Submission Follies

So on Sunday night I emailed off my second ever attempt to get into an anthology.

The first attempt was rejected because the editor disliked the central narrative arc – that the protagonist was already too late to stop the event by the time the story started.  It’s a decision I have never agreed with, but hey, it’s his anthology, he can put what he wants in there.

 

So I have finally decided to dive into the themed anthology pool again, that one experience and also not being able to find submission guidelines in time having put me off.

And what’s the first thing I do?

I send off the email without the story attached!

Luckily the editors were kind enough to reply that they hadn’t go the story and could I send it again.  I apologised and did so.

Hopefully they’ll like it and I’ll get my first real credit in a published book.  But I could have had no complaint if they had just ignored me, it was entirely my fault.

 

I have also discovered I’ve been using an old email address for another editor – which explains why he never got back to me – it wasn’t getting to him!

 

So I’ve got to be way more careful in future.  I can survive stupid mistakes at this level because no-one knows me and I’ve not got anything huge hanging on the line.  But I can’t keep making mistakes like this – it really will cost me one day.

 

Currently Reading:

Dead Bad Things – Gary McMahon

House of Fear – Edited by Jonathan Oliver