Third-Quarter Report

Back on August 16th I posted my Mid-Year Report, just a few tads late (grin), but now that the festivities of celebrating Kate Winslet's 31st Birthday are over, I can publish here my 2006 SF Writing Submissions report through the end of the third quarter.

Overall Greatly Chuffed At My Progress

As of the 30th of September 2006, I've submitted 117 stories to anywhere, 68 to commercial markets (as opposed to contests, workshops and Clarion). I've written a total of 42 short stories (and rewritten most of them -- grin) since June 2002. Since Mid-August, I've received another payment -- Second Prize for Ralan's Grabber contest which will be e-published by the end of October.

For 2006, I've exceeded my number of submissions for any year from 2002-2005, with 33 submissions so far. I've also received 32 results, which yields a net gain of one story out there since January 1st for a total of 8 stories in the field. (My personal record is 11 stories out at one time.)

A number of markets are experiencing clogging of the slush arteries. WOTF is late with getting results back for their Q3 contest -- I had to send in my Q4 story before hearing about my Q3 entry, so two of my 8 stories in the field are at WOTF. Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine is entering a holding pattern, but my current submission got in before they delayed. Baen's Universe has pretty much bought up their first year. They are holding on new submissions, but starting to go through the pile they let sit over the summer, which is where my story was left. The good news is that these are not submission stoppages based on the magazines going under.

117 submissions (29 "wins" - 74 "rejects" - 6 "No Calls")
42 short stories written, 8 currently in the field

Year          2002  2003  2004  2005  2006(10/05)
Submissions     8*   24    26**  26    33*
Returns         3    22    26    26    32
-- Wins         0     5    10     7     7
-- Rejects      2    15    15    18    24
-- No Calls     1     2     1     1     1
Number Out      5     7     7     7     8
  at year's end
Sales           0     0     0     1     0
Prizes          0     1     0     0     2
-- Honorables   0     1     2     0     1
Paid            0     1     0     1     2
Pending Publ.   0     1     2     2     4
Published       0     0     1     1     1

* - Partial year stats for 2002 and 2006.
** - 2004 numbers corrected from previous postings.
(1) Wins includes Sales, Prizes, Honorable Mentions,
WOTF Quarter/Semi/Finalists even without publication,
plus Encouraging Letters from Editors which just cannot
be considered the same as a straight rejection.
(2) No Calls include Contests canceled, Publications
gone under, Manuscripts lost by the USPS, and Manuscripts
withdrawn after Way Too Much Time (usually associated
with Publications gone under).

Currently I have stories out to and in no particular order:

-Baen's Universe (was on Eric Flint's desk when the Hold to October 1 began)
-Orson Scott Card's Intergalactic Medicine Show
-Writers of the Future (Q3 and Q4 stories at the moment)
-Asimov's
-Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine (Received but not yet processed)
-Lady Churchill's Rosebud Wristlet
-Interzone (sent during their September e-reading period)

One of these are a new market for Dr. Phil (Baen's) and I've had a submission come and go from another new market (Clarkesworld). Two of these submissions are new stories. Guess I need to get cracking on writing some more new stories. (grin)

Dr. Phil