End-Of-The-Year Wrap-Up

Somehow this year wasn’t a complete catastrophe in terms of my writing. I have been my most productive and not just because we have been in a lockdown for most of 2020. Writing has saved me this year more than any other and I have ACTUAL GOOD NEWS to show for it!

Here’s what I did this year:

Number of new stories completed: 12
Number of subs: 30
Rejections: 19 (incl. multiple rejections per piece)
Acceptances: 8
Currently waiting for their forever homes: 3 stories
Revising & resubmitting: 3 stories
Books Written: 1
Currently writing: 1 story
Currently Editing: 1 novel!
Currently In Need Of: More coffee!! (and a publisher for my novel still making the rounds)

Story Acceptances:

Cast Away Stones – Published in Gothic Blue Book VI: A Krampus Carol from Burial Day Books

‘Neath The Old Tree – published in Women Of The Woods from Fabled Collective

Throwing The Bones, Beneath The Skin, Forewarned, Inscribed – Drabbles forthcoming in Dark Magic Drabble Collection from Eerie River Publishing

I Am What Grows In Shadowed Places – forthcoming in 99 Tiny Terrors from Pulse Publishing

A Heart To Every Home – forthcoming in Hundred Word Horror from Ghost Orchid Press

So, I have to say, I am pretty proud of my accomplishments this year. I submitted to those White Whale markets that I will keep sending my stories to until I make it in. I tried some new things (namely flash fiction and drabbles). I feel like I am honing my voice more and more each day. And I (almost) finished writing a novel alongside all those other stories (it’s done! I’m in my final round of revisions)!

Obviously some stories have had multiple rejections, but that’s how the game goes. My highest number of rejections for one story this year is only 5. I’ve had other stories that have taken 9 submissions before they found a home, so I feel pretty good about those stats.

As I set my goals for 2021, I am going to work toward similar goals – write a bunch of new stories, send them out, revise and resubmit them when they are rejected and then celebrate those coveted publications.