NEW THIS MONTH
The latest sales and accomplishments by workshop members

March 2010

Scott W. Baker wrote: "I wanted to share my latest success with you since this workshop was a part of it. I just found out yesterday that my story'Poison Inside the Walls' won second place in the fourth quarter Writers of the Future contest. It will be printed in WotF volume 26. It marks my first professional sale. Just wanted to let you know. Let's be honest, I'm trying to let everyone know!"

Jesse Bangs says, "I got a big woohoo today: my horror novella 'The Taint' got an offer of publication from Lyrical Press! This was reviewed on the 'Orkshop and also reviewed offline by workshop members, so huge thanks to everyone who read it!"

Wm. Luke Everest told us: "My short story 'Mythos of Blood' just sold to Short-Story.ME. Originally it was scheduled for release in Flashing Swords Magazine, but, as you may have heard, Flashing Swords folded last November."

William Freedman says, "Please keep an eye out for my debut novel LAND THAT I LOVE, which was critted extensively on OWW back in the day. It'll be released by Rebel ePublishers March 19 and available via Amazon, iTunes and Mobipocket."

April Grey has a couple of woohoos. She wrote: "Many thanks to: Elizabeth Goldman, Peter Aldin and Sean Michael O'Brian for their crits on 'What You Will'. It will be the story of the day on Feb. 25th" on Everyday Weirdness.  And: "I just got paid for my short story 'The Fairy Cake Bake Shoppe' which was critted at the workshop. It can be read at The Edge of Propinquity. The workshop has more than paid for itself. Thank you everyone."

Kendra Highley wrote, "Then, every once in a while, you get a little happy news. Every Day Fiction outright accepted my short story 'HR Hell.' The editors were pleased with it and requested no revisions, which made me smile."

Elizabeth Hull told us, "'The Hurdy Gurdy Man,' a short fantasy story, was sold to Emerald Tales for their Carnival Edition, due to be released in February in print and online. This piece was workshopped on OWW by very many good friends to whom I owe a big thank you."

Jannette Johnson said: "Just saw it today. My short story 'Echoes of Deception' will be published in BEWILDERING STORIES in March! Yay!"

Ilan Lerman wrote, "I'm very happy to say that 'Saint Stephen Street' will be published later in the year by Ideomancer. It was the story that made me a lot of friends on the workshop, and gave me loads of confidence in my writing. Thanks are due to many reviewers--Jeanne Haskin, Erin Stocks, Ursula Warnecke, Crash Froelich, J.R. Hoch, Bo Balder, Boz Flamagin, Georgina Bruce and Jesse Bangs are the ones I can recall."

Christine Lucas tells us, "My short story 'Dominion,' first published in ASIM #37, is included in Ellen Datlow's cat-themed anthology TAILS OF WONDER AND THE IMAGINATION from Night Shade Books. Available now from Amazon."

Marshall Payne announced, "Very fine weekend over all. Sold 'The New Elementals' to Triangulation: End of the Rainbow. I'm really happy with this as I've been trying to get into the Triangulation antho for the past couple of years. They have a good team put together who turns out a fine product each year. Sale #40, and oddly enough the only acceptance I've ever gotten on a Saturday. Hee."

Stelios Touchtidis tells us, "'Shadow In The Haystacks' to Writing Shift (will be out in April). It had been reviewed by OWW a couple of years ago, I recently dusted it off, decided to take some of the advice--voila!"

Aliette de Bodard wrote: "My Lansara (aka pseudo-Hindu) short 'By Bargain and by Blood' is in the 108th issue of Hub Magazine, courtesy of the awesome Lee Harris."

Brandon Barr wrote: "'At the End of the Time Jump' is a short story I wrote back in 2005, and to my delight, it's now out in AUDIO form! My story is read by talented voice actor Christina Boyd, produced by Taylor Kent and Paeter Frandsen, and mixed and directed by Taylor Kent (who runs Snark Tank Productions)."

Marlissa Campbell reported the sale and pending publication of "The Proust Effect" to The Tangled Bank anthology. "Many rounds of workshop review and revision went into this story. Thank you to all who reviewed, with special shout-outs to Gill Ainsworth and Michael Keyton who stuck with me through the years (really!) that it took to get this one right!"

Nicole Cushing had a boatload to share: "Eraserhead Press will be publishing my first book, How To Eat Fried Furries, as part of their New Bizarro Author Series. It seems to me that at least two of the short pieces in Fried Furries were workshopped on OWW ('A Citizen's History of the Pseudo-Amish Anschluss' and 'The Whacking of Godfather Christmas'). I can't remember who actually did the crits, but I do want to thank anyone who critted those stories.  Also, my short story 'Herman Sligo Is Flayed & Living in Louisville, Kentucky' appears in the new issue (#37) of the Journal of Experimental Fiction. And the absurdist 'zine Bust Down The Door & Eat All The Chickens (yes, that's the name of the 'zine) will be publishing my story 'Youth to Be Proud Of' in a forthcoming online issue (probably out in February)."

Hilary Goldstein told us: "I sold 'Seven Sins for Seven Dwarves' to The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction. It hasn't been scheduled for a specific issue yet, but should be out to the world by this summer. Hot damn!"

Barbara Gordon says: "My first pro sale, 'On the Transmontane Run with the Aerial Mail Express,' is up on Beneath Ceaseless Skies. It has airships, monkeys, air-pirates, and jellyfish--what more could you want? Go, read, donate to the 'zine!"

Karen L. Kobylarz tells us: "I am writing to let you know my short story 'Breath of Amun' has been published by Lacuna: A Journal of Historical Fiction, and is currently available. I posted this story several times on the workshop; thanks to all workshop members who reviewed it."

Karl Bunker wrote: "My story 'Under the Shouting Sky' has been selected to appear in Gardner Dozois' Year's Best Science Fiction, Volume 27. Also, my story 'Jerry' is out in issue #18 of Neo-Opsis. Thanks again to the workshoppers who gave me feedback on these stories."

Carole Ann Moleti wrote us to say: "The last quarter of 2009 and the first of 2010 has been a great one for me. In addition to winning the Best Nonfiction Prize with Oasis Journal 2009, a total of four memoir pieces were published. Details and excerpts are on my web site. But the biggest news is the upcoming release of my workshopped paranormal romance (under a pseudonym) "Hot Chocolate Kiss" by Eternal Press on January 7, 2010."

Marshall Payne says: "Just learned that my story 'Borrowing Sugar' will be in Pill Hill Press' upcoming anthology The Four Horsemen: An Anthology of Conquest, War, Famine & Death."

Josh Vogt told us: "My short story 'Odd Jobs,' which was workshopped last year, has been picked up by Orson Scott Card's Intergalactic Medicine Show. It should be out with their next issue."

January 2010

Leah Bobet is pleased to announce: "'Mister Oak,' which is a Wildean fairy tale about a tree and the girl he loves, is in the February 2010 issue of Realms of Fantasy (which is on newsstands from December to February). The issue's available both in the print version and as a free PDF download at http://www.rofmag.com/. The story was workshopped, and many thanks to Cathy Freeze, C.S. Inman, Patty Jansen and Daria Patrie for their crits! Also, 'Three Days and Nights in Lord Darkdrake's Hall,' which appeared in Strange Horizons in early 2007, will be reprinted in audio at Podcastle sometime in the near future."

Alliette de Bodard is on a roll! She says: "My SF dystopia 'Father's Flesh, Mother's Blood' will be appearing in Jason Sizemore's anthology DARK FUTURES. Many thanks to Jason for the invite and eventual acceptance, to Marshall Payne for helping me settle on a title, and to everyone who took a look at it on OWW: Colum Paget, Ilan Lerman, Mark Hunken, and Alter Reiss (special thanks to Alter for helping me see my original ending was rubbish), and to Justin Pilon for the awesome crit, as usual. I've sold 'The Jaguar House, in Shadow' to Asimov's. It's a novelette set in the Xuya universe (where China discovered America before Colombus, the same as 'The Lost Xuyan Bride,' 'Butterfly Falling at Dawn, 'and 'Fleeing Tezcatlipoca,' not to mention novel FOREIGN GHOSTS, currently with my agent). It focuses on the Aztecs in Greater Mexica, and the Jaguar Knights, elite spies and manipulators caught in the bloody aftermath of the civil war. Complete with blood sacrifices, crazy priests and hallucinogenic drugs.  Wrote the first draft of this in Brittany last summer (somewhat amusingly, the previous sale I made to Asimov's, 'The Wind-Blown Man,' was also written in Brittany, so there's clearly something in the air here). I workshopped this on OWW, where it got very helpful crits from Christine Lucas (silverwerecat), Rachel Gold, and Swapna Kishore. If anyone wants me, I'll be in the flat, jumping up and down and making incoherent noises."

Liz Coley wrote us to say, cryptically, "'The Final Gift' to Strange Worlds Anthology (scheduled for spring 2010) and 'Immortals' to Cosmos Magazine (scheduled for Apr/May 2010)."

Jannette Johnson told us: "My short story 'Trip of a Lifetime' is now up at The Absent Willow Review. I workshopped it (I think) about a year ago and got some excellent suggestions. Thanks all. :)"

Vylar Kaftan says: "Just signed contracts with Podcastle. You'll be hearing 'Fulgurite' (from Sybil's Garage #6) and 'Something Wicked This Way Plumbs' (from Shimmer) in 2010."

Anna Kashina announced: "My workshopped story 'The Hatchling' appears in the current issue (42) of Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine. If anyone is a subscriber -- please check it out. This story is my personal favorite and I am happy to see it in print. Thanks to everyone who critted it and encouraged me not to give up on it!"

Lindsay Kitson says: "So like three months ago, Thaumatrope was looking for steampunk stuff in 140 characters or less. So I took one of my planned lines from the Eyelet dove, squeezed the meaningful bits into a phrase that says more than it says, and sent it to them and they just sent me back saying it was accepted. And though it's too short to be considered a pro publication, it's the first paid one to my name. Even though the payment is $1.20, and Paypal transfer fees will eat it...I am a paid author :P"

Karen L. Kobylarz says, "I am writing to let you know my short story "Breath of Amun" has been published by Lacuna. It is currently available at http://lacunajournal.blogspot.com. I posted this story several times at OWW. Thanks to all workshop members who reviewed it."

Kim Colley has announced. "My short story 'Tom & the Bench Warrant' is available in the December 2009 issue of Aoife's Kiss, at your virtual newstand now!"

Tony Peak wrote us to say, "I wanted to let you know that 'A Kiss From a Marble Woman' has been accepted by Bards & Sages Quarterly for their July 2010 issue. I workshopped the story here, and would like to thank David Busboom, E. Alexander Hill, James Thomson, Jeanne Ayer, Kimberly Colley, Renee Otis, and Rhonda Garcia for reviewing the story and offering their help. Thanks, everyone!"

Stelios Touchtidis announced: "My short story 'Tumbling Parasol' was recently sold to MindFlights magazine. TP had been workshopped on OWW, and I want to thank all those who reviewed it--Paul Ellis, Marc Sellers, Sean MacUisdin, Karen Kobylarz, and in particular Gio Clairval, Erin Stocks and Rhonda Garcia, who managed to pinpoint a key flaw. When three top critters say something's broke, one better fix it--and apparently I did. What a difference OWW makes! This makes two for me in less than a month--I'm on cloud nine. I guess submitting, wiping the rejections off one's face, and trying again and again is the way to do it! Who knew?"

Michele Winkler told us: "Just wanted to let you know that 'Mysterious Jesse,' which went through OWW last year, sold to Another Realm, an on-line f/sf magazine. Thanks to everyone who offered advice."

December 2009

Tom Crosshill reports: "I'm happy to say I've sold my piece 'Waiting for Number Five' to Beneath Ceaseless Skies. Very excited about this one, as I really love the magazine. The story went through a lot of drafts, and the many fine reviews I received at OWW were instrumental in the process. Thanks to members Joshua Palmatier, Adrian Firth, Corie Conwell, Chris Montgomery, Kim Zimring, Michael McClung, Jonathan Vintr and Barry Traill!"

Anna Kashina tells us: "I just signed up with Drollerie Press to publish my previously workshopped novel IVAN-AND-MARYA. It is an e-book contract, with an option of a print edition to be added if the initial e-book sales are good. It took me a while to embrace the idea of e-book publishing (some of you may still remember me nagging about it on this list), but now that I saw the light, I am excited! Thanks so much to the OWW members who helped me with this novel a few years ago!"

John Klima reports: "I sold a sf/f fairy-tale reprint anthology to Night Shade Books. The work is an anthology of reprint science fiction and fantasy fairy-tale stories I'm editing called HAPPILY EVER AFTER, set to be published in 2011 by Night Shade Books. There is more information at http://happilyeverafter.electricvelocipede.com."

Karen L. Kobylarz wrote us: "I am writing to let you know my short story 'Breath of Amun' has been published by Lacuna. It is currently available at http://lacunajournal.blogspot.com. I posted this story on OWW several times. Thanks to all workshop members who reviewed it."

Ilan Lerman told us, "My short story 'Whisper' has been accepted for publication in The Absent Willow Review - February 16th issue. I had this up on the workshop a couple of times this year, and have a lot of people to thank for making it publishable, not all of whom I have kept a record of, but I can say thanks to Boz Flamagin, Bo Balder, Lisa Phoenix, Erin Stocks, J.R.Hoch and anyone else I haven't mentioned..."

Rochita Loenen-Ruiz says: "Apex Magazine has accepted my short story '59 Beads' for publication. Thanks to everyone who read this story and believed in it. This will be my third pro-publication and I'm really looking forward to seeing it in Apex."

Marshall Payne reported that "'I must be the king of Feast or Famine' with his sale to M-Brane SF to end his six-month dry streak. 74 rejections between sales on that one. This month, after only four rejections he's happy to report that he sold his story "Pandering Dwarves" to The Hub Magazine. After weathering a rather dry 2009, he's ready for it to pour again.

Joshua Palmatier wrote us to say: "I'm happy to announce that DAW Books had bought three more fantasy novels from me, two part of an ongoing series, titled LEAVES OF FLAME and BREATH OF HEAVEN, and the third the start of a new series, called Shattering the Ley. In addition, they bought an anthology idea to be edited by me and Patricia Bray called AFTER HOURS: TALES FROM THE UR-BAR. I'm going to be busy for the next few years."

Stelios Touchtidis was happy to report: "My short story 'A Silky Taste of Gunmetal,' workshopped on OWW a few times, has been accepted for publication by Short-Story.Me! Thanks so much to all who reviewed it in its 2009 incarnation: Dean Rodina, Renee Miller-Johnston, Marc Sellers, Kevin Miller, Gio Clairval (who gets special thanks as she ground my defenses to changing a key part of the story), Bobbie Goettler, Jonathan Laden and Larry Pinaire. Your comments were invaluable. This is my first sale, and needless to say I'm very excited! Never thought it'd happen!"

Josh Vogt told us: "I recently heard from the editors over at Orson Scott Card's Intergalactic Medicine Show. They've picked up my short story 'Odd Jobs' which I've been shopping around for a bit over a year. Really glad this one found a home and can't wait to see it come out. It should be added to one of the issues within the next six months."

Zoe Zygmunt says "I am excited to announce my short story 'Shake, Rattle and Troll' (workshopped here) was accepted by Short-Story.Me. This will be my first published work."

November 2009

Aliette de Bodard tells us: "It would seem my short story 'The Dancer's Gift,' published in the Spring 2008 issue of Fictitious Force and repackaged as part of my short fiction sampler for the Campbell, has garnered an Honorable Mention on the long-list Ellen Datlow's Best Horror of the Year from Nightshade."

April Gray says: "My flash fiction 'Objects of Desire' has been selected for Every Day Fiction's anthology. Many thanks again to John Tremett for his help in polishing the story to get it sold."

Vylar Kaftan reports: "There's a new magazine in town, folks. Published by Sean Wallace of Prime Books and edited by John Joseph Adams, Lightspeed Magazine will feature 'all types of sf, from near-future, sociological soft sf, to far-future, star-spanning hard sf, and anything and everything in between.' I've got a story in the first issue. It's called 'I'm Alive, I Love You, I'll See You in Reno.' It's a multi-century love story about two lovers who just can't connect."

Karen L. Kobylarz says: "I am writing to report that my short story 'Mistress of Magic' has been published in the current issue of Mindflights. The story was posted several times on the workshop, sometimes under the title 'The Aegyptian.' Thanks to all who reviewed it."

Joshua Palmatier tell us: "I have good news! I wrote this short story called 'Mastihooba' for an anthology called Close Encounters of the Urban Kind being put together for APEX and I was notified yesterday that my short made the cut. So I'll have a short story *gasp* released next year sometime! I don't typically write short stories, but there are a few that rattle around in my head every now and then that make it down to paper. Most of the time they end up exploding into novels, but this one was nice (well, I had to do some major cutting to get it to the appropriate word length for the anthology). It came in at just under 7,000 words."

Marshall Payne reports that he sold his short story "Televisionary" to M-Brane SF. "I must be the king of Feast and Famine," he says with this sale to break his dry spell. "For me they seem to come in bunches." 

Abra Staffin Wiebe tells us, "My humorous dark fantasy short story 'The Radiator Burped' is now out in the free Fall issue of Strange, Weird, and Wonderful Magazine. This story came about when my husband got tired of my whining about not writing and told me to write a story about a fairy and a dragon. Neither fairy nor dragon are quite as you might expect."

October 2009

Aliette de Bodard squeed: "My first translation! I've just been given official permission to post about this: my story 'The Lost Xuyan Bride,' originally published in Interzone, will form part of the upcoming release of Polish online library Skryptorium at the Katedra site, edited by Jan Zeranski."

Big congrats to Karl Bunker. "My short story 'Under the Shouting Sky' appears in the current issue of Cosmos magazine, and also won first place in The Robert A. Heinlein Centennial Short Story Contest. As always, I got lots of good advice on this story from OWW."

Stephen Gaskell annouced: "I've recently had news of a couple more sales: 'Aquestria' has sold to Interzone, while 'Napier's Bones' has gone to Pseudopod. It seems Clarion '06 stories are suddenly coming into vintage, as this makes three sales in the space of a month for stories I wrote at that workshop! More info can be found on my website at stephengaskell.com. Thanks, OWWers!

Ilan Lerman wrote us to say: "Just wanted to say that the Scottish literary journal The Ranfurly Review will be publishing my story 'Woe is Me' in their March 2010 issue. It was workshopped here a few months ago, so thanks are due to OWWers Sharon Ramirez, Crash Froelich, Erin Stocks, Ursula Warnecke, Owen Kerr & David Kernot for their help."

Mark Lord says: "I just wanted to share the good news with you and other members that my short story 'Bird Talk,' which was critiqued at OWW, has been accepted for publication by Theaker's Quarterly Fiction. It should appear in issue 30 or 31 hopefully. Thanks for all the helpful advice that helped get this story published."

Margaret McGaffey Fisk tells us: "My short story 'When the Shoe Won't Fit' was published by the new ezine Aurora Wolf and can be read here."

Carole Ann Moleti has a two-fer woo-hoo. "I sold my recently workshopped story 'Hot Chocolate Kiss' to Eternal Press. It's due to be published in January 2010. Here are the folks who did crits during the most recent marathon and were instrumental in helping me make the sale: Erin Stocks, L.David Holbrook, Steve Brady, William Brown, Julie Klumb.  I won first prize for Best Nonfiction in Oasis Journal's contest! $100.00 and a big mention for the 'Someday I'm Going to Write a Book excerpt "Everything Must Go."' The anthology is due out in late October."

Erin Stocks has another two-fer woo-hoo. "'The Light Stones' will be published in the anthology DESTINATION: FUTURE, edited by Z.S. Adani and Eric T. Reynolds, to be released early 2010. This story made it through the OWW rounds twice, the first probably in early 2008, and the second about 8 months later; I owe Gio Clairval, Steve Chapman and David Fortier for their help with both versions, and I'm sure there are over a dozen more members who helped in some way -- thanks!  Also, 'Skinned' will be published by The Absent Willow Review in December 2009. I owe my thanks to over 20 OWW members who offered critiques, and especially to Adrian Firth, who offered an even more in-depth look at the near final draft, and went through it line by line on his own."

September 2009

Brandon Barr says: "Hey friends. I'm pleased to announce that my short story 'The Kitterson Ranch Incident' has been published by Residential Aliens."

Aliette de Bodard is on a roll! She tells us: "I've sold 'As the Wheel Turns' to GUD for their issue 6 (Spring 2010). It was workshopped on OWW under the title 'Dai-Yu's Choice' where it received feedback from the usual suspects: Rochita Loenen-Ruiz, Linda Steele (who was kind enough to crit it in tremendous detail), and Chris Kastensmidt (whose unshakable faith in that one proved right). Thanks everyone for helping me whip it into shape!"

And then this: "...Well, it turns out some clouds definitely have big silver linings, because among the people stuck with me in the hotel were John Berlyne and Marc Gascoigne. We started talking; nine months later, one of them is my agent, and one of them has offered me a deal for three books, starting with SERVANT OF THE UNDERWORLD, and going on to two sequels.
Publication date is Spring 2010 by new HarperCollins imprint Angry Robot."  More info: http://angryrobotbooks.com/2009/08/an-author-a-publisher-and-an-agent-walk-into-a-bar/

And finally: "I've sold my Chinese alternate-history 'In the Time of Transcendence' to Asimov's (the title is going to change as soon as I can work out a decent one...).  Many thanks to those OWWers who took a look at it: Christine Lucas, Tom Crosshill, Ilan Leman and Owen Kerr; and to Chris Kastensmidt for his comments."

Nancy Chenier announced: "'Night of the Fifth Sun' just got picked up by Severed Press for their 2012 anthology. Yay. Thanks to everyone who critted it: Kenneth Rapp, Matthew Herreshoff, and Cathy Freeze."

Maria Deira says: "This has been a good summer with sales to Kaleidotrope, Brain Harvest, and an acceptance from Verb Noire for my short story 'Los Pequeños' which was workshopped at the OWW. On August 10, my flash fiction piece 'Finisterre' was published by Strange Horizons. Yay!"

Nora Fleischer tells us: "Just wanted you to know that my novella, "Over Her Head," was published by Drollerie Press. This novella was workshopped through the OWW, and I'm so glad to see it in print! And I have another to add: my short story 'Self-Made Man' just appeared in The Town Drunk."

Stephen Gaskell says: "I've recently had news that my story 'The Offside Trap' sold to Things We Are Not, an anthology of queer speculative fiction from M-Brane SF. "The Offside Trap" was my Clarion week-five story, and an attempt to write something a little different from my usual high-concept, adventurous SF. I'm thankful to Kelly Link, Holly Black, and all my ‘06 classmates for their critiques and inspiration."

Hilary Goldstein shouted his news: "Hot damn. After about seven billion rejections (seriously, seven billion) and I'd say five years since being published, I got an acceptance. Huzzah. 'The Dream Eater' (workshopped in our very own OWW) will be appearing in next summer's issue of Gargoyle. Swank. Thanks to all who read and made suggestions. Just about all the revisions were based off OWW comments."

Jannette Johnson tells us: "I just found out my revised short story 'Echoes Of Deception' will be published by Bewildering Stories."

Carole Ann Moleti announces: "Oasis Journal 2009 has accepted 'Everything Must Go' for this year's anthology."

Jaime Lee Moyer says: "To my shock and my agent's delight, the novel I'm workshopping on OWW, DELIA'S SHADOW, has won the 2009 Columbus Literary Award for fiction, administered by Thurber House. I guess I won too, not just the book."

Tony Peak's 'Azazel's Journal' has been accepted by Necrotic Tissue for their April 2010 issue. "I workshopped the story here, and would like to thank Justin Parente, Elizabeth Hull, Gio Clairval, Hilary J. Nowack, and Jeanne Haskin for critiquing the story; their suggestions were of great help. This is my first sale, so thanks everyone!"

Elizabeth Schechter says: "I just heard from Ravenous Romance, who want to buy 'First of May'!"

August 2009

Brandon Bell says: "I just wanted to let you know my story 'Abraham Discovers an Artifact Impenetrable to all Harm' has been published in M-Brane SF #5. I posted this story a couple times on OWW, and the ending was always the
issue. In my last rewrites, I added some elements originally intended for a follow-up story, fleshed out the ending a little, and addressed some specific complaints. Thanks to everyone who critted this one."

Brenta Blevin tells us: "Sword & Sorceress 24 will publish my story 'Material Witness' in November of this year."

Gio Clairval wrote: "My flash fiction 'Tea with the Bird-Headed Lover' worshopped on the OWW, will appear in the anthology LAST DRINK BIRD HEAD, a literacy charityedited by Jeff and Ann VanderMeer , in October 2009. A heartfelt 'thank you' to the reviewers who kindly took a look at my first flash fiction (ever) and helped me snatch my first publication credit. I got 36 (!!!) crits in four days (sub and re-sub), and I never would have been able to whip the damn thing into shape so quickly (I had been invited to contribute some time ago but I had a hard time starting to write something that seemed soooo difficult to pull off -- an entire story in less of 500 words). And, marvel, I got a positive answer only one hour after sending out the file."

Tom Crosshill writes: "Very happy to announce that my tale 'Seeing Double' has placed 1st in Writers of the Future. The story wasn't workshopped at OWW, but I did get very helpful input from former OWWer Neal M. Swain (a friend from the Del Rey days). Super excited here! I joined OWW in 1999 (I think), shortly after I started writing SF/F as a teenager growing up in Eastern Europe. It took "only" ten years, with admittedly long breaks in between, to this first sale. Thanks so much to everyone who supported me along the way! (You would have known me as Toms K -- I've since switched to a pen name)."

Adrian Firth announces: "joyful! bought 'Interlude in an Empty Heaven' for November, and The Absent Willow Review are placing 'Final Refrain' in September. Thanks to all reviewers--some from four years back! On file I have Maura McHugh, Karen Newton, Bruce Davis, Helen Hyndes-Snodgrass, Sean MacUisdin, Lisa Bouchard, Tony Peak, Corie Conwell, Esme Ibbotson, Brit Marschalk, Duane Grippen, Kenneth Rapp, Roger McCook, Jeremy Yoder, Sherry T, Nate Smith, and Chris Green."

Bonnie Freeman announced: "I participated in Flash Me Magazine's Flash Fiction Boot Camp at the beginning of last month and churned out several flash exercises under the whip-cracking guidance of the magazine's editor-in-chief (and fellow OWW member) Jennifer Dawson. I'm happy to report that one of my exercises, 'Alien Brothel,' has been accepted by Flashot.

April Grey tells us: "My flash fiction 'The Butterfly Dream' will be in Everyday Weirdness on July 24th. Yippee!"

Jannette Johnson wrote: "I got the e-mail this afternoon. BRAVE BLUE MICE has accepted my short 'Return To Eden' for publication in the August 1st issue. Ask me if I'm happy."

Deborah Kalin says: "Today I have exceedingly good news: I have sold a story to Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine. Tentative publication date is April 2010. For those playing along at home, I wrote the first draft of this story in January 2005, during my stint at Clarion. (Actually, since it was my week-one story, I probably started it, in some brief and jotted form at least, in late December 2004.) I can't remember what I called it at the time (probably something genius like 'Untitled'), but it's since acquired the title 'Shaping Lily.' It's a quaint little story, and one I'm very fond of, so I'm glad it's found a good home."

Sandra Panicucci announced that "The Autumn Wood" sold to Sorcerous Signals for the Aug-Oct issue.

Elizabeth Schechter told us: Yesterday at 5:48 PM, I submitted a new short story to Circlet for their upcoming anthology Like a Queen. The story was an erotic retelling of Christina Rosetti's The Goblin Market. Today, at 5:25 PM, I got the contract. I think that might be a record."

July 2009

Ilona Andrews has a new short story over at Samhain Publishing called Silent Blade.

Mike Keyton is on a whopper of a success spree by selling three short stories recently. "I've just signed the contract for the Anthology, The Blackness Within. My story is called 'Bad Meat.' I also have 'When I Breathed I Clinked' coming out in an Adams publication -- My First Year In The Classroom Anthology. Finally, Zahir has accepted 'Mr Nousel's Mirror.' Thank you to all those who've sharpened my work, but the biggest thing I've learnt is submit, and then submit again."

Sandra McDonald sold the short story "Watching" to Destination Future, Hadley Rilles Books. Sandra says: "I also sold a reprint of 'The Fireman's Fairy' to Podcastle, and the story 'A Day in the Park' to the anthology Cheer Up Universe."

Suzanne McLeod's second book, The Cold Kiss of Death from the Spellcrackers.com series, comes out on July 16, 2009.

Michael Merriam's story "Weaving Tales," will appear in Drops of Crimson's June YA edition. The story was workshopped on OWW back in late 2003, and while Michael has lost the file with the reviewer's names, he is still grateful for all of their hard work.

June 2009

Andrew Alford received word from AlienSkin that his micro-horror piece "A Jury of His Peers" will appear in the June/July 2009 issue.

Jesse Bangs says, "I just sold a flash fiction piece 'Lights on the Highway' to Everyday Weirdness! The story came out April 29. For anyone who hasn't heard of it, I highly recommend Everyday Weirdness to flash writers and poetry writers. They don't pay much, but their site is very nice, their stories are good, and their publication schedule is great for reading (one flash or poem per day)."

Nicole Cushing announced: "My short story 'The Snail Man Contagion' (which I workshopped probably about a month ago) was bought by the e-zine Reflection's Edge. I have some non-fiction coming out in Doorways Magazine and that first sale to the Cemetery Dance anthology should finally (after seven years!) be seeing print this fall in the anthology In Laymon's Terms."

April Grey wrote us: "Good news in my e-mail this morning, my story "When Alexander Died" is going to be published by Chaos Theory: Tales Askew."

Rochita Loenen-Ruiz tells us: "Ann VanderMeer wants 'Catching an Angel.' This 146-word story will be appearing online and on video as a one-minute Weird Tales publication. Yes, yes...I did the jumping up and down with joy thing...and each time I read the acceptance e-mail, I smile from ear to ear. My first sale after five months of rejections and close calls."

Marshall Payne announced happily, "So ends my three-month 28-rejection dry spell. Kaleidotrope published my flash story 'The Blue Testament' in issue #5, and will now be publishing "Danny's Magical Toe Jam" in an upcoming issue. This one is a 4k urban fantasy and one of my faves. Kaleidotrope is a nifty little print zine and I'm happy to be in it again.  Special thanks to Aliette de Bodard, Linda Steele, and Rochita Loenen-Ruiz for their help, comments, and abiding my off-beat, twisted fantasy tropes. *g*"

Elizabeth Schechter says: "I just got the e-mail from Circlet Press that they want to include my short story 'The Succubus' in their upcoming steampunk anthology! Now THIS is the way to end the week!"

May 2009

Darla J. Bowen says, "I was a member of OWW for over a year and received lots of wonderful insight from those who reviewed the pieces I submitted. Some of those have been since reworked and are awaiting acceptance. But I have had some success. My first published story is now available, with others on their way. 'For Honor' is in the April issue of Lorelei Signal. 'Duties' will appear in Flash Scribe, 'Awaiting Mother's Ride' will be in the May issue of Silver Blade, 'Into the Fray' will be in the July issue of Bards and Sages Quarterly, 'Portrait in Red and Gold' has been accepted by MindFlights. I have submitted 40 times to get these 5 acceptances. I consider that very successful." 

Stephen Gaskell reports: "I recently sold a couple of stories. 'Under An Arctic Sky' went through OWW a few years ago and was given a thorough polishing after crits from B.K. Dunn, Magda Knight, Adrian Krag, Rebecca Stefoff, and a phantom critiquer who remains nameless. It will be appearing at Futurismic in the near future. 'Prisoners', one of my Clarion 2006 submission stories that helped get me into the workshop (and was mercilessly red-penned by Michael Swanwick, our second week instructor, afterwards), has sold to M-Brane SF."

Leonid Korogodski tells us: "I have just been informed that my story was awarded the first place in the Adult division at the OddContest. The OddContest is an annual competition for speculative (science fiction, fantasy, or horror) stories or prose poems no longer than 500 words. For my submission, I took an excerpt from my 28K Pink Noise novella, modified it and trimmed it down to 500 words exactly."

Ron Leming, aka Bonestructure, says, "Sold my story 'Fox Goes Fission' to the Severed Press Dead Bait anthology. Third time I've sold this story. Which I think is kinda cool. Not a major anthology or anything, but I thought a horror anthology about fishing was a very cool idea, so I submitted. And it's an Australian anthology, so this makes my first publication in Australia. S'funny, even after all these years of bashing away at it, you still get a thrill out of an acceptance. It never seems to get tired. Maybe if I was Stephen King and turning out 47 books a year I might get tired of it, but I ain't. Oh, and I did rewrite and polish it up a tiny bit before subbing it to the anthology. It was written like, 20 years ago, and just because it's been published twice, that's no reason not to try to spiff it up a tad."

Tom Marcinko reports: "I recently sold a short story, 'Temperance,' to an as-yet-untitled anthology to be published by Circlet Press. It wasn't workshopped -- I had to work straight up to the deadline. But I will say this: The workshop helps me focus, gets me thinking about the effect of words on a reader, which in the end is all we have."

Brandon Bell tells us, "I just got an acceptance for 'Abraham Discovers an Artifact Impenetrable to all Harm' from M-Brane SF. I workshopped it a while back and did quite an overhaul on the story based on the crits. This is a small zine and I've formed a relationship with the editor, so I actually held back from submitting anything, and when I did I asked him to please reject my story if he had the slightest doubts in it: I don't want even a small market credit that I don't deserve.

Maria Deira wrote to tell us, "My story 'The First Time We Met' was published in the February 16th issue of Strange Horizons. This was workshopped at OWW a while ago and, unfortunately, I don't have the names of everyone who critiqued the story. Still I'd like to thank them for all their helpful advice and critiques! Also in February, I had a flash fiction piece, 'My Son the Dragon,' published at pequin.org."

Vylar Kaftan blogged recently: Just signed the contract for "Fulgurite" to be printed in Sybil's Garage 6. I love the magazine and I'm happy to be there again. My flash fiction story "Sky and Sea" will be up at Brain Harvest on Sunday. New flash fiction market, pays 5 cents a word for stories between 100-750 words. Attention all ye writerly ones. Send them a story. Sit down tonight and write something. 750 words is very doable.

Raven Matthews's story "Impurity" appears in the March 2009 issue of Moon Drenched Fables.

Tom Marcinko says "My story 'A Close Personal Relationship' was published in New Writings in the Fantastic, ed. John Grant, from Pendragon Press in the UK, I wrote it in 1992, sold it the following year, waited to see it in print, learned that the magazine publisher had overruled the editor and was refusing to publish it, kept it on the market for awhile, and retired it till John Grant put out a call for stories that writers had had a difficult time placing. I thought my story qualified, and it looks like John agreed. Persistence furthers. On the other hand, when you write a story that goes looking for trouble, don't be surprised when you find it."

Maura McHugh has been a member of the OWW or a number of years. "I haven't been active on the board in some time, but still consider the workshop as a turning point in my writing career. I thought I'd mention the following news: I've just sold 'The Tamga' to Shroud Magazine, which is my second sale to the publication. The story was first critted on the workshop about five years ago. At the time the following people gave me feedback: Sarah Audrey, Laura Ferries, Richard Dean Starr, Terri Trimble, Rob Campbell, Adrian Peter Firth, Elizabeth Anne Ensley, Wade White, and Lawrence Payne. The story has been re-written many times since, but several of the pointers I received on the early incarnation of the story started it on the road to recovery, and thus this sale."

Lynette Mejia's story "The Homecoming" was published last month in Niteblade Magazine.

Abra Staffin Wiebe's story "Periwinkle Eyes" appeared in Art Times in March.

Karl Bunker reports: "My short story 'Murder' is up on the 1st quarter 2009 issue of Abyss & Apex. Deepest thanks to the OWW members who critiqued this story."

The workshop's own Charles Coleman Finlay, now streamlined for publication to C. C. Finlay, has the first of three fantasy novels out from Del Rey: THE PATRIOT WITCH, first of a trilogy. This is also the first print novel Del Rey (original sponsor of the workshop) has ever bought from a workshop member!

Stephen Gaskell recently sold "Reunion" to Tumbarumba; a Frolic of Intrusions, and "Cold Trail Blazing" to Dunesteef Audio Fiction Magazine. "Tumbarumba is a particularly novel project which wraps twelve spec-fic stories by 'outstanding authors' (hey, their words!) inside a Mozilla Firefox Plug-In extension. Download it here and get ready to experience weirdness! Both stories were critiqued elsewhere, but nonetheless I'd like to give much thanks to all OWWers, especially the staff."

April Grey wrote us and said: "Just reporting that with the help of John Tremlett's crit I made my first sale of 2009, 'Objects of Desire' to Everyday Fiction. Many thanks to the people who run Online Writing Workshop for putting me in touch with such useful critters!"

Deborah Kalin announces that she sold "The Wages of Salt" to Postscripts Magazine, slated for Spring of this year. "I'm very excited about that one."

Anna Kashina says: "Quite unexpectedly, I sold two stories this month to semipro markets, 'Marya' to Sorcerous Signals (they now have a print edition too), and 'The Hatchling' to Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine. Both stories were workshopped ages ago (and I believe more than once). I am really grateful to everyone who reviewed them, and to all of you guys for encouragement and moral support!"

Michael Merriam sold his short story, "Fey Child Fair," which was workshopped at OWW, to online horror and dark fantasy magazine From the Asylum for a future issue. Michael would like to thank Aliette de Bodard, William Alden, and others he has forgotten because his notes are incomplete, for reading and making suggestions that made this story stronger.

Carole Ann Moleti says "Updike and The Up and Coming: The Witches and Widows of Eastwick, and The Lace Reader, my literary criticism comparing and contrasting the three novels is out in the February 2009 issue of The Internet Review of Science Fiction."

Aaron Peters told us that "Bonebearer" will appear in the upcoming issue of Silver Blade. "Many thanks to May Iversen, J. Paul Johnson, James Roarke, Alex Van Rossum, Raven Matthews, and Craig Hickman for their workshop reviews (and to anyone I missed, many apologies to go along with the thanks)."

Camille Picott (author and new mom) announces that "My short story, 'The Gargoyle', is currently up at Afterburn SF. You can view the story here. This is a story that I worked on for several years. It's really rewarding to see that it found a good home."

Leah Bobet speaketh of good news: "I am chuffed (well chuffed?) to announce that "Mister Oak," a Wildean fairy tale about a tree and the girl he loves, will appear in a future issue of Realms of Fantasy. This'll be my third story to appear there."

Aliette de Bodard has sold sold "Melanie," an urban fantasy set in the world of her university days, to Realms of Fantasy. "This was workshopped at OWW, where it received a number of helpful crits from Patty Jansen, Sylvia Volk, and Camille Picott. Other people who took a look at it offline included the ever-helpful Marshall Payne, Oliver Dale, and Pat Lundrigan. Thanks to everyone for making the sale possible!"

Charles Coleman Finlay says: "My novella from last August's Fantasy & Science Fiction is on the Nebula prelim ballot and has been selected by Gardner Dozois for the Year's Best Science Fiction Volume 26."

Deborah Kalin, aka damselfly, has alerted us that her novel SHADOW QUEEN is on shelves now. Also: Cemetery Dance Magazine has accepted her short story, "Teratogen" for publication. "And "The Wages of Salt" has sold to to Postscripts
Magazine, for Spring publication.

Marshall Payne's flash story "Mud Wrestling in a Distant Land" will be published at Polluto:The Anti-Pop Culture Journal. It'll be in issue #5, "A Steampunk Orange." Also, "Tyree Campbell at Aoife's Kiss wants my 4k fantasy tale 'Jimmy French-Fries.' A story I wrote a while back. An offbeat tale that took a while to find a home."

January 2009

Bo Balder says, "I won first place in the Dutch Paul Harland Awards--a yearly Dutch language competition for sf and fantasy shorts. Yay! Most money anybody ever got for a short story. I'll probably never get paid that much again... I won with my OWW-workshopped story 'Satyricon' in a Dutch translation. So many thanks to the workshop and all those who critted the story, which made it infinitely better."

Brandon Bell tells us: "My story 'Best Gift' is featured in the Return to Luna anthology, which is now out and can be purchased from the publisher's website and Amazon.com. Thanks to everyone who critted it! I also received an acceptance for my story 'Do Men Dream of Bloody Sheep' from M-Brane. Pub date pending. Thanks for the crits on that one as well."

Leah Bobet sold "Six"! "A big thank you to Elizabeth Bear, Amanda Downum, and Jaime Moyer for crits. Also, while we're at it, I'm going to have a novelette, 'Miles to Isengard,' in the January issue of Interzone: thanks for that one go out to Elizabeth Bear, Liz Bourke, and Jaime Moyer."

Tim W. Burke says: "I just sold my workshopped story 'The Tortoiseshell Tom In The Dark Box' to Space and Time. Thanks to reviewers Heather Hillstead, Josh Vogt, Suzanne Lazear, and Darryl Nash for their help in making the story its best!"

Resident Editor John Klima's story "Life's Simple Pleasures" was recently published in Diet Soap.

FRR Mallory tells us that "Black Ice" will be featured in the anthology Return To Luna by Hadley Rille Books.

Rochita Loenen-Ruiz received a wonderful e-mail from Fantasy Magazine offering to buy her short story "Pink Elephant."

Karen Osborne's story "Retirement" appears in the December 2008 Aoife's Kiss.

Marshall Payne says, "Just learned that Three Crow Press--The Morrigan Books Ezine--will be using my story, 'Molkar's Curse' for their new ezine in 2009. I don't write many high, secondary-world fantasy tales, but I'm rather happy with this one so I'm glad it found a good home. A big thanks goes out to Aliette de Bodard and Linda Steele for their help and encouragement on this story!"

Michele Winkler says: "Stories for Children online magazine accepted 'Carp Diem' which I put through the OWW. I'd like to thank everyone who took the time to critique it."

OUR CRITERIA
How we chose the listings and categories above

All of the writers featured here are members of the Online Writing Workshop for SF & F (or its predecessor, the Del Rey Online Writing Workshop). We include sales and publications by workshop members (noting if the works were workshopped here, in whole or in part), current members' awards and honors, and anything else we think belongs in the Hall of Fame.

We will emphasize SF&F publications, since that's the focus of the workshop, even though we know some of our members are accomplishing other things outside the genre.

While we try to include things fairly, final determination of all Hall of Fame entries belongs to the workshop administration. We do our best to verify all information and links, but if we get anything wrong--or if we haven't included your sale or publication--please e-mail us.

Links: we try to provide links to more information on the publications whenever possible. In the case of book publication, we often link to Amazon, since it is an accepted source of information, but we are not an Amazon associate and aren't earning any percentage from these links. If you are the author and would like us to link to a personal or publisher site instead, just tell us which one. We have no deal with the magazines we link to for short stories, either. The only people who benefit from this feature of our site are our members and the venues that publish them.

NEWS? LET US KNOW

Sold something recently? Have something currently in print that we haven't announced yet? Won an award? Garnered any other honors? Tell us about it! Send your news (including URLs if any) to support@www.sff.onlinewritingworkshop.com and, if appropriate, we'll include it in the Hall of Fame and/or the next workshop newsletter. The Hall of Fame is updated monthly when the newsletter is published, and often in between.