I got the contributor copies of Ellery Queen Magazine in the mail a day or so ago. They have my story “Phaedra” and it will appear in the upcoming February issue.
This was a big sale for me and I’m glad it is coming out now. I have made many other professional sales to many other magazines, and smaller non-professional magazines. They are all important to me. But let’s face facts. Some markets are harder to crack and harder to get into than others. Ellery Queen Magazine is one of those markets. It’s been around since, I think, 1941. In this day and age of publishing sturm und drang, that’s real staying power.
One of the best things about the story is that expanded elements of it will appear later in my novel Haxan which was accepted by ChiZine Publications. I like the synergy of this. I like exploring one aspect of a story from different directions and perspectives. I don’t think it can always work.
Sometimes a story pretty much does all the work on its own and as a writer we have no more to say about it. But my Haxan series is just that, a series. Different characters see and experience incidents in Haxan peculiar to their own viewpoint. All of us see things different through our own eyes and related to our own past experiences. That’s human nature. I like to explore that theme sometimes, if I think it deserves exploring.
And that’s the rub. As a writer I have to make the decision whether or not something like that deserves added exposure and time on my part. An incident like this, which sort of bifurcates Marwood’s life in Haxan and how he is viewed, has enough gravitas for that.
Anyway, I am looking forward to the release of the magazine. I hope you pick up an issue when it become available, and I hope you like the story. Thanks for listening!
Hoover's Corner 
Ah, ELLERY QUEEN…now there’s a venerable publication.
I’m familiar with Chizine, they’re a good-looking micropress and I’m sure you’ll be well-treated there. You’ll have to do a lot of your own promo…but authors these days are used to that, aren’t we?
Best of luck with your literary efforts–always a pleasure to stumble across a fellow fantasist and literary colleague…
You are so right the entire profession has changed by leaps and bounds in the last five years. I think it is still changing. Thank you for your kind words, they were much appreciated. 🙂
Yay! That’s really amazing. Huge bump in recognition with an entire new audience, I’m sure…
I really hope so, too. Looking forward to it. 🙂
BTW, I sent you an email.
You officially rock!
Haha, thanks, now we have to convince everyone else, lol 😛
K.M., how exciting for you to have a new story published in Ellery Queen Magazine–AND have it part of your Haxan series!! Good, careful work!! May you have great success with the “self-promotion” aspects that Cliff Burns mentions. You do an excellent job of that, in the very best sense of the term, right here on your blog. Best wishes!
Thank you very much, I’m pretty excited about it, too!
Very awesome!
I’m pretty excited about this sale as you might imagine. Looking forward to having the magazine come out soon. 🙂