The WF I-Sold-A-Story/Poem Thread

[Gavrushka]

Congratulations, ppsage, and it's a great read too!

[escorial]

brilliant pp

[Alanzie]

So, I wrote a story 30 years ago. Sent it to a few places, got a few personal replies, got immaturely disillusioned and stuck it in my sock drawer. Life moved on. My dream of being an author put on hold, life taking precedence. Wife, house, 3 kids, 2 cars, career, etc., etc., etc. Fast forward 2012. My eldest, 27 year old English major, finds said manuscript (I think he needed clean socks). He reads it. Suggests I clean it up, brush it off and send it out into the big bad world.

I get an email from the very first place I sent it to, Dark Moon Books. A wonderful editor there decided to put my story, Norman Rockwell is Dead in the print version of their quarterly anthology, Dark Moon Digest, Issue #10.

So now, here I am at WF, trying to prove to myself that what I wrote 30 years ago wasn't a fluke.

[lasm]

So, I wrote a story 30 years ago. Sent it to a few places, got a few personal replies, got immaturely disillusioned and stuck it in my sock drawer. Life moved on. My dream of being an author put on hold, life taking precedence. Wife, house, 3 kids, 2 cars, career, etc., etc., etc. Fast forward 2012. My eldest, 27 year old English major, finds said manuscript (I think he needed clean socks). He reads it. Suggests I clean it up, brush it off and send it out into the big bad world.

I get an email from the very first place I sent it to, Dark Moon Books. A wonderful editor there decided to put my story, Norman Rockwell is Dead in the print version of their quarterly anthology, Dark Moon Digest, Issue #10.

So now, here I am at WF, trying to prove to myself that what I wrote 30 years ago wasn't a fluke.

Congratulations, Alanzie! That's so cool. Hope your other works get such warm receptions.

[Caragula]

Just came across this and ppsage's story. Amazing, beautifully distinctive narrator's voice. Thoroughly enjoyed that piece.

[N J Xkey]

I've had four short pieces published by online mags/story sites in the last couple of months, but have just last week had my first acceptance from a paying market! Not a king's ransom of course, but in all honesty I'm over the moon because I feel I've broken through a barrier to my confidence. Someone, somewhere liked my story enough to pay for it, and that means the world to me! Plus it gives me the kick up the bum I need to stop erring on the side of caution by only submitting to non-paying markets (which is what I had been doing until now).

The story is called Dearly Departed, and has been accepted by Page and Spine. Don't know publication date yet but I'll link it when it's up (if that's permissible?)
Huge thanks to members of the beta readers group on this forum (you know who you are ) who have helped and supported me with my shorts, and continue to help with my novel.

[Dave Watson]

Well done NJ. Remember to harrass Cran for a shiny wee Published Writer badge to pin under your avatar!

[PiP]

Done

[N J Xkey]

Thanks guys Much appreciated.

[J.T. Chris]

I love these sorts of threads. They always make me feel more confident about the state of the market when I see the success of other writers!

As for myself, I just sold a story to Every Day Fiction, which is a huge deal for me because I've been rejected by them so much that I made it a personal goal of mine to have a story published there before I die. It will be out on June 28th!