Happy New Writing Year

Welcome to a new year and editors’ resolutions to getting submissions off their desks. I’ve already received two: from Fantasy for “Heaven Has Eyes” and from TOTU for “Matchmaker” (“a nicely written and charming romantic fantasy that happens not to grab me enough as a story”).

Updating my spreadsheet for 2008 and retiring the 2007 one, I see that I received 91 rejections and 18 acceptances (although one I withdrew after acceptance). All of the sales were erotica except for one fantasy. Some are still pending in terms of sales (i.e., I haven’t signed a contract yet).

I didn’t keep as good records on some of the other stats, but here’s roughly what I think happened:

• I wrote at least 12 solo stories and a few unfinished ones.
  
• I wrote a goodly portion of High Spirits, but alas have not yet finished it.
  
• I started With Soft Whispers Laden but discovered some fatal flaws with it and put it aside (for now).
  
• Teresa and I wrote one Sophie story.
  
• Teresa and I wrote one Sophie novella.
  
• Teresa and I wrote one novel—Out of the Frying Pan—and one novel proposal—Caressing the Tiger (the latter is slated to be our next project, barring any unforeseen developments).
  
• Sarah and I dealt with the proofs for A Little Night Music, which was published in 2007.
  
• Either with Teresa or on my own (I’m too lazy to check specifics), I wrote 8 columns for Lust Bites.

That’s not bad, but neither is it enough. One thing I’m going to try this year is an end-of-month accounting and start-of-month plan; whether I publish it here or keep it for my own records remains to be seen. But the goal is to get a better sense of how I’m doing.

2008 will probably see fewer stories, as I really do need to focus on longer works, but I have a few anthologies I’d like to hit, plus I’d like to write some non-antho work (yes, Loren, if you’re reading this, I know you want more Battlecorps stories!). Novels currently planned are High Spirits (finish and submit), An Ever-Turning Wheel (heavy revision and submit), and Caressing the Tiger (new Sophie novel with Teresa).

I don’t make resolutions per se, but I’ve been meditating on a few things, and I’ll write about that soon; some of it is still in the coalescence stage….

---

Currently Reading: Recovery Man, Kristine Kathryn Rusch
Lately Listened To: the weirdest songs keep getting stuck in my head…
Recently Watched: Alias, various home shows