When I first started writing with the goal of publication, I had more confidence than I probably should have. At the time, I was in high school and I had a friend who told me that everything I wrote was brilliant. A yes-girl is really no help at all to improve one's work but, my how nice it was to hear. It was because of her that I sent my first submission out to a real publication, meaning - one not focused on publishing highschool kids. I have to hope I recieved that acceptance on my own merits though. In the long run, it's because of her support then, when everyone else was telling me I would never get anywhere, that I am still plugging along. Not getting very far, but still trying.
In down cycles, I keep trying to tell myself that she would love whatever my current project is, but it's not really the same. Those are the days when I miss having a yes-girl, being patted on the head and told that I am wonderful. It doesn't help my work at all but it's a hell of a boost to the ego. I lost touch with her during a very rough patch in my life and by the time I came around again, she was long gone and, I don't blame her a bit. If she ever comes across this, and I hope that someday she does, she'll know who she is.
Enough of that I suppose - just my current train of thought getting the better of me.
~S
My baby is five years old today and I can't understand how time went by so quickly. I hope the next five years don't fly as fast. I want so much to be a mom he can be proud of - I think that's normal. I find myself thinking back to the day he was born, how scared I was, and I think that, so far, we've made it through ok. I hope I can say that five years from now.
~S
The following list is arranged alphabetically. * denotes markets I have submissions out to. These are the markets I most want to get into.
Absinthe Literary Review *
Abyss and Apex
Analog
Andromeda Spaceways
Antimuse
Aoife's Kiss *
Asimovs
Black Gate
Black October *
Black Warrior Review
Boulevard
Chizine
Contemporary Verse *
Danforth Review *
Deep Magic
Ellipsis *
Fifth Dimension
Flashquake
Futurismic
Gettysburgh Review
Glimmertrain
Ideomancer
Illumen
Interzone
Lenox Avenue
Lorraine and James
Lullaby Hearse
Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction
Neo-opsis
Oceans of the Mind
One Story
On-Spec
Paradox
Pedestal*
Ploughshares*
Poems Niederngasse
Realms of Fantasy
Scifantastic*
SciFiction
Story House*
Strange Horizons
The Book of Dark Wisdom *
The Harrow*
The New Yorker
The Paris Review
Tin House
TM Poetry
Vestal Review*
Wicked Alice
Woman's Day
~S
When this year began, I set some pretty lofty goals for myself. I've done decently so far but, I am not where I want to be. Yet.
These were my goals:
Send out 82 submissions for the year, Attain a 15% acceptance rate, win one writers competition and get published in at least five of my 50 Most Wanted Markets.
As of September 26, 2005, this is where I am:
I've sent out 104 submissions, attained a 7.69 acceptance rate (not too bad for only the second year of dedicated submitting), I've not won a contest yet this year but I've placed second twice and have gotten into none of those desired markets... though there is some small hope, I have work out at several of them.
I can now Google myself and, though it wasn't a goal of mine, it is sort of neat.
That's the status as of tonight but it's an ever changing set of numbers.
I'll be updating this as I go, as the numbers change.
~S
This is a new venture for me... Thanks to Domy ;) I think it could be quite an interesting thing, to see what nonsense pops out of my head when I allow myself to simply write. I suppose I should introduce myself: My name is Sarah Wagner. I go by Shade53 just about everywhere I go online. I am an assistant editor at Lily. I also run a monthly suggested reading list, The Imaginary Word.
In my offline life, I am a work from home mom of one boy and the wife of my favorite husband. In my daydreams - I am a writer. I've been published some now, both online and in print. One of the things I intend to do is keep track of my progress with that here.
Over time, the look to this little place, this doorway to my mind (enter at your own risk), will change. I am a novice, a newbie, and a complete ninny when it comes to the technology of the day - past templates and email and word processer programs ;) . Bear that in mind and be patient with me. I am learning.
~S