay to share my stories online? 2

Aug

12

2014

Say I have a couple of short stories ready. Is it best not to share it on a personal writing blog until it’s published, if ever, or does it not matter? It actually matters a lot. There are basically two categories of submissions for magazines: originals and reprints. An original is a story that has never been published anywhere ...

I’m in London! And current rejection stats. 3

Aug

9

2014

The two are not related. Just I’ve been talking to a few writers who are even newer to this than me and I wanted to give some perspective on the short story submission thing. I’ve now had 20 sales, not counting reprints. Out of 20 short story sales: Average number of rejections per sale: 6.85 ...

How much are you worth? 3

Mar

8

2013

The question is more literally “How much is your writing worth?” but since art is in effect a piece of you that you have offered for the consumption of others, I think it’s a fair question. In the last day, there’s been a minor blow-up about Random House’s new Hydra imprint. Simply put, the contract ...