I was inspired by Caryn Larrinaga's blog post to share my own account on getting another short story released into the wild.
The "Apocalypse Utah" anthology was announced by the Utah Horror Writers Association in early 2016, with submissions due on October 31st (of course). I have a story in the previous year's anthology "It Came From the Great Salt Lake" so I figured I'd give it a shot. Here's last year's effort:
Then I wondered what sort of apocalypse to write about. I got most of a draft done about a supernatural tornado tied to an actual tornado that hit downtown Salt Lake City on August 11, 1999. I tossed it because the story was broken beyond repair. My hopes of getting a story done a few months early went down the drain.
I thought about it off and on. Should I submit? What would I write? A couple of months before the deadline, I came up with an idea. Less horror, more Twilight Zone. A scientific experiment on thought acceleration in Research Park near the University of Utah gone horribly wrong. Being a software engineer and naturally analytical gearhead, the story was a great fit for me.
I wrote it, then bounced it off some friends who gave me feedback to polish it up. I ran through my "search and destroy" list of mistakes I make when writing, such as using too much passive voice. I fixed a few things and gave it a bit more polish. I even got it turned in a few days early, on October 25th.
On November 29th, I got the acceptance email from Griffin Publishers, the company used to publish the anthology. Woot! Great rejoicing!
Then came the edits. Callie Stoker beat my story into the ground for me, and we had a couple of rounds of edits that brought it into focus. It can be discouraging to have someone point out the weaknesses in your story, but Callie knows her stuff. We banged things back and forth until I understood her concerns, and she understood where I wanted things to go. In the end, more of the story made it from my head to the paper. A good editor can make all the difference. Don't expect to agree on everything with your editor, but pay attention and find the reason behind everything they send you.
At this point, announcements started to pour out. There was the cover release, showing off Carter Reid's work. He did the cover for "It Came From the Great Salt Lake" as well. If (WHEN!) you get a copy of either book (BOTH!) and have a chance to meet Carter, ask him to sign it for you. You won't regret it. Cover pictures flooded Facebook, and several of the authors reposted and liked them in a social media frenzy.
Then came the proofs. I read through the proof and found a couple problems that had sneaked in with the final edits. Luckily, there was time for feedback to get some small things fixed. The funny part is that I had worked out the timing of events down to the second in my story, and that's where some of the details failed to match up. Always read your galley proofs.
Since I hang out at local symposiums and conventions like Salt Lake Comic Con, LTUE, and Winterfaire selling books, I ordered a box. They arrived in time for this week's release at LTUE. The smell of fresh books wafted out as I opened the box. If you don't know that smell, visit more bookstores.
If you get a chance to stop by, join us in Provo this Thursday evening for the official release party! It will be a lot of fun. If you can't get there, look me up at a Utah con, or hit Amazon through the pictures above to get your hands on a copy. And as always, post a review to say what you liked most about the anthology.
The "Apocalypse Utah" anthology was announced by the Utah Horror Writers Association in early 2016, with submissions due on October 31st (of course). I have a story in the previous year's anthology "It Came From the Great Salt Lake" so I figured I'd give it a shot. Here's last year's effort:
Then I wondered what sort of apocalypse to write about. I got most of a draft done about a supernatural tornado tied to an actual tornado that hit downtown Salt Lake City on August 11, 1999. I tossed it because the story was broken beyond repair. My hopes of getting a story done a few months early went down the drain.
I thought about it off and on. Should I submit? What would I write? A couple of months before the deadline, I came up with an idea. Less horror, more Twilight Zone. A scientific experiment on thought acceleration in Research Park near the University of Utah gone horribly wrong. Being a software engineer and naturally analytical gearhead, the story was a great fit for me.
I wrote it, then bounced it off some friends who gave me feedback to polish it up. I ran through my "search and destroy" list of mistakes I make when writing, such as using too much passive voice. I fixed a few things and gave it a bit more polish. I even got it turned in a few days early, on October 25th.
On November 29th, I got the acceptance email from Griffin Publishers, the company used to publish the anthology. Woot! Great rejoicing!
Then came the edits. Callie Stoker beat my story into the ground for me, and we had a couple of rounds of edits that brought it into focus. It can be discouraging to have someone point out the weaknesses in your story, but Callie knows her stuff. We banged things back and forth until I understood her concerns, and she understood where I wanted things to go. In the end, more of the story made it from my head to the paper. A good editor can make all the difference. Don't expect to agree on everything with your editor, but pay attention and find the reason behind everything they send you.
At this point, announcements started to pour out. There was the cover release, showing off Carter Reid's work. He did the cover for "It Came From the Great Salt Lake" as well. If (WHEN!) you get a copy of either book (BOTH!) and have a chance to meet Carter, ask him to sign it for you. You won't regret it. Cover pictures flooded Facebook, and several of the authors reposted and liked them in a social media frenzy.
Then came the proofs. I read through the proof and found a couple problems that had sneaked in with the final edits. Luckily, there was time for feedback to get some small things fixed. The funny part is that I had worked out the timing of events down to the second in my story, and that's where some of the details failed to match up. Always read your galley proofs.
Since I hang out at local symposiums and conventions like Salt Lake Comic Con, LTUE, and Winterfaire selling books, I ordered a box. They arrived in time for this week's release at LTUE. The smell of fresh books wafted out as I opened the box. If you don't know that smell, visit more bookstores.
If you get a chance to stop by, join us in Provo this Thursday evening for the official release party! It will be a lot of fun. If you can't get there, look me up at a Utah con, or hit Amazon through the pictures above to get your hands on a copy. And as always, post a review to say what you liked most about the anthology.
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