Crikey is it really over a week since I blogged? I'm telling myself that's a good sign. It means I've been doing some serious scribbling - not that blogging isn't but you know what I mean. I mean 'serious' as in 'writing wot can earn me cash'. My bank balance is rather low at the moment. I'm still awaiting payment from a Swedish magazine which should arrive shortly but I could do with some more sales in time for Christmas!
That mini-mystery I tried my hand at...it ain't happening. At least not in 700 words, it isn't. It'll most probably end up around 3000 words at the rate I'm going. Which is great if I can sell it to Take A Break and then possibly Fast Fiction, Aus. Maybe further afield than that...um, can you get further afield than Aus? No, s'pose not.
Anyway, apart from playing around with the mystery, I've managed to edit and adapt a batch of oldies to fit new markets.
Around 5 have come whooshing back by email within days, bearing the usual, 'Thanks, but not this time' reply. 2 have got a 'short-listed' and 1 a 'You'll hear from us soon'. Oh and I had 1 'out of the office for a month' automated reply. So that's one editor who's going to be seriously behind with her reading unless she has someone else on the case.
I also got a rejection from Take A Break this morning. My heart sank when I spotted the large white envelope bearing the tell-tale address label - I ordered the wrong size for my printer and they're a tad on the small size, so that's how I recognised it.
Norah still has another sent around a fortnight after this one but to be honest I thought the rejected one was the better of the two. I wish they'd let us sub via email, but Norah did tell me that their computers were so out of date the whole system would crash and burn if they did.
What else have I been up to? I took Theo to the vet this morning for a check-up. He's got the cone thingy off his head now and he's gradually re-growing his fur but still looks a bit on the lean side though I think his appetite is returning. Another check-up in 2 weeks time and he should be discharged, thank heavens.
4 comments:
You've been a busy bee, Sue! It's funny isn't it how some stories just won't play ball and fit the slot we're aiming them for. Sounds as if yours was destined to be longer.
Hope that Theo continues to make a good recovery - I bet he was glad to get the cone thing off his head!
Sorry about the rejection Sue, but it's great you've been getting a lot of writing done. Good luck with them all.
Rejects can sometimes get you down, especially when you "know" "this one" should be a hit - but I know there's nothing else I'd rather be doing when I have spare time and I'm home alone.
So glad Theo is on the mend, great news.
At the rate you're going, that ex-700 word mystery will earn more for you than if it'd stayed at the required 700. Some stories just seem to have a mind of their own.
Good to hear Theo is recovering. Those cone thingys work, but the kittens sure hate them, don't they? Over here they're called Elizabethan collars.
Sounds like you've done a good week's work, Sue
Sorry about your rejections, Sue. I too had one from Norah this week.
I'll bet Theo is glad to be out of his lampshade. Jemima has just been allowed to shed hers and is having her stitches out on Tuesday when she can have a 'proper' walk, instead of on a short lead which will be good as my arm is getting longer as she is getting fitter!
Good luck with the story
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