I've sold a story to Defying Doomsday, the anthology of "apocalypse-survival fiction with a focus on disabled characters." It's being issued by Twelfth Planet Press in Australia and its a pro-paying market and my longest sale yet--at 4200 words. It's even coming out in hardback. (Drool)
Best of all, fellow contributors include New York Times bestselling writer Seanan McGuire and 2014 Hugo winner John Chu.
Anyhow, having popped up out of nowhere and bragged a bit, I'll now make my excuses. It's true I don't come here much now. I gave some reasons why on my blog a little while ago. It's not primarily because of last year's Hugos (although it's related to that and that's a small part of the reason). Another reason is clearly since KD Wentworth passed away WotF is obviously a more difficult market for me so I don't find it very motivating anymore. And this forum is simply a drain on time too--I try to spend less time on Facebook as well. Nevertheless I reserve the right to visit for the occasional brag due to past history!
Ok, that's not quite true either. I wouldn't have bothered to come back even to brag about my latest sale if it hadn't been for the fact that the story in question is another of those WotF form rejection types. Said story, titled "In the Sky with Diamonds" was unchanged from the time it was rejected here at WotF to its current sale to the Defying Doomsday anthology. I hadn't changed even one word I'm pretty sure because it was also the only story I've ever written to receive a personal R from Clarkesworld magazine (it received the comment your story was "close"), so on that basis alone I was convinced it couldn't be that bad.
So yes, I thought I should come along to offer hope to the starving. Even if your story is form rejected here that doesn't necessarily mean it's total gator dung. Of course, there's a good chance it is total gator dung especially if every other top market form rejects it too. (We all have at least one or two of those, admit it. Don't we? Don't we? *shifty eyes*). But WotF is only one market. For a long time I didn't realize that. I understand the importance of matching stories to markets much better now, although unfortunately I'm still terrible at it. If I was better maybe I'd sell more!
Anyhow, that's it, I'm resubmerging into the swamp.
Later gators.
I've got something cooking for March too, fingers crossed!