Stories in the Wild

I started submitting stories again recently. A few last month, more this month, still more in the next week or so.

There’s a planned goal of 30 submissions for the year, light but reasonable considering I didn’t send the first 2024 submission out until May 31^st. I’m halfway to that goal, so it’s fair to publicly share the stretch goal of 50, which I think should be achievable.

Especially considering that, if I count the stories I’ve already sent out that haven’t had responses yet and the stories that I’ve figured out where I want to send them over the next week or two, I have 80 (not a typo) stories that I consider to be in final draft condition that could be out looking for homes. The longest of those is a little over 13,000 words. The shortest is a drabble (there are half a dozen of those).

My word counts are going to be small for June because I’ve done very little drafting, instead editing short stories that were at least fully drafted. Once I have all of those to a final draft status, I’ll start drafting again. And at that point I’ll have 62 (also not a typo) more stories that need to find homes.

Then I’ll start doing some serious drafting again, but sooner than that I need to start doing a little bit again so I don’t lose the threads of the novelette and novel I’m working on.

Never mind the giant file of random story ideas.

I do have some good news pending on the short story placement front already, including a signed contract for one tale, but I will hold off on a real announcement until I’m given a pub date.

Soon. I promise.

Be well, everyone.