Truth in submissions; getting help; making progress; more stores.

OK. I do have some stories as old as November that I've been holding onto; I'm going to grow up "real soon now" and let those folks know one way or the other. Back when I opened, I expected a few submissions, and to publish one story a quarter, and threw out a guesstimate of responding within 30 days. I'm far, far from doing that; 60 days is probably closer to the median, 90 days not incredibly uncommon before I drop all the other things I need to do and keep things from rolling over to 100 for too many stories.

It's a problem. It's a problem because (among other more easily guessed reasons) one of the reasons I opened Bull Spec is because I wanted a market which treated writers like I wanted to be treated. And this is not at all what I had in mind.

So I've started accepting help. I'm not ready yet to get help on the submissions inbox (working on that) but I've got a shiny new reviews editor and the more I think about how great it's going to be to "let go" of that side of things, the more I'm sure about the following: (after the break...)


Bull Spec is looking for a poetry editor. A speculative poetry editor. You'll be given a budget in pages (2) and words (1000) and other than that, hopefully pretty free reign, layout included if you like. (Other than: (1) guidance against going too graphic in content, which, though I've gotten some very cool stories on that edge, is not for Bull Spec -- This is a magazine I send to my parents, and which some of my friends read with their teenagers; (2) guidance in hopefully finding some balance where responsible in finding local poetry.) If there's something special which pushes beyond those pages and/or words, we can probably work it out. I don't think I can pay you other than a contributor's copy of each issue for which you edit poetry. So yes, this is a volunteer position. I wish it weren't. I could probably come up with something token, say $10 or $20 per issue, if that somehow made a difference.

Preference for this is someone local to the Raleigh-Durham area; so for now please only "apply" if that applies to you. If a week goes by and a candidate hasn't bludgeoned me, I'll expand that to Greenville-Greensboro, then Wilmington-Asheville, then ... well, you get the idea.

I haven't accepted any poetry for issue #3; as soon as this "position" is filled the poetry I have in my inbox goes to you. Issue #3's poetry needs to be ready to print on 1 September.

To apply: send an e-mail to sam at bullspec dot com (that's me!) with some examples of poetry you like, some examples of poetry you don't like, and why.

(On that note: I need more poetry submissions. Please send some speculative poetry to poetry-submissions@bullspec.com -- thanks! Short and sweet: $0.05/word for unpublished poetry, $5 minimum; contributor copy is free to US, $1 to elsewhere in North America, $5 elsewhere worldwide. Right now I have no guidance in terms of "don't rhyme" or line limits; I'll leave that to this future poetry editor to work out.)

OK. Let's end this with fun, because I like fun. I finally made it to Foundation's Edge today, so Bull Spec #2 should be on the shelves there tomorrow. Speaking of tomorrow, and of deliveries, I will be dropping some copies by the Barnes & Noble "New Hope" location in Durham tomorrow morning as well. Hopefully soon: Greenville and Burlington! Keep your fingers crossed...

And yes, there's more! ReConStruction is nearly upon us! Oh me, oh my! Since I'm going to be chained to the dealer's room, I decided to make it as fun as possible. So I've got a good spread of local speculative fiction, a few bits from elsewhere: Panverse is sending some goodies, Tachyon's sending something fun, ...) and some signings and meeting and greeting fun. It's hard to schedule most of that stuff just yet, so we'll work it out around the official con schedule when that's set. The membership page has daily "at the gate" rate information (hint: Thursday and Sunday are cheap!) so make your plans!

And, yeah, don't forget, the Wednesday evening before ReConStruction is issue #2's launch party at Quail Ridge books! Be there or be toroid! (Sounds much more painful than simply being square, doesn't it?)