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Works in Progress
Scythe Does Matter: Death is What Happens While You're Making Other Plans
Shift Happens: A Change is as Good as a Quest--An anthropologist finds cave paintings, secret cures, and a hot boyfriend when he teams with the spirit world to take down a delusional drug lord. (m/m)

Available Now
Gym Dandy: A gay tale of seduction, denial, and sweat. (m/m) MLR Press
Techno Thrall, a futuristic erotic novella. (m/f) Lyrical Press
Lust in Translation, published in the charitable anthology I Do (m/m) MLR Press
Tart & Soul: young hookers in love. (m/m) Torquere Press
Be Prepared, published in the charitable anthology Coming Together: with Pride (m/m) Phaze

For more info: http://www.stormgrant.com/


Going Pro 101

Link via Colleen Lindsay of Fineprint Literary.

If you've ever gone shopping for an agent, you know what a pain it is. If only there was a website where you could go, load up your submission once, and all the agents would go there to read it.

Well, not quite that simple, you still have to personalize your query letter, and there's number of character restrictions, but still, it's what we've aways wanted.

An idea of how it works: http://www.webook.com/literary-agents/writers.aspx

I was truly surprised at the number of big-name agents who are giving it a try.
List of participating agents as of today: http://www.webook.com/literary-agents/listAllAgents.aspx

Plus the usual writer's forums and other resources. This could be it.


In other news... still sick and all drugged out on OTC cold remedies, so I didn't answer the phone when it rang. Now I'm trying to figure out who would call me from New York City on a cellphone. Would an agent ever call for pages? Nobody's got a full yet. But it's not likely it's a telemarketer using a cell, right? And while I have online pals in New York, they'd email. Huh. Hopeful writer is hopeful.

ETA: Stuck the number in the reverse white pages and got: "This number is a cell phone based in Westchester and is unpublished." Who do I know in Westchester?

Score one for teh gay!

  • Nov. 17th, 2009 at 4:06 PM
Shift Happens faux cover
A major literary agency wants to see a partial of my gay urban fantasy, SHIFT HAPPENS. I know it doesn't mean anything yet, but it could. I sent out 17 queries in the last 10 days, and I've had one rejection and one request. That's a 50% positive response rate! (Whaddya mean too small a sample?)

I've always figured my marketing background makes me really good at preparing the query and synopsis. Now let's see if the writing in the actual book is of interest. ;-D

The fact that an agency that does most of their sales in romance wants to see a novel with a gay protag. means good things for the marketplace, don't you think?

Woot! I'm jazzed.

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Dean pen

I liked the ep well enough, I liked the ep well enough,  )

Just my 2cents Canadian. ;-D

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stormy weather
I get the difference between putting a spin on something, and making something up, but it's a really fine line.

My day-job, which is pretty darn good except that it takes me away from writing, today restructured a few of our top executives, including promoting M. The chap who is M's successor gets to move up into the position of president of that division. Everybody's happy. We're in great shape.

What does the media report? That due to tough times, our Company is "replacing its top executive at its banking division."

Well, true enough, but, you make it sound like we fired M. when he was actually promoted. Unkind and misleading.

< / mini-rant >

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Ye olde book
Rumour has it that Eastwick has been cancelled. Boo. It was just finding its legs.
And also that there may be more Torchwood coming our way.

Me? I've just discovered White Collar and quite like it. It's been added to the PVR now that I finally have one.

ETA: Dollhouse cancelled. More boo.

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Going Pro 101
It's fate, I tell you. I began querying agents for SHIFT HAPPENS this week.

Well, looky what dropped into my in-basket just now:

24 Agents Who Want Your Work by  Chuck Sambuchino
http://www.writersdigest.com/article/24-agents-who-want-your-work-2009

Guess we know what I'll be doing this evening.

E-publishing Statistics?

  • Nov. 10th, 2009 at 7:41 AM
Going Pro 101
Does anyone know if there are any sort of statistics or a report that says what is selling best at e-publishers? I know they often say "we're looking for" or "hot right now is" but I'd like some statistics to quote.

A couple of years ago I had a chance to ask a question of a panel of senior editors and agents about e-publishing and they hadn't a clue. Maybe if someone had the numbers to say 'Look. Gay/lesbian romance is really selling. There's money to be made" it might spark their interest.
Going Pro 101
Everyone's seen this by now, right? http://carinapress.com/

Angela James, formerly of Samhain is heading up this interesting new project.

And they want the entire manuscript with the query, which will save everyone a ton of time. They save themselves 2/3 of the paperwork not having to write requesting a partial, then a full. Sounds like somebody is changing their thinking to reflect new technology.

There's lots of buzz about this all over the net. I think this is a mighty big step in the right direction, don't you?

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Shift Happens faux cover

I sent out my first query to an agent today. She likes sci-fi and fantasy and has sold to Alyson, so maybe? What have I got to lose?

She says she gets back on a query in one week. Meet me back here next week, same bat-time, same bat-channel, to find out what happened.

In the meantime, anyone want to take a peak at the blurb from my query letter? It's not too late to give input. (Plus it's short: 225 words.)


Shift Happens blurb: )


So? Waddya think?

INDUSTRY: [info]haikujaguar has an comprehensive round-up post on e-publishing

  • Nov. 7th, 2009 at 8:40 AM
Going Pro 101
Having clicked on the links yet, but it's looks very interesting: http://haikujaguar.livejournal.com/724683.html. Haikujaguar herself has a very unusual publishing model.

Me? I think we're heading to e-books, but we're not there yet. The current e-book model isn't working, with the pirating, the multitude of devices and softwares, and the ease of entry into (and out of) the e-book publishing marketplace. But it'll shake-down and a new model will emerge--that's just Economics 101.

But for now, I believe that commercial success (which is my goal. YMMV) is still more likely within the traditional print world. And yes, statistically it's hard to get published there, but not impossible. Every day someone on one of my RWA lists announces they've landed a deal or an agent. I don't see why that can't be me. I gotta try.

A couple of decades ago, a friend's daughter, K., announced she was going to take interior design in college. I debated saying something about how hard it was to get a job in the industry, but didn't. While in school, K. worked for free for the design association, meeting many important design execs and walked into a job right out of school. Today, she's a partner in a successful firm while many of her former classmates are still selling paint or have taken jobs in other fields. I'm glad I held my tongue. Being a successful author is the same as becoming a successful interior designer--tough going. But even if the odds are against you, a slim chance is better than no chance. Just like K. did, you make your own luck.

Now back to the synopsis for SHIFT HAPPENS. I've got it down to 500 words. Now I just have to make them 500 Really Good words.

Anyone know when agent Colleen Lindsay will be open for submissions again? (Hopeful writer is hopeful.)

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Wanna snark me?

  • Nov. 4th, 2009 at 6:06 PM
Shift Happens faux cover
I entered Miss Snark's Secret Agent contest. First 250 words of my urban fantasy SHIFT HAPPENS.
http://bit.ly/2t0Yh9

ETA: It's not that sort of contest, so I'm not asking for votes or anything.

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Big Mouth Fan

In SHIFT HAPPENS, there's a scene where a character tosses a rock at an electrified fend to make sure it's been turned off.

"Nuh-uh" says super-beta [info]angela_fiddler. "Doesn't work that way." (How the heck does she know this stuff?)

So back to the research mines. I recalled having heard some apocryphal tale of people peeing on electrified fences and thought that would fit great with the tone of the story. (What? What?) So off I go to google and... Ewwww! There should be a warning before you click on a link that takes you to a close up picture of a charred and blackened penis! Yes, flist. That is what happens if you pee on an electrified fence. Remember that next time you're mad at your boyfriend and wandering around a military enclosure or some such. "Hey, honey. Let's see what happens if..."

I ended up finding info about touching a plastic-handled knife blade to two different bits of the metal fencing to get an arc, writing the whole scene, liking it, and then cutting it completely. I mean, why have them climb the fence you can blow the whole thing flat with a grenade. What was I thinking?

But still, there's a lesson to be learned here about googling penises. Or something.

In writing news: Synopsis 1, Stormy 0.

The Idiot’s Guide to Bisexuality

  • Nov. 1st, 2009 at 2:13 PM
Dual Citizenship

My niece has come out! (And not the niece I thought, huh.) She's written a wonderful, and funny (well, she is my niece) post about being bisexual.
I especially like this part.

How Not to Piss Off a Bisexual Person

  • We don’t automatically want to sleep with you. Or your girlfriend.
  • No, you can’t take pictures.
  • The women you see in dance clubs who make out with their girlfriends to attract men’s attention? Probably not us.
  • If I leave you for another woman, that woman will be me. Or your mom.

It also has a number of useful links at the bottom.

Go, read. Comment. Friend.

http://whatnot2date.wordpress.com/2009/11/01/the-idiot%E2%80%99s-guide-to-bisexuality/

I'm so proud.

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A word to the wise

  • Nov. 1st, 2009 at 10:28 AM
Big Mouth Fan
When seeking Submission Guidelines on an erotica publisher's site, you get more useful hits with "guidelines" than with "submission". ;-D

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Going Pro 101
I've got a short m/f erotic story around 6000 words. It's a re-told fairy tale with a satisfying but far from happy ending. It's creepy. It's also told mainly in omniscient POV (like a fairy tale).

I'm thinking of subbing it to eXcessica. Anyone publish with them?

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I'm open to suggestions

  • Oct. 31st, 2009 at 3:17 PM
Shift Happens faux cover

I'm planning on entering the first 250 words of my completed novel to Authoress's Friday Fricassee.

Any thoughts, comments, suggestions before I hit send?

Storm Grant
SHIFT HAPPENS
Urban Fantasy

“How, exactly, is a parasitic dick-fish a selling point, Doc?” Adrian’s voice rose, as did his eyebrows, not that Doc Soc could see him over a thousand miles of telephone lines.

“C’mon, Adrian. It’s the Amazon jungle. There’s amazing flora and fauna. Like the carnero. It swims up your urine stream, into your penis. Local tribes use it to determine guilt—you live, you’re innocent; you die...”

Adrian shuddered, his shoulder-length curls tickling his neck. “Well, I…”

“That a yes? Great! I’ll just—”

“Whoa, Doc! Time out.” Adrian paced his living room. “Sorry, Doc. Fascinating as your dick-fish sounds, not to mention the monkey-brain salad, I can’t just take off and go tooling around the rainforest.” He yanked a loose thread from his dress slacks. A tiny hole appeared in the seam.

“But the cave paintings, the lost temples, the shamanic miracles? You can’t say no to shamanic miracles! I need you, Adrian. You did your post-grad work on the Temple of Transfiguration. And you’re so good with languages. And photography. We’re going to find it. You’re going to find it!”

Professor Socrates Kawasaki could be very persuasive, hitting all Adrian’s anthropological hot buttons. (Except maybe the dick-fish. Adrian felt pretty sure he preferred his dick fish-free.) Finny parasites aside, Adrian heard the siren call of all things rainforest, shamanic, and miraculous.

“I’ve got a job. A career,” he amended. “I just got promoted to HR Manager.”

“But you’re an anthropologist. What happened to your dreams? Going on one little expedition isn’t going to hurt you!”

- - - - - -

Thanks, and Happy Halloween!


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Winner! Gagnant!

  • Oct. 29th, 2009 at 6:12 PM
yay

My novel, GYM DANDY, won the Comedy Category in Round 2 of Elisa's Rainbow Awards. I'm not quite sure what happens next, but it's all very exciting.

Several of my online writerly pals won homorable mentions. Go, gang. Aren't we a talented group?

Thank you to those who for vote for me. Thank you, to those of you who've volunteered as judges. Thank you, Elisa for pulling this whole thing together.
 

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Market News

  • Oct. 28th, 2009 at 11:04 AM
Going Pro 101
CIndi Myers new post is up. This one's re Dorchester: http://cindimyersmarketnews.wordpress.com/2009/10/28/spotlight-on-dorchester/

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Linkage and updates

  • Oct. 25th, 2009 at 11:01 AM
dripping pen
My MS
Just finished the substantive edits on SHIFT HAPPENS. Thanks again for the great betas [info]angela_fiddler and Joan Leacott. There was some cutting, and it's gone down to 83,000 words. But that's still respectable, right?

The NightOwl has promised me a line edit, next. Lucky for me her computer's in the shop so no doubt she'll be just delighted to get 300 pages and a red pen handed to her at Dinner-and-a-Movie night. ;-D

In the meantime, I'll work on the synopsis. What do you mean only put in what's important? It's all important or I wouldn't have put it in the book! ::sigh::

My Published Work
GYM DANDY is doing well in the Rainbow Awards, but don't let that deter you from voting: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/820756.html If you don't have an lj, just leave a comment.


Of general writerly interest, here's a couple of links:

Fresh Market News is posted at http://www.cindimyersmarketnews.wordpress.com This week she reports on Ballantine/Bantam Dell, both of which are acquiring.

Here's a relatively new resource (new to me, anyway). It's a blog of anthology calls. http://anthologynewsandreviews.blogspot.com/ The livejournal feed is here: [info]anthonews
http://syndicated.livejournal.com/anthonews/


And a fun one
How fast can you type? http://speedtest.10-fast-fingers.com/ (Warning. Contains pop-up advertising.)
I scored 82 wpm. How will you do?

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