Just don't know...(part 1 of 2)

I just am not sure how long Full Armor Magazine is going to go on, at this point.

I just don't have enough time, financing, readers, subscribers, etc...to keep it going. Deadlines blow past. and Since I've been doing FAM my other projects are shoved to the back burner.

BUT here's one thing I'm going to try: After the next issue (released next week) I am going to be on "vacation" from FAM. Dec 22 through Jan 22. I will not be: Reading submissions or doing anything else related to FAM. Hopefully, by that time I'll be able to tackle the March issue with full force, enthusiasm, and maybe a few people will have taken interest in it.

After March issue...we'll see how it goes.


Keep your fingers crossed, and pray for us. We just may survive after all. ;)

More delays...sorry

I apologize that the fall 2010 issue is yet again delayed.

But, as they say in Raiders of the Lost Ark, "We have top men working on that as we speak. Top. Men." LOL

I will be finalizing everything in the next few days, and then we go to press. *PROMISES!!* :)

THE BIG REVEAL is still on schedule. IF I have to postpone that it will only be by a few days (as in November 20th).

Also, just a reminder: Price increases on Wishful Thinking from $1.59 to $2.99 on November the 30th, as planned.

Prices will not increase for Black Widow & other Tales or Carousel. ;)

Hopefully, my good health will return and I will be able to get my butt in gear and continue working on what I need to be working on daily...
Oh, yeah. And develop the habit of meeting all my deadlines for once! LOL

Abandoned? Not quite...

I've kind of abandoned this blog for a while, since I do most of my author-related blogging on wordpress. However, I realize that I should still keep this blog active incase anyone stumbles upon it. I've decided to use this one exclusively for the publishing end of Dragondreamz (such as for Full Armor Magazine updates and official release dates).

That being said: Full Armor Magazine, Fall 2010 issue is of course running behind schedule and is due out by 10/15/10 at the very latest. ;)

Charmed Lives Release date: Pending.

Prophecies of Fire Release date: Pending.

Deadlines whip past...cannot keep up!

Updated deadlines for ALL current projects:

Full Armor Magazine launch date: June 20. Sure, it was supposed to be the first. But I've had my share of setbacks.

Prophecies of Fire Kindle release: Sept. 1, 2010. Paperback release: December 1, 2010.

Charmed Lives
Sequel to Wishful Thinking: TBA

Wishful-Thinking

Submission Etiquette

I usually reserve blogging/net stuff for Sundays, but I feel compelled to post this.
Don't get me wrong...the majority of people who have sent in submissions were grateful, wonderful, and very patient when I fell behind in response times, or getting agreements out to them. I appreciate that so much!

Then there are others out there...
Well few and far between, but yeah. :-/


Here goes...

SUBMISSION ETIQUETTE

DO NOT:
~ Demand confirmation of receipt of your manuscript. (In fact do not demand anything...ask nicely.)


~ Spam us with repeated submissions. Send one. Wait for a response. Then submit another...

~ Delegate your terms to us in your query/cover letter.

~Flame us with angry responses to rejections and/or delayed response times. (yes, sad but true this has happened already.)

~Spam us repeatedly while awaiting our response. We are very busy, and it may take a while...but we'll get to it eventually.

~Expect us to accept your work just because XYZ Publishing Co. has already published you. We take each story on its own merit...and some great stories may just not be well-suited for our magazine.

~Submit blindly. I can spot a blind submission a mile away.

DO:

~Use the body of the email as your cover letter, including all necessary information.

~Wait at least 2 months to email us regarding your submission.

~Read guidelines thoroughly before submitting to us. Not just regarding genre, but submission formats, etc. Pay attention to word length, and when it is better to query first.

I'm sure I'll be adding more to this in the future....

On Rejections...

There has been a lot of talk on other blogs about rejections. Even (surprisingly enough) on self-publishing forums and blogs.

As a writer and publisher, I feel it only appropriate that I should chime in on both sides of the argument.

Many have stated (and will continue to state) that rejections are not only a screening process *grumbles and rolls eyes* but something that helps one grow as a writer. Rejections (especially when they start to adress your story personally as opposed to same-old form letters) are a sign that your story isn't quite up to par yet. It is indicative that it needs more revisions/editing/developing.

This is coupled with the claims that only stories who have made it through the agent/commercial publisher/editor system are any good...the snobish attitude that if you aren't commercially published, you "aren't good enough" of a writer. And, as I have said many times that is flat out bullshit.

As a writer: Yes, most rejections I have recieved have been helpful...
a sign that I needed to develop my plot further, or my characters...
(keep in mind this was almost 20 years ago and I was a newbie.) Then, aside from an occasional "return to sender" because a small press closed its doors/went out of business I would recieve statements saying "...this is not what we are looking for..." or "...we are no longer publishing fantasy..." etc.
or " is a very interesting story, however it doesn't fit in with our current marketing plans for this year..."
One even suggested a small press for me to submit it to....

Eventually I've had 3 poems published, and a short story. After a little sabbatical (in which I only wrote short items for leisure/enjoyment) I ventured into indie publishing and creating my own small press.


Therefore, speaking...
As an editor: I can see from the viewpoint of those who had rejected my stories/poems. Sincerely.
I have recieved some great, well-written manuscripts that unfortunately, I just cannot publish in Full Armor Magazine.

Either they simply don't fit into the theme(s) of the periodical, or they send a different message than what we are trying to convey...or they are (sadly) too long and exceed the maximum word count (or line count for poetry).

Have I recieved some "poorly written" works? Maybe one or two thus far...but more of works that were submitted blindly, and/or just don't fit in with the magazine.
Mind you these are well written, great stories that it pains me to exclude them.

To wrap this up neatly:
If you recieve a rejection it doesn't always mean that you aren't a good writer, or that your manuscript needs a lot of work...it just may be that you haven't submitted it to the most appropriate agent/editor/publishing house.

I admit that when I saught the traditional path I did a bad job of targeting markets, and keeping up on trends in literature and/or which companies were closing their doors/ceasing publication.

Good stories do get rejected just as often as "bad" stories do. Rejections shouldn't really be taken as an insult (unless you get a really unprofessional editor/agent who berates your story down to the very ink it is printed on. This happened to me only once, and it was no surprise that the small press went out of business about 6 monts later).

Sometimes it just means you need to research markets better (or develop your own indie press and do it yourself!)

appreciation

So many, many great submissions for fiction and poetry. It's very appreciated.

Keep them coming, folks.

Will be weeding through them soon. In fact, I think we have plenty to cover the first 2 issues :)

quick pre-night job post.

Note to self: Clarify submissions guidelines to specify "full armor" does not pertain to warfare...except for the spiritual kind of course.

Yes, thier is a darkside...(and they do have cookies!)
No, it's not an "if you cannot beat em, join em" type of thing...

I'm not giving up my indie authorship; nor do I consider myself a "commercial publisher" I'm indie through and through.

I still am following my heart, and my passion...and going wherever God is leading me...

But I see NOW why editors get so...editorial (for lack of a better word), and why most prefer agented work only.
THAT is the darkside I was refering to...
now get me my cookies! and my darkark tattoo & green lightsaber....

Full Armor Magazine.

Plans for Full Armor Christian fantasy magazine are underway...

Submission info will be posted on our website.

It will be a digest, available on amazon, bn.com etc...
and it will be listed in ingrams & b&t.

we will be able to pay 1 cent per word for stories up to 3,000 words & include some non-fic (including testimonials) for about the same rate. (considering a flat rate for non-fic...)

Art...possibly $30-50 per piece.

It will be a quarterly mag. So I better get under way with all the groundwork ;)