Year in Review

2009 was a very good year for me as a writer. True, I didn't have any professional sales and I won't be paying my bills doing this any time soon. I don't have an agent yet, although it isn't for lack of trying and I don't have any books out with just my name on them, but I still consider this to be a very good year. It was a year that, I believe, saw my work get just a little bit better. I haven't received nearly as many form rejections as the year before and on a better note, I received more acceptances than I thought would be possible in a single year. Especially considering the number of stories I wrote. Let us get on with the stats.

Short stories written (completely): 14
Short stories sold: 14 (2 of these were in December. I made it into the zombie Western anthology and into the four horsemen of the Apocalypse antho as well)
Rejections received: 51 (I finally looked them all up)

On the surface this looks fantastic (I am including flash in this number because a story is a story no matter how long it is) I have sold more of the stories I wrote this year, either in their primary or secondary markets. Most of the stories I have left out in sub land (5) either are from last year or they haven't been out that long in the first place.

Words written in short stories: just over 25,000 (this includes one that I am still working on)

Not too bad. I can live with this number. It is the equivalent of 100 manuscript pages.

Short stories actually published in 2009: 10
words actually published in 2009: 14,765

Novellas, books written in 2009 (complete): 3; (incomplete): 4
words in those books: 114,000 (complete); 151,000 (incomplete)
books accepted: 0 (I really need to work on this)
Books out in submission land: 1 (I really, really need to work on this)

Now I could state my goals for next year and in writing them I might attain that but the acceptance part, while in large part due to my writing ability, is also dependent on the mood of the editor reading my material so no such goals will be put forth. As far as my blog-roll group as a whole I predicted good things to come last year and I was right. Of the 19 or so of you that regularly post comments on my blog 7 of you have sold books in single author formats either online or in print this year. That is pretty good company to keep. Congratulations to all of you. I hope more of us can join the ranks of you in the next year.

Would I like a better year. You bet. Who wouldn't. Will I get a better year. We will see. If I continue to see improvements in my writing then perhaps.

Here is hoping everyone has a wonderful New Year and I hope to see you all in 2010! May we all share many ToC's to come.

restless

Unfortunately, the title of this post describes my boy last night and not me. I think I might have slept between midnight and 1 last night. Maybe. I apologize in advance if this is more rambling than normal.

I am pleased to announce that after 307 days I finally heard back from From the Asylum. It was a hearty and well thought out rejection but at least they got back to me. Luckily I had all but given up hope on them five days earlier and sent the story into Opium magazine. I look forward to hearing from them in about six months.

I suppose I could do a year in review as my first official year where the only thing I did, other than look after my kids, was write (and cook and clean and work on vehicles and replace windows and doors and mow the yard and blah, blah, blah . . .) It was a good year actually. I had 9 stories accepted in the last year. All but four have been published at this point. I felt pretty good about that. I managed to write about 25 or so stories and two book length works which are not ready for a publisher yet, but I am working on them.

My daughter is at Kindergarten now. My boy is home with me full time. My wife changed jobs to an independent pharmacy (she used to manage a local Wal-Mart pharmacy) she is happier and so am I. We managed to go on two mini-vacations. We took one to Minneapolis, MN and anther to Hannibal, MO. they were both fun. We managed, after overheating the engine on one mini-van (faulty radiator cap) to buy anther one right after the Hannibal trip.

The only thing I can say I am regretting this year is that my woodworking has suffered. I was planning on building a full bar (solid walnut with glass doors on the upper cabinets) but alas, I have run out of time this year. Maybe next year. Until then, my liquor will be relegated to a small cabinet above the refrigerator in the kitchen. I can say that I do not regret quitting my job as a subcontractor for a wood manufacturing company.

Here is hoping everyone a fantastic Christmas and a great new year. May our inboxes be filled with acceptances from here on out. :)