The Great Absolute Write Spec Fiction Anthology!

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Sage

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I have what might be a stupid question. I have a fantasy novel that I wrote a year and a half ago, but which I've decided not to pursue as a novel anymore. However, I'm pretty sure I can make a decent and coherent short story out of it. But I definitely see taking certain scenes from it and making some modifications to them. Would this fall outside the "written within the last year" rule?
 

Celesta

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ummm...I wrote something 3 years ago. Last week I modified and polished it. Would that one be acceptable?

Just wondering...why does it have to be written within the last year?
 

DeleyanLee

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So if there's way too much great stuff for one issue, what's the odds that it'll be two volumes? ;)
 

mrongey

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Just logged in for the first time probably in years, and what shows up but this!
 

MacAllister

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ummm...I wrote something 3 years ago. Last week I modified and polished it. Would that one be acceptable?

Just wondering...why does it have to be written within the last year?

Go ahead and send it, Celesta.

In answer to your question, though: basically the purpose behind the requirement is that we want to encourage people to be writing new stuff, and submitting new stuff -- not stuff they've already stewed over a million times to no avail but gotten themselves stuck on, and not just sending whatever happens to be laying around forgotten in the bottom of a drawer. It's by writing new stuff that we keep growing as writers.

So if there's way too much great stuff for one issue, what's the odds that it'll be two volumes? ;)
We've got a lot of really excellent stories, but we won't be doing two volumes -- the budget just won't handle it. So what'll happen is what always happens with anthologies: Some really terrific stories will get cut for no better reason than we can't buy 'em all.

But (and this is for everyone who has submitted so far) no one has sent anything appalling. As slush-reading goes, this has been a remarkably painless process so far. We've sent some rejections already -- but all the stories I'm seeing would be quite suitable to submit to most of the semi-pro markets out there. Some of the stories I'm seeing would be perfectly at home in PRO markets, as well.

If you guys aren't submitting? (And you know who you are -- you've written things to me like, "I've never submitted a story before, but...") If you guys aren't submitting, then start.
 
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Sai

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I'm getting more and more excited for this. I hope I get in there, but even if my story doesn't make the cut I'm really looking forward to reading all of the stories from my fellow AW writers :).
 

LOG

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Planning on submitting, although I think I'll only have time for one story. I think the initial writing is done, I just want a beta to peruse it first.
To the beta reader thread!
 

Little Ming

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...

If you guys aren't submitting? (And you know who you are -- you've written things to me like, "I've never submitted a story before, but...") If you guys aren't submitting, then start.


But, but... I'm scared! :(
 

MacAllister

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Little Ming, the worst -- the absolute horriblest awfullest worst thing that can possibly happen -- is that someone says no and that piece doesn't get published.

But if you never send it out in the first place, it's about the same difference, right?
 

Pthom

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It's worse, Mac. At least, if you get a "no" you know someone in the publishing industry read it. :)
 

Little Ming

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Alright, but don't come crying to me when your eyes start bleeding. :D
 

MacAllister

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I won't. Promise and Cross my heart. :)
 
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Shadowflame

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The worst that can happen is that you get no response whatever, ever, forever. That's far worse than a simple, "No."

caw

Well, then you can assume that something went wrong and either resubmit, query or try again elsewhere.

and really. Those of us who read slush really like to do it. I love finding good pieces. I get frustrated when I realize that the writer almost has it. and I hate not being able to accept everything
 

amergina

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Just added to the teetering pile, but it's flash, so it shouldn't cause the pile to fall over and crush Mac and Pthom, hopefully! :D
 

Pthom

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I'm closing in on my own submission, amergina. It looks as though it'll hit the pile close to the bitter end, sadly, IF I can grab enough minutes away from the meatspace job to get figure out how the damn thing ends.

:sigh:
 

Laurathewriter

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I'm closing in on my own submission, amergina. It looks as though it'll hit the pile close to the bitter end, sadly, IF I can grab enough minutes away from the meatspace job to get figure out how the damn thing ends.

:sigh:

Perhaps it ends with a BANG?
 
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