2011: Goodbye to all that.

So, everyone's doing this, look back and ask 'how did we do in 2011'. For me the answer can only be 'not good'. Although I started the year with a swift and surprising sale (I only submitted 'Inconstant Nature' to one place, Daily Science Fiction, and they took it straight away) I only managed to sell three stories in the year, "Inconstant Nature" to Daily Science Fiction, "Interview with a Robot Heresiarch" to the "Dead Robot's Society's" "Explorers" anthology, and "The Taking of IOSA-2032" to Ian Sales' "Rocket Science" anthology. I also received some brutal rejections, much worse than I've ever really had before. Either I'm getting worse or... I don't know.

I was published in "Daily Science Fiction" in February, with my story "Imaginary Enemies". Feedback from readers was very positive, and this story garnered me my first professional rate payment, which was something of an eye-opener. I gave all the money away to other publications whom I thought were either deserving or struggling.

My story "Pink Ice in the Jovian Rings" was also published in Coeur de Lion's Anywhere but Earth anthology, the first time I've appeared in an actual book, as opposed to on a website. This really impressed people around me: say what you will about digital taking over, dead tree format is still what's "Real" to most people. The one review I've seen of the anthology (reviews are scarce, because there's so many stories in the 700+ page anthology that it will take a long time for most people to read them all) cited my story as one of their 'top six'. This is probably the publication I'm most proud of so far (although I dislike the cover art, but ho-hum). The story is the first to be set in my "Warring Moons Period" milieu, and I know there will be many more. I don't want to just write those, mind you, but when something as complex and varied as the Warring Moons pops into your head, you say "thank you" to whomever you've sold your soul to, and run with it.

I was published in "Jupiter SF" issue 32, with my story "Guardian Angel". It seems so long ago since I wrote this, I guess it was 2009. The story was originally inspired by an effort to come up with stories that featured just two female characters who mostly cannot meet in person, because a friend (who has now sadly moved on to other things and lost contact) was in a film-making collaboration with someone at a distant location. Incidentally, this challenge also gave me 'Imaginary Enemies'. I like Jupiter, it's heroic one-man-band in the uk. I'll send something else there one day.

Bards and Sages published my story "The Creation Myth of The Dynak". I think most people don't get this story, because they don't lie awake at night thinking about the immensity of the universe and wondering "But why is there so much of it? Why? WHY??" But clearly some do.

I also got into the 'Rocket Science' anthology with my story "The Taking of IOSA-2083". I was very pleased about this for many reasons, it was a feather I particularly wanted for my cap. Firstly it's a UK anthology, and there are not so many of those. Also it was hard-sf. Also I managed to get a 'bagpuss' reference into a very dark story. Also I've wanted for a long, long time to write a story titled "The taking of XXXXXX", I'm out to write as many stories with stolen titles as I can. Also it's a peripheral 'Warring Moon's' story, and I'm glad to see that I can come up with other fictions in the same setting and maximize the literary equivalent of 'code reuse'.

A large part this last achievement was down to the editor, Ian Sales, who provided constant feedback on what he was receiving in this slushpile, thus allowing me to tailor my submission to what he wasn't getting, but wanted. This is the future of anthologies, using the net to provide a higher level of information both to readers, and to writers, to ensure the best product. Without this kind of feedback writers are writing blind, and if editors find they're basically sent the same story by hundreds of people, well, if you haven't given feedback on what you're getting then you only have yourself to blame.

I didn't get into the three other anthologies that I had my eye on, Innsmouth free press' "Future Lovecraft", "Trust and Treachery" and "Dark Tales of Lost Civilisations". I got into the 'Hold' pile for 'Future Lovecraft', but didn't make the final cut. For 'Dark Tales' I was swiftly rejected. "Trust and Treachery" received hundreds of submissions, and I basically decided that the odds were against me there, and I'd do better focusing my attention someplace else (Rocket Science). I also tried for 'Machine of Death', and didn't get in, but didn't expect to, the guidelines for that one were very tight, and it became more of a challenge to just produce something that would fit, than any hope of really getting in.

My writing group, the "Hopefull Monsters" (yes, with an extra 'l', don't ask) continued to be an excellent support network, and one of us, Dwayne Minton, broke into the professional markets with sales to Asimov's, Lightspeed, and Daily Science Fiction. Another of us, Tracie McBride, scored lots of sales throughout the year (although she was already doing that before we head-hunted her, She's too 'big' for us really). Richard Zwicker sold too (although, again, he was doing that before 'Hopefull Monsters' was a twinkle in the eyes of Dwayne and I). Alas, we lost a member, but added two more. Hopeful(l)y 2012 will see us all make progress.

During Q1 of 2011 I went to my first SF convention, "Eastercon", and it was rather good, dispelling many of my fears about what a sci-fi convention might be like (I'm one of those geeks who's afraid of being too geeky). I am signed up already for next year's one. Later I went to Novacon, which I have to say, was a major disappointment, although it had its highpoints.

We shall see if I do better in 2012. I confess that my enthusiasm took a bit of a knock in 2011, but I'm hoping to recharge that at "Satellite 3", the Glasgow sci-fi convention (if this one proves disappointing, I'll just check out Glasgow).