Short Story Stats

"Don't let statistics do a number on you." Interested in finding out how much of writing involves waiting? Look no further. I've been trying to shop around a 2100-word short story for a while. No bites so far. Here's my record of numbers: First date submitted: October 2016 Number of submissions: 5 Number of responses: 4 Quickest response time: 7 days Longest response time: 8 months Extra notes: Two personalized rejections, one form rejection. One of the customized rejections went … [Read more...]

Author Blurbs, Part Two

Tok Daaihgeuk: to flatter (lit. to carry on one's shoulders a pair of big feet) In the Tang dynasty, an empress called Mouh Jak Tin (A.D. 625-705) had a favorite lover called Sit Waaih Yih. A low ranking official named Jeung Kap always followed Sit Waaih Yih to serve as his attendant. Whenever Sit wanted to mount his horse, Jeung Kap prostrated himself on the ground to serve as a stepping stool for his master. This may be the origin of the phrase tok daaihgeuk.Big feet, little feet.I've been … [Read more...]

Look Again: Reviewing the Submissions Process

Yat Batjouh, Yih Batyau: to do something by hook or by crook; to not stop halfwayYes, that's me hiking in Montserrat, Spain.I'm excited to announce the publication of my flash fiction piece, "Look Again," in the March issue of Foliate Oak Literary Magazine. Part of my enthusiasm comes from finally feeling validated as a writer. Here's a parallel example that explains my thinking: When I did math problems at school, I always double-checked my answers. If I ended up with the same solution twice, I … [Read more...]