IWSG: I Sold My First Story!

I have exciting news this month. Sorry for the repeat for my awesome regular readers, but I really want those who are new to Life is Good to know this. Persistent blogging and making real connections in the blogging community is valuable. I sold my first story!

Yes, I have already published my first story, in 2012. You can read about that here on the April A-Z Challenge blog. However, in MY vocabulary, here's how I define my writing path:

• WRITER: A person whose passion is writing, must find an outlet for that passion, and writes whenever possible
• AUTHOR, STEP 1: A person who has his or her work published (in whatever format – it's out there for the public to consume) and IT isn't on their own blog, if they have one
• AUTHOR STEP 2: A person who has received monetary compensation for publication

That's the step I'm on! I haven't defined the rest of the steps. I'm a pantser with this as well. However, I feel that I've made another leap towards my ultimate goal (which may have more steps to it than I think) of publishing a novel.

This is how I ended up published for money. I've made friends with the awesome Andrew Leon of Strange Pegs

(you must read his blog, it's so good, so varied, and always sparks discussion in the comments.) Through Andrew's comments, I met another amusing blogger, Briane Pagel, who has a lot of blogs. I started to read and make friends with him.

Briane decided, and these are his words, “to start a publishing empire”, and began soliciting stories for his online magazine called “lit”. I submitted mine for consideration, and get this. HE LIKED IT. Those were his words: I like it. 

You know how wonderful it is to hear those words, and not from your mom (I love you mom!) or a relative or friend who is pretty much obligated to praise you, but from someone STARTING A PUBLISHING EMPIRE and wants to give you cash moneys for your story!

So here's my story, if you care to read it. He labeled it eerie speculative fiction. I was just thinking creepy Twilight Zone, but I guess that's not a real genre...

So my point? Make friends out there. Of course, if you'd like to join Briane's publishing empire, directions for submitting stories (and almost ridiculously meticulous legal stuff is outlined at length, but then again, he IS a lawyer, so what do you expect) in tabs at the magazine. Lit. It's where it's at. It's where I sold my first story!

~Tina

Alex “Ninja Captain” Cavanaugh  is our leader for this wonderful, supportive group. Don't forget we even have our own website now.  Be sure to check it out if you haven't already, and "like" our facebook page, too. I'm so impressed with what these talented folks are doing to promote this group! Encouragement month long is now just a click away!