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[frank]

I'm working on something.  Which is not a pretty process.  (And you'd better not be reading it in the Pit.  I wouldn't want you to become biased, either way.)

If I don't make the deadline I'll be very disappointed in myself.

[Rakie]

As I've forewarned Lane, the story I've been poking at contains both dinosaurs and an attempt to kill Hitler.  But it's probably not going to hit that slush pile for another three or four weeks.

 

are the dinosaurs trying to kill hitler?  because i would buy that for a dollar. 

[Victorya]

As I've forewarned Lane, the story I've been poking at contains both dinosaurs and an attempt to kill Hitler.  But it's probably not going to hit that slush pile for another three or four weeks.

 

are the dinosaurs trying to kill hitler?  because i would buy that for a dollar. 

If the dinosaurces ride scooters and wear monacles while attacking a furry Hitler, I'd so buy that.

[Lane Adamson]

As I've forewarned Lane, the story I've been poking at contains both dinosaurs and an attempt to kill Hitler.  But it's probably not going to hit that slush pile for another three or four weeks.

 

are the dinosaurs trying to kill hitler?  because i would buy that for a dollar. 

They'd better not be.  I'm writing that story!

All kidding aside--everyone remember, the submissions for this anthology need to be GRIM and GRITTY.  It says so right in the guidelines.  Dark, dark, dark.  (OK, rays of hope are acceptable.)  I keep having to reject what might otherwise be pretty decent stories because they are somewhere between humorous and dowright silly.

[frank]

And TRAGIC.  Can they be tragic?  Huh?  Huh?

With deeply flawed protagonists?  And all that?

With lots of unburied bodies left laying around?

[Lane Adamson]

With deeply flawed protagonists?  And all that?

While not a deal-breaker, the surrounding story will need to be really, really, really good to get past this particular hurdle with this particular editor.  As mentioned in my Snellerview, I like my heroes heroic and my villains villainous.  The single biggest reason I couldn't stand The Tommyknockers was the hopeless yutziness of the protagonist.  I want to be invested in these characters, to care--preferably deeply--what happens to them.

The way many "deeply flawed" characters are written, I tend to wish--like that man who wasn't there--they'd just go away.

Not the author's desired response, I'm sure.

[frank]

With deeply flawed protagonists?  And all that?

While not a deal-breaker, the surrounding story will need to be really, really, really good to get past this particular hurdle with this particular editor.  As mentioned in my Snellerview, I like my heroes heroic and my villains villainous.  The single biggest reason I couldn't stand The Tommyknockers was the hopeless yutziness of the protagonist.  I want to be invested in these characters, to care--preferably deeply--what happens to them.

The way many "deeply flawed" characters are written, I tend to wish--like that man who wasn't there--they'd just go away.

Not the author's desired response, I'm sure.

Definitely not the time to extend this conversation, but it is good to be made aware of the editor's bias, which might be a problem for some authors.

Every author has his range and should move as close as he can to the target before taking his shot.  A sincere miss is no big deal, but shooting blindly is not held to be professional behavior.

Thanks.  * Suppresses irrational exuberance *

[Lane Adamson]

... it is good to be made aware of the editor's bias, which might be a problem for some authors.

Which is exactly why I made a point of bringing the hero/villain thing up in my Market Scoops interview, and refreshing the topic when it came up here.

Useless anti-heroic schmoes have their place in literature, but they are less likely to find a place in a book I've edited than in many others.  I'm just saying.

[David Conyers]

I sent through my submission today. Here's hoping it meets what is appearing to be tough competition.

David Conyers

[Lane Adamson]

My faithful submitters:

Please forgive my remarkably slow (for me, anyway) responses to your submissions.  I promise that I am reading every story received and everyone will get some sort of personal response.

It's just that this project--or perhaps its editor--seems to be a teensy bit cursed.  The extended family (and you'd better believe that's something of a big deal in Texas) just suffered its third death since the opening of submissions.  That's in addition to a light case of food poisoning that tumped over your humble editor one weekend when I'd planned to catch up on reading, and not to mention the various vicious vagaries and vicissitudes of the workplace.

This coming Friday, I'll be having day surgery to fix what's called an umbilical hernia (my "innie" has gone "outie" on me; the doctors are going to duct-tape things back in place), and I hope to clear some of the backlog from the slushpile since I'll be on limited duty otherwise for the balance of the weekend.

Again:  no story goes unread; everyone gets a response.  I'm only about 50 away from being current--I could conceivably catch up in a week or two, if things go well...

[Permuted Press]

Hope your surgery goes well and you heal quickly, Lane!  Seems like the way our anthology editors have had it lately that the curse may come with the job.   

[JReynolds]

My faithful submitters:

Please forgive my remarkably slow (for me, anyway) responses to your submissions.  I promise that I am reading every story received and everyone will get some sort of personal response.

It's just that this project--or perhaps its editor--seems to be a teensy bit cursed.  The extended family (and you'd better believe that's something of a big deal in Texas) just suffered its third death since the opening of submissions.  That's in addition to a light case of food poisoning that tumped over your humble editor one weekend when I'd planned to catch up on reading, and not to mention the various vicious vagaries and vicissitudes of the workplace.

This coming Friday, I'll be having day surgery to fix what's called an umbilical hernia (my "innie" has gone "outie" on me; the doctors are going to duct-tape things back in place), and I hope to clear some of the backlog from the slushpile since I'll be on limited duty otherwise.

Again:  no story goes unread; everyone gets a response.  I'm only about 50 away from being current--I could conceivably catch up in a week or two, if things go well...

Get better soon, man. Healthy editor is happy editor.

[Zombie Zak]

Get better!

And, if yer left with some extra leftover insides, I know a place and a person .... what?  Oh, uhm, ok; never mind.

Successful surgical thoughts sent your way...

My faithful submitters:

Please forgive my remarkably slow (for me, anyway) responses to your submissions.  I promise that I am reading every story received and everyone will get some sort of personal response.

It's just that this project--or perhaps its editor--seems to be a teensy bit cursed.  The extended family (and you'd better believe that's something of a big deal in Texas) just suffered its third death since the opening of submissions.  That's in addition to a light case of food poisoning that tumped over your humble editor one weekend when I'd planned to catch up on reading, and not to mention the various vicious vagaries and vicissitudes of the workplace.

This coming Friday, I'll be having day surgery to fix what's called an umbilical hernia (my "innie" has gone "outie" on me; the doctors are going to duct-tape things back in place), and I hope to clear some of the backlog from the slushpile since I'll be on limited duty otherwise for the balance of the weekend.

Again:  no story goes unread; everyone gets a response.  I'm only about 50 away from being current--I could conceivably catch up in a week or two, if things go well...

[frank]

Do get well, Lane.  And do not look at my current Pit sub.  I don't know if it's heading your way or not, but I have some hope that it may become a  fit.  (My Moon Base Time Travel story has been inflicted on someone else).

[Rakie]

blargh, sorry to hear about all that Lane - hope you're feeling better soon.  *sends hugs and get-well cake*