Conrad Zero… Published Author?
It isn’t supposed to happen like this, or so I’m told.
The idea sounded refreshing and I needed a break from The Demonslayer’s Handbook. So, I took a week off to write up almost 5000 words, and sent it off, thinking no more about it than the fact that I should clear a virtual place for the rejection e-mail I was sure to receive.
On 2 May 2009, I discovered that I’d made the “Short List” whatever that means, and on 5 June I received the following e-mail:
‘Big Game’ is a great story, fast paced and quite different…I’d love to accept the story for inclusion in ‘The Blackness Within’.
Like I said, it’s not supposed to happen this way. The first story I’ve shown outside my circle of friends and relatives, written in a fit of spontaneity… not to mention my first submission ever… accepted?
The princely sum of 15 Pounds is probably enough to buy myself a copy of the book when it comes out, with enough left over for a lovely cuban cigar to smoke while I read it. But the real prize is that I will forevermore be able to say that Conrad Zero is a published author. (And I just might refer to myself in third person when I do it. Adds to the importance, don’t you think?)
So now, with a 100% acceptance rate, I’m terrified to ever make another submission. Don’t want to tarnish that perfect record, eh?
Meanwhile, The Blackness Within anthology should be out later this year by Apex Book Company.
Stunned,
Yours Darkly,
[...] You can read more about how I took some time off from the novel Evil Looks Good to write a short story called Big Game, and my surprise when it was selected to be published in the anthology, The Blackness Within. [...]
[...] 2010 is the year I officially progressed from a writer to a published author. My story Big Game is now available through the Apex Publications compilation: The Blackness Within. Being picked for publication was an honor and a valuable experience. You can read more about my published authorness in this blog post. [...]
@Seamus Anthony
Thanks Seamus, I’ve been a long time Rebel Zen subscriber, I loved Curly’s Law, and I look forward to more wisdom from you in the future.
And thanks for the ref to The Essential Motivation Handbook!
-Zero
Hey Mr Zero
That’s great that your first submission got accepted dude. Same happened to me years ago and I have found that it is a good litmus test that your writing doesn’t suck, cos most things I have submitted (except any of my dark fiction tales, you might be interested to know) have been accepted since.
Keep it up! And thanks for your comments over ta Rebel Zen.
Aren’t demons immortal?
Douglas,
I assume you are referring to the title of my story “The Demonslayer’s Handbook”?
That is a great point Douglas, and will be addressed in the story. Just so you know, the book is action/dark-fiction, so it isn’t a “How To’ book! In the Demonslayer’s Handbook, demons are immortal, but they are from another plane of existence. Demons come to the physical world by inhabiting a host body, the process popularly known as Possession. Demonslayer’s “slay” the demons meaning, “to move them out of the physical world.” There are two ways to accomplish this:
The Traditional method of demonslaying is to destroy the host body.
The Spiritualist method of demonslaying would be to perform an exorcism, and cast the demons out of the host body without destroying it.
Either method results in the demon being cast out of the physical world, or “slain” but because they are immortal, they may return. Needless to say, there is tension between these two schools of thought.
Hope that answers your question!
-Zero