Video overview of BULL SPEC #1 starring: the editor and his cats.

So. In early-ish April my cats and I filmed a brief overview of BULL SPEC #1, and there was (other than intermittent interruption by cat) a pretty big problem: I'd held my finger over the camera's microphone for a pretty good segment. Well, one of the things I never got around to doing was re-recording this, and besides: how could I recapture the magic of frolicking cats?

So, part one:




Part two:




And part three:

Going to be temporarily closing soon to non-local submissions.

I'm way, way, way, waaaaay behind in reading. And it's not fair to the authors who have trusted me with their words. And besides, now I'm pretty much booked on the short end of stories for non-local authors for the next few issues. (I hope I get to announce some of that soon! But there are I's to dot and T's to cross, first.)

But I hate to do that unannounced. So I'm going to give folks until Memorial Day (31 May) to get something in. I don't think I'll be re-opening until 1 July at the earliest, so that's a month to give me a chance to catch up and do right by some very, very patient folks.

More stores, local and not. And tomorrow is eventful.

Well, issue #1 is in stock at Barnes & Noble location at the Streets of Southpoint in Durham; thanks very much to the management there giving it a chance and their support.

And a box is on its way to Forbidden Planet NYC -- hopefully it will get there soon and folks will like it!

And for folks in the local area, I'll be at the Bimbé Cultural Arts Festival in downtown Durham tomorrow (Saturday) from 12-9. Come by to chat, play chess, and bring snacks.

Breaking free of locality.

Well, it's happened. Two stores whose management I cannot personally influence with a visit and an "offer they can't refuse" have opened their doors to Bull Spec #1.

The first is Greenville, South Carolina's Fiction Addiction. I found them on IndieBound and they were very up front about their support for authors and artists in the Carolinas, and though it's much later than I'd hoped (the fault is all mine, trying too long to figure out ever-cheaper ways to send more than a copy at a time somewhere) issue #1 should be in stock at their Woodruff Road store if you head their way. To be safe, maybe wait until tomorrow? But why not go by today anyway and, worst case, check out something else if "BS" isn't in stock.

The second is Indianapolis, Indiana's Downtown Comics. I had the sibling inside scoop that their downtown location (they're also in Castleton, Greenwood, and on West 10th Street just outside I-465) was a really nice place, and the oldest of my younger brothers (there needs to be shorthand for that) took a copy of BS #1 by the next time he was in for some comics and a chat. A phone call later I was sending a box their way. Thanks for supporting a small independent publisher, Downtown Comics! (And "Boiler Up!" Doug!)

Two quick little fun things.

First, I took a few minutes the other day to fill out the questionnaire form for Duotrope's Editor Interview for BULL SPEC. Some of the questions were fun, some were harder, some were impossible: "Describe what you publish in 25 characters or less!"

Second, the Locus Online: Monitor leads its Other Magazines: March-April index entry with: "New zine Bull Spec debuts" and it's absolutely amazing (and probably a bit unfair to the other magazines, but I'll take it) to be mentioned in the same sentence with Black Gate, Interzone, The NYRSF, LCRW, and the other great publications whose ranks I can only hope someday to truly join if I work very hard and get very, very lucky.

Taking over the title for most in-depth review of Bull Spec #1: Frank Dutkiewicz.

I'd enjoyed Frank Dutkiewicz's very detailed reviews of Writers of the Future XXIV and XXV, and asked him if he'd take a look at Bull Spec #1 and give me the same honest, critical feedback. Wow. He more than delivered, with in-depth analysis of each and every story, excerpt, illustration, interview, and review. I've got some work to do to keep the things he liked going and to try to address his points of criticism, but I'm very grateful that he went over the issue with such a fine-toothed comb and attention to detail and that the baboons (it's meant to be endearing, really) over at Diabolical Plots have published it: Frank Dutkiewicz reviews Bull Spec #1. At 4000 words it definitely takes over the title for most in-depth review, so check it out!

Slight update to guidelines: no more multiple fiction submissions.

Simultaneous submissions are still welcome, and current multiple submissions will be read, but (1) due to giving not having "reading periods" a go and (2) the volume of submissions this is a change I'm having to make. It has been interesting to read more than one story from the same writer at one go, but as I try desperately to claw my way through at least the March submissions, I am going to give this a try in lieu of temporarily closing.

For poetry, multiple submissions are still fine (2 at most at a time, please) but please do so in separate submissions rather than in a single submission.

All right. Back to the trenches! This library of words in the submissions inbox is in dire need of some serious trampling and goring. And a few curious munchings over.

Another review! SFRevu's Sam Tomaino reviews BULL SPEC #1.

In the May edition of his SFRevu column "Zines, Magazines, and Short Fiction Review" Sam Tomaino provides the most in-depth review so far of BULL SPEC #1.

Of C. S. Fuqua's "Rise Up" he writes "This was a very good story and reminded me a bit of Manly Wade Wellman's Silver John stories. I can think of no better praise than that." Of Peter Wood's "Almost a Good Day to Go Outside" he writes, "Wood shows some talent here and I hope he continues to hone his craft." And he describes Natania Barron's "Doctor Adderson's Lens" as "[A]nother well-told story."

While also providing some good constructive criticism (you can be sure I'll do a better job of providing a "proper" table of contents for Issue #2!) the review ends with "I liked this new magazine quite a lot. Check these people out and give them your support." Thanks, Sam! (Great name, that...)