We’ve been told this since before we could read and write, but it’s still excellent advice when you’re querying or submitting your work to an editor or publisher. This is probably more useful to new writers, but it never hurts to remind people why it’s important.

If I excluded all the subs I received where the author didn’t follow directions, I would have ended up with 10 stories instead of more than 50. I decided to not let this determine which stories I read, though it may have influenced my final decision when deciding finalists. Is that fair? Yes, and here’s why:

Bottom line here before the examples: editors can form an opinion of how easy you are going to be to work with by whether or not you can follow simple instructions and how well you can communicate. The publishing process requires a lot of communication, from contracts to editing to working with cover artists. Any time you fail to follow instructions delays the process.

Just as important: How well you pay attention to detail in submitting your story is probably a good indicator of how much attention you paid in writing it. If you don’t go and check the call details before subbing, does that mean maybe you didn’t go back and revise your story before sending? more…

Word Counts - Today: 1,055 | August: 11,272 | 2009: 158,042

Here’s the line up for the upcoming Gay Fairy Tales anthology. I’m really excited by how many great stories I got. In fact, I decided not to put my own story in, to make  room for as many of them as possible. Publication date: late September or early October.

BEDKNOBS & BEANSTALKS: Gay Erotic Fairy Tales

Clancy Nacht: Jack and the Giant Peenstalk
Elizabeth Black: Furousen – The Fountain of Youth
Kilt Kilpatrick: Handsome and Grateful
Jason Rubis: Ashes and Crystal
Mercy Loomis: Cry Wolf
Jay Di Meo: The Merman’s Tail
JL Merrow: The King’s Honor
Natalie Kingston: Swan Made
Lenore Black: The Rebelliously Single Prince
S.J. Frost: Kintaro

Word Counts - Today: 361 | August: 8,300 | 2009: 155,070

Ravenous has been so pleased with the stories I’ve gotten that they have decided to publish two GLBT anthologies rather than one. First they’ll release one that is just m/m stories, BEDKNOBS & BEANSTALKS.

In addition, I’ll edit a second volume which will be only lesbian fairy tales. It will be titled RUMPLEDSILKSHEETS, which was the runner-up in my title contest. Some stories will shift from the original line up to to this one, but now I have room for more f/f fairy tales and a few more spots for m/m stories I may originally have had to reject. Emails will go out over the weekend for anything that has already been submitted.

I have also reopened the call for subs for lesbian stories: http://www.emlynley.com/cfs.html (I’ll be reposting the specifics here and on writers’ boards as well).

I’d appreciate if you can pass the call information along to your friends, post on your blogs, etc.

Word Counts - Today: 3,677 | August: 4,465 | 2009: 151,235

Fairy Tale decisions will be sent by August 15.
Angels/Demons decisions by September 1.

If you submitted a story to me for the Fairy Tale anthology, I’ll be sending out decisions starting next week. The title is tentatively set as BEDKNOBS & BEANSTALKS (or B&B Antho, going forward), thanks to Kilt Kilpatrick’s winning suggestion!

The decisions for Angels/Demons will be sent by the 1st of September.

I haven’t had a chance to reply to individual inquiries this week, so hopefully that gives you an idea of the status at this point.

There were a LOT of fairy tale subs to read and notes on each one.

Word Counts - Today: 1,526 | July: 17,335 | 2009: 140,234