Submissions Round-Up: Week 2

It's been another week, and submissions for The Temporal Element are still trickling in.  I'm pleased to say that I sent out the first acceptance letters over the weekend, and now have 5 confirmed stories for the anthology, with a few more pending.

If you've submitted and haven't heard from me yet, don't worry.  There are still several stories that are waiting for a second read-through.  I like to be thorough, and go over everything before giving a definite decision either way.

The only rejection I have sent out thus far was actually a request for a rewrite.  The story's plot was really good, but I felt the execution was off.  It needed more than I could give it as editor, but if the author wants to rework it, the tale could end up being the best of the bunch.

There's still plenty of room, so if you have a time-travel related story written, feel free to send it along.  Refer to the Submission Guidelines for details.

Submissions: The First Week

The submission period for The Temporal Element hits the 1-week point today, and I'd like to take a moment to reflect upon the process and current subs.

The initial story submissions have been trickling in, though word is still getting out there (and we haven't even been listed on duotrope yet; expect that to come any day now).  I will say the initial story submissions are well written, and many are likely to find their way into the anthology.  However, it will be a week or two before I start sending out acceptance letters.

The theme of the stories I'm getting seem pretty uniform in their time-setting, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, though I hope to see more variety when the flow of submissions increases.  The current basis of most stories sent in thus far deal with future travelers seeking to change or save their time by changing something in the present (their past), with a few stories involving people making short trips into their own past to fix something (or they try and fail to fix things).  These are all well and good, but if the current trend continues, there will be a glut of stories that take place in the present era vying for acceptance.

While there is still plenty of room for time travel stories that take place "close to home," I'm also interested in some stories about people exploring the past and future.  My initial thought for the anthology was a balanced selection of stories taking place in the past, present, & future.  It is still too early to know what will shake out, so if you are working on a story that takes place in the present, don't give up on it now.  Heck, now I'll probably get a slew of past and future stories, and fall short on tales taking place in the present.

In summation, ignore everything I just said.  Write whatever time-travel story you have in mind, and submit it.  The best will win out in the end.  Remember to review the Complete Submission Guidelines, and get those stories to me.

The Curse of Selwood (Week 6)

Today, we reach the end of our free installments for the second Fantasy Western novel.  Witness the unexpected shock and horror in part six, "Hanging Party," which sets things up for the rest of the book that will be coming out shortly.  Also, if you've missed any of the previous five chapters, they're still available to read for free at Hall Brothers Entertainment!

If you aren't excited to read the rest of this book after going through these first six freebies, check your pulse and seek medical attention, for you might be on the verge of death.  Well, that, or you just don't like fantasy fiction... but, then, why would you be reading a Fantasy Western?  Oh, heck, just buy the book when it comes out!

As we wait for the official release, do you have any questions/speculations about the rest of the story?  Feel free to share.

Submissions Open!

It's October 1st, and that means the submission period for "The Temporal Element" anthology is officially open!  Stop over at the previously posted submission guidelines for details about how you can submit your own time travel related story to this collection.

I expect to see a lot of qualified stories, so many that competition may be fierce.  Good luck!

*One quick caveat:  As you rush to complete your spectacular story for submission, it may be tempting to overindulge.  Many a night have I, myself, munched on sweet and/or salty snackfoods.  Pig out if you must, but know that too many hours snacking at the keyboard could result in serious health problems.  You have been forewarned.

Meet Lois

In today's Family Sunday post, I'd like to give you a brief introduction to the newest member of my family tree, Lois Janet Ingham:

Born at a quarter past one on September 19th, she weighed in at an even 7 pounds, and was 19.5 inches in length.  She had quite a bit of hair, which appears to be dark blond.  Time will tell if it lightens up to match her siblings, or darken like her mother's.

Here's a picture of her at 1-day old, being held by big brother Wyatt:

And here's one with big sister Sylvia holding her:

I'm glad to report there is no sibling rivalry or jealously issues.  They all love their baby sister.  All 4 of them: Lois, Wyatt, Sylvia, & Kathryn:

Lois is strong and healthy, with no apparent maladies.  My wife and I are fortunate to have compatible genes that produce such offspring.  Maybe we'll have more of them someday.

The Curse of Selwood (Week 5)

The fifth free chapter of The Curse of Selwood came out Monday evening, and things are heating up as we near the end of our six part run of freebies.  This week, Doliber and Grimes seek help from a notorious outlaw who is supposed to be dead.  Can it be that the infamous Jesse James is alive and well in Nevada?  Or is there some trickery afoot?  Find out in "Recruiting the Damned."

http://www.hallbrosentertainment.com/mini_curseofselwood.html

The Temporal Element: Complete Submission Guidelines

With just over a week to go before open submissions for The Temporal Element, here is the complete and unabridged list of submission guidelines:

The Temporal Element:

Time-Travel Adventures,

Past, Present, & Future!

Since the dawn of the modern era, mankind has dreamed about the possibility of traversing the bounds of linear time, to explore the dark mysteries of pre-history or seek out the wild possibilities of the far future in person.  This collection of stories does the next best thing, allowing readers to dream of the possibilities of such a theoretical trip.

The anthology will contain stories all about traveling through time, and not in the natural way.  From spell-casting wizards, to mad scientists, and government-sanctioned time agencies, The Temporal Element will feature the best stories of people traveling beyond their native time.  Explore ancient history, the distant future, or anywhere in between.

If you have a story that fits this theme, consider submitting it, but please adhere to the instructions below:

1:  Font:  Stories must be formatted in either Times New Roman or Courier New, single-spaced.  Do not add an extra space between paragraphs.  A lot of writers separate their paragraphs into blocks these days, like they're writing a blog post.  It's something I'd just have to undo, so please don't submit it that way.

2: Keep your stories PG-13 or softer in nature.  While I'm putting together a collection for adults, I'm also seeking to assemble something that would be appropriate for high school students.  If you write the best piece of Erotica about a time traveling gigolo, more power to you, but it's not going to fit this market.

3:  Format stories as either a .doc or .rtf file format.  No .docx files!  I still use Windows XP, so if you send me a .docx file, I will not be able to read it.  Please, no argument about how "there's a patch for that."  I don't want .docx files, period, so make sure your file is in one of the aforementioned, acceptable formats.

4:  Word Length:  2,000-6,000 words preferred.  If a story is longer but of exceptional quality, it may gain acceptance, as well.  Likewise, a story under 2k may be accepted if it is really good, but generally I'm looking for stories within the word range.

5:  No Simultaneous Submissions.  I don't want to read the greatest story and accept it, only to find out that some other editor has bought the rights out from under me.  If you submit to this anthology, please have the courtesy to wait for a response before marketing it elsewhere.

6:  One Story At A Time:  If you have multiple stories you'd like to submit to the anthology, please send only one, to start.  I'll have a lot of stories to read through, and prefer to see single story submissions.  After you get a response about your first story, you're free to submit another story, but editors only handle one at a time, generally.

7:  No Fan Fiction.  Though it may be tempting to write stories about your favorite tv show characters, there are copyrights and trademarks involved.  Even the best piece of fan fiction cannot be accepted.

8:  The submission period will be open October 1, 2012 and stay open until January 31, 2013.  During this time period, you may submit your stories to mtiediting (at) inbox.com as an email attachment.  Please put "Submission: (Your Story Name Here) in the subject line.

9: Response Time will vary, depending on the number of submissions.  There is only one of me, and I have several other things to contend with at the moment, so it may take some time to wade through the slush.  I'll say four to six weeks just to be safe, but it may be much sooner than that.

10:  Payment.  While Publication is the major form of pay, the editor would like to personally thank each accepted writer with the munificent sum of 15 cents.  Yes, a nickel and a dime, but it's no ordinary pocket change.  Each accepted writer will receive a silver Winged Liberty (aka Mercury) Dime, and a Buffalo Nickel.  Why?  Because it's something different, and it'll be memorable. 

*Due to the rising cost of international postage, writers from outside the USA will be offered a paypal payment of $5 instead of the antique coins.

11: Genre:  Since this is an anthology about time travel, most of our stories will be either Science Fiction or Fantasy, though there is no specific genre limitation.

12:  Publishing details.  This anthology will be released by Martinus Publishing.  Tentative release date is spring 2013.  It will be a print anthology, with an ebook release for Kindle.  A few free samples will also be displayed on the forthcoming Martinus Publishing website for promotional purposes, as well.

That is everything I have for you at the moment.  Get ready to submit on October 1st!

The Curse of Selwood (Week 4)

Today, we're starting in on the back half of our free preview of The Curse of Selwood, and this week things get really exciting.  Follow Joella Grimes-Talus, the deputized lady elf, as she faces a molestation plot, envious prostitutes, and the sinister schemes of Marshall Ned Rodgers in "One of Those Days."

Only two more chapters remain in our free preview series.  Get ready for the official release of the book in the coming weeks!

An Influx of Spam

I don't know about anyone else, but I've seen a sudden increase in the number of spam comments being submitted to my blog posts.  This started about a month ago, and it just keeps getting worse.  It seems I have a spam comment every day, and never on the same blog post or from the same spammer.  It is a growing annoyance.

Basically, this is what happens; someone submits a comment, often in broken English, saying something like "Wow, you blog is some good.  You give me insight I never had before on this subject.  You really nailed it. I love to read about you, hope to share good word.  Visit my website: ~stupidspamshop."  Sometimes they get more creative with their praise, talking about how I've changed their outlook, or "You have tackled this subject so well," never giving specifics about the post they're supposedly commenting on, just a typical cookie cutter response they must throw down on a thousand different blog posts each day, hoping to promote their online pharmacy or other venture.

This is one of the main reasons I have "comments by approval" set on my blog.  When someone posts a comment, I have to approve it before it gets out there for all to see.  This means that dumbass spam artists don't get any exposure when they submit a post that is nothing more than bad advertising.  Nobody but me will ever see that comment, and guess what.  I'm not buying.

Don't get me wrong, I appreciate self promotion, and when someone actually visits the blog and gives a serious reply, I don't mind if they share a link to their own blog or writing website.  However, I don't accept people spamming the blog, having never even read the post they're responding to, on the vain hope that someone might buy whatever crap they're peddling.  It is discourteous and has no place being attached to any of my posts.

Well, that's enough for this rant.  Now to sit back and read the onslaught of spam replies trying to sell me male enhancement products and cheap nick-knacks.  How glorious that will be!



Sample



The Curse of Selwood (Week 3)

The third installment of The Curse of Selwood comes out today, as we hit the mid-point in our series of free episodes.  Only the first six chapters will be released for free online, so get on over to Hall Brothers Entertainment and read the next section of story, "Runaway Train."

This week, Ron and Doliber investigate the train massacre that kicked off the book, and they run into all sorts of trouble.  Nefarious cow punchers have it out for them this time around, as the plot thickens.  All this, and a real-life Leprechaun in this week's exciting excerpt from The Curse of Selwood!

The Temporal Element Submission Guidelines

Starting October 1, I'll be accepting submissions for a time travel oriented anthology called The Temporal Element: Tales of Time Travel Adventure, Past, Present, & Future.  In preparation for this grand endeavor, I'll now provide to you the full set of guidelines, which should prepare you to submit your stories when the time comes:

1:  Font:  Stories must be formatted in either Times New Roman or Courier New, single-spaced.  Do not add an extra space between paragraphs.  I know, a lot of writers separate their paragraphs into blocks, like they're writing a blog post.  It's something I'd just have to undo, so please don't submit it that way.

2: Keep your stories PG-13 or softer in nature.  While I'm putting together a collection for adults, I'm also seeking to assemble something that would be appropriate for high school students.  If you write the best piece of Erotica about a time traveling gigolo, more power to you, but it's not going to fit this market.

3:  Format stories as either a .doc or .rtf file format.  No .docx files!  I still use Windows XP, so if you send me a .docx file, I will not be able to read it.  Please, no argument about how "there's a patch for that."  I don't want .docx files, period, so make sure your file is in one of the aforementioned, acceptable formats.

4:  Word Length:  2,000-6,000 words preferred.  If a story is longer but of exceptional quality, it may gain acceptance, as well.  Likewise, a story under 2k may be accepted if it is really good, but generally I'm looking for stories within the word range.

5:  No Simultaneous Submissions.  I don't want to read the greatest story and accept it, only to find out that some other editor has bought the rights out from under me.  If you submit to this anthology, please have the courtesy to wait for a response before marketing it elsewhere.

6:  One Story At A Time:  If you have multiple stories you'd like to submit to the anthology, please send only one, to start.  I'll have a lot of stories to read through and prefer to see single story submissions.  After you get a response about your first story, you're free to submit another story, but editors only handle one at a time, generally.

7:  No Fan Fiction.  Though it may be tempting to write stories about your favorite tv show characters, there are copyrights and trademarks involved.  Even the best piece of fan fiction cannot be accepted.

8:  The submission period will be open October 1, 2012, and stay open until November 30, 2012.  An email address for submissions will be announced on this blog during the last week of September.

9:  Payment.  While Publication is the major form of pay, the editor would like to personally thank each accepted writer with the generous sum of 15 cents.  Yes, a nickel and a dime, but it's no ordinary pocket change.  Each accepted writer will receive a silver Winged Liberty (aka Mercury) Dime, and a Buffalo Nickel.  Why?  Because it's something different, and it'll be memorable.

Okay, I think that's everything.  I hope this will help prepare you for the forthcoming submissions period.  I look forward to reading through the many qualified stories, and selecting from amongst them.

The Curse of Selwood (Week 2)

The second installment of "The Curse of Selwood" is up and running at Hall Brothers Entertainment.  Two down, four to go, as we count down to the official book release!

Picking up from last week, an angry mob seeks vengeance, and it's all Ron Grimes and Marshall Rodgers can do to keep them cool.  Meanwhile, Joella finds herself the target of blackmail in the Marshall's mysterious machinations, as the true "curse" of Selwood continues to unfold.

Don't miss this thrilling episode in the second Fantasy Western!

The Curse of Selwood (Week 1)

At last, it's here!  After all the months of writing, editing, and pre-publication setup, the Curse of Selwood is ready.  The final cover art is being commissioned as we speak, and the first episode is posted for free online.  Go over to Hall Brothers Entertainment to read "Blood on the Tracks," the first of six free installments that will be shown prior to the book's release.

In week one, readers will reconnect with the characters they came to know and love in West of the Warlock.  See Ron Grimes and Joella Talus in action, and peer into the life of warlock sheriff James Doliber, as he does some soul searching.  On top of that, meet the horrific creature stalking the Nevada desert, and experience its bloody wrath.  It's just the beginning, so return to the wild west the way it wasn't with "The Curse of Selwood."