Hatrack River Writers Workshop: IGMS News

This is topic IGMS News in forum Open Discussions About Writing at Hatrack River Writers Workshop.

To visit this topic, use this URL:
http://www.hatrack.com/ubb/writers/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=003120

Posted by Edmund (Member # 2044) on :

I met with Scott today and we spent a few hours passing stories back and forth across the kitchen table. Ultimately he agreed with my assessments and we picked one for purchase, one to hold until I have time to go through some more stories and see how it stands up against the rest, and will send "Dear Contributor" letters for the rest.

It's a pleasure to say that my first official purchase was written by a Hatrack author: "Xoco's Fire" by Oliver Dale.

I'll be heading up to VA with Scott next week for the first few days of his Boot Camp; that will give us a little more time to go over a few last details, then he says he’s stepping out of the process entirely and leaving it in my hands.

I'll start sending out those first "Dear Contributor" letters as soon as I return so those authors can get their stories back out to other publications, and plan to have the backlog cleared out by the end of July and the next issue on-line the first week of August.

Scott also told me about some of the upcoming "Ender" stories he has planned, and I think you are absolutely going to be blown away when we publish those. I can hardly believe he's even considering some of what he told me, but since this is a tease, I'll have to leave it at that...

Posted by Keeley (Member # 2088) on :

I remember that one. I think I liked it.

Congrats to Oliver Dale.

Looking forward to seeing what IGMS's form rejection looks like. It's been interesting, seeing the differences between editors in their forms.

Posted by hoptoad (Member # 2145) on :

Hey? Isn't that Rahl?

Cool.

Posted by Minister (Member # 2213) on :

Yep, that's Rahl. Terrific!

Posted by Edmund (Member # 2044) on :

Keeley,

I'm looking forward to see what the "Dear Contributor" letter looks like, too. Coming up with one is next on my To Do list.

Posted by trousercuit (Member # 3235) on :

quote:
Dear Contributor,
Your work sucks. It was so bad that we had to take a 15-minute break afterward just to stop laughing. Spencer ruined his keyboard by spitting Coke on it through his nose.
Thought you'd like to know. Oh, and it's not getting published. Not just here. Not anywhere.
Sincerely,
Edmund Shubert
Editor, IGMS

I've got plenty more where that came from. You can have one of them for a small fee.

[This message has been edited by trousercuit (edited June 08, 2006).]

Posted by Beth (Member # 2192) on :

Congrats, Oliver.

Posted by Rahl22 (Member # 1411) on :

Hey, thanks everybody. It feels weird, but I'll take more of this kind of weird any day.

Keeley, you reminded me.. this story was critiqued here a couple of times. Thanks for all the help. Vive le Hatrack

[This message has been edited by Rahl22 (edited June 09, 2006).]

Posted by Edmund (Member # 2044) on :

You jest, but I know a literary agent in NY who once told me that they keep a box of the stupidest and worst-written submissions they get and pull them out when things have been stressful and everyone needs a laugh.

The dirty litte secrets o the publishing world are coming out...

Posted by Silver3 (Member # 2174) on :

lol

Congrats to Oliver, and I'm also curious to see what those rejection letters look like. Not to mention what you look like, Edmund, since we're going to be in the same corner of Buena Vista for a couple of days

Silver3, who's frantically packing stuff for Bootcamp

Posted by trousercuit (Member # 3235) on :

I'd love to rifle through one of those boxes.

I wonder if I could find one that bests The Eye of Argon.

Posted by MaryRobinette (Member # 1680) on :

Congratulations Rahl!

Oh Edmund, you'll be spared the worst of the slush pile, but it is highly amusing--until your brain starts to bleed.

Posted by Edmund (Member # 2044) on :

Hi ho, Silver3. If you're really curious, you can go here: http://www.edmundrschubert.com/biointerviews.htm and not have to wait four more days.

Please do introduce yourself when we get there. Looking forward to meeting you.

Posted by Silver3 (Member # 2174) on :

Could you wave a sign so I can recognise you ?

I'm awful at faces...
You can go to http://perso.orange.fr/aliettedb/bio.html if you want to have an idea of what I look like...

[This message has been edited by Silver3 (edited June 09, 2006).]

Posted by pooka (Member # 1738) on :

Dang, now it looks unlikely that I will be going to the literary workshop unless my husband is a real bonehead and I must punish him.

Posted by Rahl22 (Member # 1411) on :

Looks like OSC has more lovely things to say about Ed:

http://www.intergalacticmedicineshow.com/cgi-bin/mag.cgi?do=content&article=about

Posted by Kickle (Member # 1934) on :

Pooka make your husband some cookies, it worked for me

Edmund, I'll be sure to introduce myself. I'm so excited, I wish I was leaving this morning.

Posted by pooka (Member # 1738) on :

It's also my birthday monday and the kid's last day of school. My kids have been through so much chaos this year I'd feel bad. Also, Tuesday I have a thing.

Posted by Edmund (Member # 2044) on :

http://www.itsthestorystupid.com/

An interview with OSC and me (mainly OSC) about IGMS. It's a podcast by a gentleman out of Atlanta and the sound quality isn't the greatest, but it's a good look into the mind of OSC with regard to IGMS and short fiction in general.

[This message has been edited by Edmund (edited June 25, 2006).]

Posted by BFedRec (Member # 1847) on :

Thanks for mentioning it Ed, it was great to talk with you and Scott. I have to apologize again for the audio quality, the recording just didn't come through nearly as well as it sounded when doing the recording. BUT, as you said, there's some great content in there from both you and Scott.

CharlesP

Posted by Edmund (Member # 2044) on :

For those of you keeping score at home, the newest story added to our line-up for next issue was written by Tim Pratt.

Tim said he thinks "Dream Engine" is one of the best stories he's ever written. He also said, "Scott was one of my earliest teachers (I did a workshop with him way back in 1996 -- a decade ago!) and it means a lot to have something of mine appearing in the magazine that bears his name."

[This message has been edited by Edmund (edited June 29, 2006).]

Posted by Edmund (Member # 2044) on :

Kathleen says she's now sent me all submissions to IGMS, but I'm finding out through e-mails that there are a few I don't have for one reason or another. So I'm asking all of you former Boot Campers who submitted directly to Scott or Kathleen to please chime in now so we can make sure all the stories are accounted for. Please go to the "All Literary Boot Camp Alumni" forum and post your story and approx. date of submission in the thread I started there.

If you're not a Boot Camp alum and submitted thorugh the web-site, know that the assistant editor is now reading subs that came in in March and April, so if you're still waiting for an answer from her, that's where she is in her reading. If you're not a Boot Camp alum, but got an e-mail from Kathleen or Sara (the asst. editor) saying your story had been passed along, go ahead and mention that in this thread so I can check it against my list.

And speaking of subs, given the fact that some things are changing, I'll also mention here that all subs from former Boot Camp students (only) will still be eligible to bypass the slush reader. Just don't send anything directly to me; send them to Kathleen and she will forward them to me (that's part of our new system for tracking things).

And lastly, here's the official word from OSC on the subject of my reading subs that had previously gone to him. This quote will also go into any rejections I send on Boot Camper stories, but I thought you'd like to see it and have the full story ASAP.

"Because I have been so buried in teaching and writing assignments, I was seriously neglecting my job as editor of IGMS. Therefore I fired myself and replaced me with Ed Schubert, a very good writer and experienced editor who understands my vision for the magazine. I don't want you to have to wait any longer for a response, and so I've asked him to read and consider the work you so kindly offered me. Please forgive me for the long delay and then for handing your story off - but remember, I handed your story to somebody I trusted with my whole magazine!" Orson Scott Card

[This message has been edited by Edmund (edited July 03, 2006).]

Posted by Kathleen Dalton Woodbury (Member # 59) on :

Edmund is not referring to me when he says "Kathleen." That's probably Kathleen Bellamy he's talking about. (FYI)

Posted by Edmund (Member # 2044) on :

Yes, Ms. Bellamy, not Ms. Woodbury.

Sorry, I forgot there were two of you...

[This message has been edited by Edmund (edited July 04, 2006).]

Posted by Survivor (Member # 213) on :

There's two of KDW, or there are two Kathleens...in the world?

Posted by Silver3 (Member # 2174) on :

Edmund, this is probably the right place to mention this (I debated over whether to post it in the "All Bootcamp Alumni" forum, and decided it would be too confusing). I'm now a Bootcamp alumna, but before I came to Bootcamp I had a story passed to OSC via the slush reader. I can't remember the exact date I subbed it, but it was towards the beginning of last November.

It's titled "Blighted Heart", by Aliette de Bodard.

[This message has been edited by Silver3 (edited July 04, 2006).]

Posted by Edmund (Member # 2044) on :

I've got it. It's about halfway through the pile.

Posted by Silver3 (Member # 2174) on :

Thanks for keeping me (and everyone else) updated!
Now I can sleep sounder knowing it's working its way up the pile (or not...

)

Posted by Keeley (Member # 2088) on :

Just wanted to let everyone know that I've seen the form rejection from IGMS. It's very nice, polite, and short. Not intimidating in the slightest.

Actually, now that I think about it, that disappointed me. I want my aspirations shot down like a clay pigeon, dangit!

Posted by Survivor (Member # 213) on :

Like...pulverized by a shotgun blast? Because I'm pretty sure that's illegal, whether or not you consent ahead of time. Depending on where you keep your aspirations, I guess. Though now that I think about it, it would probably still be illegal, but only a misdemeanor. Maybe.

Posted by trousercuit (Member # 3235) on :

I keep my aspirations in a jar on the kitchen counter.

Posted by Pyre Dynasty (Member # 1947) on :

You should really keep them in a cuboard out of reach of children.

Posted by trousercuit (Member # 3235) on :

My oldest accidentally spread some on a piece of toast once. She spent all day pontificating about the wonders of teaching computer science and being a published novelist.

"Daddy, listen to this new idea I had on how to introduce hash tables..."

Scared us silly.

Posted by oliverhouse (Member # 3432) on :

I'm rolling... Nearly snarfled my coffee...

Posted by Edmund (Member # 2044) on :

If anyone is interested, Doug Cohen (assistant editor at Realms of Fantasy) interviewed me about my role as editor of InterGalactic Medicine Show. He just posted the write-up on his blog:

http://slushmaster.livejournal.com/

[This message has been edited by Edmund (edited July 15, 2006).]

Posted by Edmund (Member # 2044) on :

I just put this in my blog, but it occurred to me that it would interst people here, too...

The next issue of NC Career Network Magazine (the other magazine I edit) gets uploaded to the printing company today - finally. What a change this was from the last issue. Last time we put the whole thing together in a 4-day blitz that nearly killed me, and I swore it would never be that way again. This time the process managed to string out over 5 weeks and you know what? I'll take the 4-day blitz over this Chinese water-torture every time. But it's done. It has to be; it's off the printers. Thank God.

That means now I can focus a lot more of my time and attention on the IGMS pile of stories. I've been chipping away at them all along, and I'm about 40% of the way through the pile. Of those stories I've read so far (for those of you keeping score at home), I've rejected about 2/3 of them, and contacted the authors of the other 1/3 letting them know I liked their story enough to put it in my "read again" pile. I've bought 5 stories (and "let" Scott buy 1 more), and am working with one author on rewrites of a story I think is very close to being ready. I've got enough stories to fill one issue of IGMS and am working on filling the next one. We are still waiting on some of the art for issue #3, as well as Scott's new Ender story, but hopefully that will all be done soon.

P.S. For the record, Yes, the "read again" people are being notified.

[This message has been edited by Edmund (edited August 01, 2006).]

Posted by pooka (Member # 1738) on :

Are you able to share the general topic on the new Enderverse story?

Posted by Edmund (Member # 2044) on :

Pooka, sorry that would be, well..., telling.

[This message has been edited by Edmund (edited August 07, 2006).]