For the Win!

“No man is a failure who has friends.” – Clarence Oddbody; Angel, Second Class

Last month, I entered my micro-fiction piece “If Only” in a competition on fellow writer Renee Miller’s blog. Six-sentences, drabbles, and flash fiction stories on any topic were eligible, and the top prize was a $25 Amazon.com gift card.

Ah yes, Amazon . . . My favorite hunting ground!

My entry was up against some very well-written, thought-provoking contenders, so I did what any other self-promoting, barely published writer would do: I put the word out to my family, friends, and former students, inviting them all to cast their votes. And they did—in a big way.

Thanks to them, “If Only” came out ahead of the pack, and I am the proud recipient of the aforementioned prize. Yahoo! My Amazon shopping cart is ready and waiting. Wireless mouse? Latest Dark Tower graphic novel? Dune sequel? You betcha.

Of course, I would be remiss if I didn’t thank Renee Miller for her generosity and for the opportunity to participate in this competition. Currently, she is hosting a “blog-hop” that is already shaping up to be a lot of fun. Check it out, and continue the story where it’s been left hanging. In the process, you can invite readers to visit your blog/website and then visit theirs in turn. I’m following most of them now. They’re fellow writers struggling to make it into the Published Land, and we’re learning a lot from each other in the process.

In related news, I’ve received rejections this week from Asimov’s, The Absent Willow Review, Daily Science Fiction, and Apex Magazine that I’ve since revised/resubmitted to MindFlights, Electric Spec, Strange Horizons, and Neo-opsis Science Fiction. Both Allegory and Andromeda Spaceways have held onto my submissions for voting.

Too bad they’re not open to the public.