2008 - the year of the rat - was an interesting year... On one hand, one of the best to date, but the lows this year were damned scary. CrazyHorse in the hospital with pneumonia. Wolverine and his constant battle with the skin issues (we're taking him to a dermatologist after the holidays see if we can't find SOMETHING to help him). Ambulance for me and my bee sting (but this was good as it was minor and forced me to actually go to the doctor and I now have my epipen). Hubster got his promotion. We're starting to catch up with everything even though our ideal dream is probably twenty years away – we want a farm with horses and pigs and cows and assorted yummies.
On the writing side of things - this was my best year to date! I did a complete revision on Thosha Tol - needs another before I start sending it out. I wrote a complete rough on Purgatory's Queen. I sold my short story collection, Hardwired Humanity. I have no idea how many words I wrote - as I'm horrible at keeping track. I can't even tell you how many stories or poems I wrote this year.
My stats were OK. Didn't hit my goals but I'd been expecting to have Thosha ready to query too and that didn't happen. I did, however, send 121 submissions out. With 13 acceptances and 90 rejections and an acceptance rate of 10.74%. No where near my goals but maybe next year. (there are still submissions out there of course so those numbers will eventually change).
Short fiction accepted in 2008: Switch (Hardwired Humanity), Venus and the Birth Of Zephyrus (Hardwired Humanity), When Closed Eyes Open (Hardwired Humanity), The Wreck of the Griffin (Hardwired Humanity), Canned Man (Hardwired Humanity), Evolution of a Shadow (Hardwired Humanity), Moronar's Chosen (Flashing Swords Summer Special*), Scabs (Everyday Fiction), Left Behind (Anthology Builder), In the Midnight Hour (Espresso Fiction), Fireworks (Abandoned Towers),
Poems accepted in 2008: The Man I Never Knew (Peeks and Valleys), Trinity (Sounds of the Night), Tomb of the Ancient Goddess (Big Pulp), Soul Scrapbook (Big Pulp), Crow Queen (Aoiffe's Kiss*), Tryst (Oysters & Chocolate), Dambala (Niteblade), Resurrection (Mirror Dance), Symbiosis (Mirror Dance), Seduka (Mirror Dance)
Nonfiction accepted in 2008: My Mother's Playbook (Things My Mother Taught Me), Beacon (The Sigurd Journal),
* Markets on my most wanted list for 2008
I've been keeping good records since 2004 - which really isn't that long but it gives a girl perspective to see it all tallied and totaled.
Year / Total Submissions / Total Acceptances / Total Rejections / Still Under Consideration / Acceptance Rate
2004 / 80 / 8 / 72 / 0 / 10.00%
2005 / 123 / 13 / 110 / 0 / 10.57%
2006 / 90 / 9 / 81 / 0 / 10.00%
2007 / 207 / 25 / 181 / 0 / 12.08%
2008 / 121 / 13 / 90 / 18 / 10.74%
Total / 621 / 68 / 534 / 18 / 10.95%
Factor in that I had a baby in 2006 (which is why the numbers are so low) and I'm not doing to badly. It could be better... it could always be better. But at least there is progress here.