My name is Clyde Andrews. I am married to Leanne. We have two beautiful children: Brendan and Desiree and we all live in Perth Western Australia.
I am published in TheDeepening and Bewildering stories and part of the Z7 writer's forum.
To help promote myself I have been tinkering away at my own web page, so go have a look:
MY SITE
| Clyde: Next time you want to post up a notice about something, go ahead and drop it over at Adventure Books thread here, if you want. I came back to this thread later, and started feeling guilty. I asked myself: 'Why didn't you post up about the video at the AB thread?' (instead of Clyde's personal thread) Kind of dumb on my part...
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| Jeeze clyde, making me sign in to post? Bastiges! =D
That's great about that movie thing, i look forward to seeing it! Should be great, Robert. =David |
| Rejection?
Don't put up with THAT stuff. And in today's world, you don't HAVE to put up with it. Adventure Books of Seattle is going to post up a video on January 8 about REALISTICALLY publishing your own work. We will discuss proper formatting and editing, a professional approach, and how to market your book. Most authors don't know there are rules in the book world. Follow them and you may have success. Ignore them and you'll be lucky to move twenty copies a year to anyone outside your family circle. This is NOT about using Lulu.com or some such service and being unable to obtain your work at wholesale, but a REAL-WORLD approach. Selling books is the same as selling cat food or charcoal briquets. The only difference being you are dealing with bookstores instead of Wal-Mart or Safeway. You have to be able to acquire the book at wholesale rates, and through a printer/distributor who recognizes the standard 90-day sale or return policy bookstores have always enjoyed, otherwise you'll spin your wheels with bookstores. They won't even talk to you, and if they do, it's charity. Online sales of most books actually account for a small percentage of total booksales, no matter what Barnes and Noble or Amazon.com may tell you. Generally, only famous authors or big publishers with a massive marketing budget behind them have real success online. Other authors get an occasional sale, mostly by following a link from their own website. It's not much. Trust me. Everything is explained in the video. Drop by next week for a reality check...serious authors only. |
| Hi Clyde,
Don't let em mess with your head, man. JK |
| Thank you all for your thoughts.
Mucho appreciated. Clyde. |
| Hi Clyde...
I am sorry too that you received such a callous rejection. It is my opinion, and I am sure the opinion of many others that such a letter is very unprofessional. I once received a story while slushing for Abyss & Apex that was truly the worst piece of incestuous drek I have ever read. And while I seethed that anyone would send out such garbage, I was able none-the-less to put out a very abrupt, but still polite rejection. For you to have received a nasty gram like that - that is truly sad. I hope you can scratch it up to someone having a bad day and go on :-( However, if youreceive more than one such rejection like that from them, be sure to let us all know... no one wants to send a quality submission to a publication that is rude and callous towards fellow writers. Maybe when they stop getting good submissions someone will begin to question it. But until then, keep your chin up! Its just one guy's opinion (or one girl's) and you know how opinions are....... everyone's got one. :-) Sonya |
| One of the worst rejections was from an editor who had liked my previous submission, and essentially said, "This story is so bad I can't believe it's from the same guy who sent that last one!"
I sent it to another market, and made my second pro sale. Like Terry & Melissa said, it's one opinion. I do know it stings. Personally, I'd prescribe some fudge ripple ice cream and some stamps to send the story back out there. |
| Clyde,
The critic probably had a bad day. Maybe its boy/girlfriend finally dumped it/him/her. Maybe it/he/she had one of its/his/her own stories rejected. IOW, send that story back out there and forget the Sword Review's off day. That writer is probably already feeling bad for crapping on you. (We can hope, can't we? LOL) If you get several more editors with qualms about any of the aspects of your story, THEN sit down and look at it with those in mind. One bad rejection: pfft! It is nothing. |
| The Sword Review, nasty? I'm shocked! And sorry. FWIW, it's only one opinion. Maybe the next place will like it better. |
| I received one of the nastiest rejections I have ever had the displeasure of opening today. It was for my short story "The Diamond Ring" which is sci-fi YA.
It was from "The Sword Review", and basically said, amongst other things, that the writing was bad, characters were bad, and the story was bad :( Clyde (who's confidence has been shattered somewhat.) |
| Wow! Congratulations!
Happy New Year! |
| Thanks Terry, Robert, and John.
Terry, the rock does go all the way to Australia. Wanna follow me down there? Heee heeee. Where the rock comes up is in the hallowed halls of Speculations of course. *Rock lid closes, Clyde disappears like the white rabbit* |
| Woo hoo Clyde!!! Congrats to you and the Missus! Another adorable moppet! That's so cool.
I was going to rustle around in the underbrush a bit then pop out and say HNY! real loud, then disappear - but then I saw the big news and blew it. lol That rock you emerged from under, over in my Topic? Does that, er, go to Australia? Hm? An' where might that rock be, exactly? |
| What? Another baby?
Congratulations, Clyde. |
| Hey Clyde,
Greetings from the Northern Hemisphere! Saw your post over in the rejection/acceptance thread. I bet the rejections will start rolling in (for me, anyway) any time now. Happy New Year and congrats on the baby. I can't think of a better way to start the year. Best, John Kratman |
| And now for something completely different ...
Leanne and I are having another baby! Due in August all things going well. I'll keep you all posted. Plus I'm over 60K into a new novel I am penning at the moment. A fantasy (the genre, not the fact I am writing it) Clyde. |
| My apologies...I must be getting old. Paul Keller was caught 13 years ago... excerpt below from an old news article:
"Plea Bargain in Arson Case Save Share Digg Newsvine Permalink Published: March 7, 1993 A 27-year-old advertising salesman who authorities say may have been the most prolific arsonist in the nation pleaded guilty this week to charges of setting 32 fires in the Puget Sound area since last August. Because of a plea bargain with prosecutors, the defendant, Paul Kenneth Keller, will not be forced to enter a plea on the 34 other fires he had admitted setting. He will be sentenced on May 5. No one was killed in the fires, but they caused millions of dollars of damage to homes, offices, churches and businesses. Robert's Note: I remember this one. Doesn't seem like 13 years ago. He set the fires over a reletively short time and scared the hell out of everyone in Seattle. 66+ fires in just over a year...he was on the news at least ONCE a week, and the reward just kept growing. |
| I can't recall his name right now, but Washington State, USA is the home to the world's most prolific arsonist. They finally caught him in 2003, I believe. He now sits in prison for 40+ years, at the Clallam Bay Correctional Center.
I should have looked up his name before posting. But, keywords on Google would be Washington State arsonist caught and real estate. (He was a real estate agent. His FATHER finally began to suspect him and turned him in to the police) |
| Thank you Robert Jnr for your thoughts.
I warms my heart to know you thought of me. Yes, they did catch the arson suspect (an idiot burning off stuff that got out of control) The fire here in Perth was in our hills area. So inland from where I am. (I am near the coast, north of the swan river) Always a terrible thing when people's homes are damaged. And those in Tasmania have suffered the most this bushfire season. There worst since 1967. A girl at work has family there and the photos she showed us were frightening to say the least. Thanks, mate. Clyde. |
| Robert Hole, Jr. says:
"It's difficult enough to get information about Australia" Google on 'newspapers Australia' and put a shortcut on your desktop to one of the bigger newspapers there... |
| I hope, Clyde, you and yours are doing well. It's difficult enough to get information about Australia, but all the brushfire focus of the online Aus press seems to be in Tasmania today. Though I've gotten a little about the Perth fire and how they arrested an arson suspect. |
| Whether it resets contacts or evens out the ink, I'm glad it worked! |
| If you go to Supermedia.com, click on the DVD link. It also goes to the printer ink menu. Adventure Books has ordered hundreds of cheap cartridges from them. One out of fifty...you have to run the cleaning function on your printer a couple of times. Otherwise, great. I figure we've saved hundreds of dollars over the years.
Shipping/processing of orders: Very reliable. |
| oooh.. i see.
Sounded like an inkjet to me. They are more prone to "great dirty lines" than lasers, it seems. My printer is a Samsung CLP-510 |
| I'ts a laser cartridge, so shaking it obviously sorted out an excessive build up of toner in a particular spot. Hence the dirty great line I was experiencing.
It's a canon, something or other. Takes up to 10k before a refil and prints a page in under a second. MS come out real quick! Clyde. |
| So..David..what kind of printer do you have, exactly? |
| Get a laser printer like mine! Hee hee ... double sided color printing.. cosd me 200$ usd, toner lasts 4k pages..
I love it for printing manuscripts. The text is so clear.. and indelible in water as well (not that the color isn't). Actually, just taking out and reinserting the cartridge is likely what fixed it, as you "reset" the contacts on the back by rubbing them against each other. In general, shaking an inkjet cartridge can cause more harm then good. Not to poo on your advice Robert, just making a note! |
| supermedia.com sells knockoff ink cartridges that work great. Check their overseas rates, though. Here, we get cartridges for less than 5usd each. They do nice bulk deals, too. But...check shipping. |
| Who was that masked man? |
| OMG! That worked, Robert!
Thank you so much. I didn't want to fiddle because it's an expensive piece of equipment. But that was great advice. I now have my printer working again!!!! YAY! Clyde. |
| Try taking out the cartridge, shaking it right and left, and re-insert it. That may help. No promises, but it can't hardly hurt unless you hit something. |
| Thanks, Robert.
I put it at the bottom of the cover letter. I am going to post it on Monday. Oooooh, excitement. Even if rejected (which is highly likely) I had the thrill of sending something overseas. Also, my printer (just as I finished printing it out) decided to play up. It's leaving a dirty great line down the left hand margin. Argh! I'll have to get that seen to. It's a laser and expensive, so I don't want to fiddle. But thankfully I got the MS printed out for ROF! Phew! So, onwards and upward ... Clyde. |
| Who me?
Slideshow? Clyde. |
| See if you can spot Clyde's name in the slideshow...(evil, yet friendly laugh)
http://photoshow.comcast.net/adventurebooks |
| Opinion not knowledge, I'd put it at the end of the cover letter. Something like a simple statement. "This manuscript is disposable. Thank you for your time...." |
| When they say you can place the words 'disposable' on the MS. Where's the best place to put that?
On the cover sheet or on the first page of the story under the address info? Just asking. Never posted stuff off before. Kind of exciting in a way. *grin* Clyde. |
| Thanks Robert |
| YAY Clyde |
| Thanks Terry and Melissa.
You are awesome. Clyde. |
| Go for it. Good luck! |
| In sooth, that is the recommended course of action. *luck* |
| I'm going to go absolutely bananas and send it off to Realms of Fanstasy!
I think it's good enough *Clyde just lives in hope*. Now, by that I mean I thinkss its a good enough story. Whatever market takes it, then that will be a good story for them. Ahh, you know what I mean. I'm starting from the top. Why the hell not? Clyde. |
| Thanks, Terry.
I have. Clyde. |
| Hi Clyde,
I don't know if you've already visited my Author's page here on the RM, but I have a list of links to market web sites at the top of the page. In case you need more. Terry |
| Ralans isn't sorted into genre.
I'll check out Duotrobe (sp?) instead. Much more organised. Clyde. |
| Check www.ralan.com and put them on your fav list.
They have complete, easy-to-navigate-and-search, information on all paying markets. |
| What market for a fantasy romance 6000 words in length?
Just asking :) (Completed it today) Clyde. |
| No problem.
Consider it done. |
| Thanks but no thanks. I have other plans for my stories in that book.
Clyde. |
| We're dropping some stories and adding others to the anthology 'Time Pieces.' Anyone having stories in this book should let Adventure Books of Seattle know if they want their story included in the Lightning Source/Ingram version in 2007. Covers will be the same, basically. Price will be much cheaper, and you can order it through overseas outlets, as well as American. (Previously, this was not possible, because we have been using Lulu.com. That ends Feb. 1)
Explanation: Adventure Books ended its arrangement with Bewildering Stories Magazine in October. AB rescinded the publishing rights to 'The First Bewildering Stories Anthology' back to them, and in exchange we are holding the rights to 'Time Pieces,' which is going into global distribution in 2007. So, let us know... Robert at AB of Seattle |
| Ahh, so if they are blue, then they are un-knowable.. so no one would know who they were. |
| Ah, I see! Thanks. |
| There is a mini competition going. Guess who wrote what.
Highlighted authors are new contributors, so no one would know who they were. That's all. Clyde. |
| Hey Clyde-I noticed that Bewildering Stories is on issue 222 and says that the winners will be announced in 223-but there are some author's names there now, highlighted in blue. What's that about? |
| Third draft completed this evening! Yipppeee!!!
Now, one final going over and I think I may be just about ready to show it to the big wide world. I tweaked the beginning and ending, making them punchier. And I solidified the characters. Adding imediacy to scenes (a weakness of mine) and colour. (White room syndrome is also a weakness Hee hee) But, as with AA. Knowing you flaws is the best way to fix them. Hopefully I have. Clyde. |
| somehow i ignored you, then it wouldn't unignore you.
Maybe your ignoramus or something. :P Whatever that means. Anyway, Problem solved. |
| Sent you more email, David.
Feeding the email monster. Clyde. |
| Here's that topic I was talking about.
Spam Starts Ya Off Fresh! |
| Speaking of mails. I just received a winner entitled:
"nitrogen mustard night-swaying" with contents advise you by all means to refuse him."darcy! that he should have been in love with her for so many months! so much in love as to wish to I hereby challenge someone to come up with a story titled "Nitrogen Mustard Night-Swaying" and to integrate(? I'm tired) the contents of the email into the story. Heck.. I think i should start a thread for email story starters. I'll have to call it "Spam Starts Ya Off Fresh!" |
| THanks, David.
On it's way... Clyde. |
| I wouldn't mind sneeking a peeking of that book of yours Clyde |
| Got it Terry.
I get heaps of email overnight. (mostly junk selling viagra LOL) Thanks Melissa. Let's hope a publisher thinks so... Clyde. |
| Clyde, old sock - go clean out your email box, my email response to yours is bouncing.
Terr |
| From what I've seen, yep, you're improving! |
| Onto the third draft of my YA novel "Negotiator of Worlds" and loving it.
I think it's the best I have done to date ... so really looking forward to getting it done. Sent a query to penguin and the editor said they'd look at it when I'm ready! OMG! Doesn't mean I'm in, just means they'll add it to their pile! LOL! But nice to know I have somewhere to start with it. YA happens to be hot at the moment so I'm told. Clyde |
| You're welcome. Good luck! |
| Sent it to Aoife's Kiss. Thanks again Melissa.
Clyde. |
| Well, I got a smile out of the short! |
| Whatever you want to do, Melissa is fine with me.
I am really busy with my own writer's forum. Gosh they give me heaps of work to do! Very strict, but great fun. I think (hope) my writing has come on leaps and bounds since I have been doing it more on a regular basis with specific goals in mind. That's the dream anyway! Clyde. |
| Well, Carpe Libris has just gotten a new member (Hi, Ruth!), and I have demon stuff in the works, so I'd be glad to look at the short, but I can't promise I'd get to the 3 chapters right away. |
| Gee wizz, thanks Melissa. Sure, I'll send it across to you. No problem.
No you haven't seen this one. Also, I was going to ask you if you wanted to look at my YA novel. (first 3 chapters) Just to give me your valuable opinion. You're an angel. Clyde. |
| Aw bummer, sorry to hear.
Shimmer? Cabinet des Fees? I've never tried them; all I know is that they're a fairy tale market. 2500 words-heck, want a test reader? ;) I haven't seen this one, have I? |
| I got a rejection from gryphonwood this morning for my short story The Serpent's Belt. No biggie. Now I just need to find another market for a humourous fairy tale type fantasy story in the 2500 word range.
Ideas, anyone? I have already submitted it to ASIM. They rejected it because it had a happy ending (and was therefore expected for them) Perhaps a masacre at the end would have helped. Who knows? Clyde. |
| It's a big improvement (in my humble opinion, teehee) over the first version. You shall enjoyeth it! Me hopes... |
| Of course, David. I would be honoured.
My email address is accessable from my website. You know what to do. It's down the bottom of the page. Clyde. |
| Hey Clydzorz.
Just stopping by. Care to check out some newly revisioned Nir Prophecy to tell me what you think? Owhhh... And have a Podtacular tyme with your presents, you rascal you. BTW.. i have not your email (my email prog died on me) So... you'll have to giveth it to me. |
| Series Two has debuted in the US on the Sci Fi Channel but there has been a change to its repeat broadcasts. The following is excerpted from a bulletin from the editor of This Week in Doctor Who sent out late last week.
Tomorrow (September 29), Doctor Who's premiere airs as planned. But beginning October 6, there's been a slight change. The late airings of Doctor Who and Battlestar Galactica are being swapped, to let Galactica have 2 airings when more people are awake. Old schedule Eastern Time (as of October 6) 8PM Doctor Who 9PM Battlestar Galactica 10PM Threshold (as of October 13) 11PM Doctor Who 12AM Battlestar Galactica New Schedule Eastern Time (as of October 6) 8PM Doctor Who 9PM Battlestar Galactica 10PM Threshold (as of October 13) 11PM Battlestar Galactica 12AM Doctor Who (as of October 13) 1AM(!) Doctor Who (October 6 only) If you were planning to watch the early airing of Doctor Who (as most viewers will), there is no change. If you were planning to watch the late airing, be aware of the time change. If you or anyone you know live on the West Coast and have Satellite TV, be aware that there is no West Coast Feed for SciFi on the Satellite providers - this means Doctor Who will air at 5PM and 9PM for you (10PM on October 6). Do not tune in at 8PM and expect Doctor Who to be there. If you have Cable and live on the West Coast, you probably have the West Coast Feed and can see Who at 8PM. |
| Um, Geoff, you're very kind. Melissa and Clyde are married.... just not to each other. ;-). |
| *giggle, giggle*:) |
| LOL! What a riot! Melissa and me married -- talk about a long distance relationship. (That and the fact we've never met) Truly baffling!!!
Clyde. |
| It's not my anniversary-I was just wishing Clyde a happy one. |
| I get it. Cotton grows in the pod on the plant. Hah.
Happy anni Clyde and Melissa Geoff |
| We bought each other matching iPods (ten years is the 'cotton' anniversary I believe, but we couldn't think of anything to get that we wanted in cotton. We both wanted iPods so we could listen to music while we exercised. So there you go!) Ahhh, isn't that love? LOL.
Thanks Terry and Melissa. Clyde. |
| Yeah, happy anniversary, Clyde & Leanne! TEN YEARS! Zowie! Have a wonderful celebration. |
| It's your anniversary? Happy Anniversary! |
| The second season DVD release in America for Dr. Who has been sheduled for January (pity about not making it a christmas release)
Just letting you all know. Clyde (Happy anniversary to me) |
| Hey all,
29th September is the series two debut of Dr. Who for US television. Starting with the Christmas Invasion. Enjoy! Clyde. |
| I recieved an email from the editor of Gryphonwood today. Basically they are informing all those that have a submission with them that thy are changing to a non-paying market. The choice is now with the author as to whether or not they want to keep their work under consideration knowing it's not going to attract any money.
*sigh* Looks like I'm destined to NEVER receive a cent for my work! LOL! :) I thought it was professional of them to notify each and every author about these changes, so in effect I kept my submission there. I am not writing any more short stories for a long time anyway. I want to concentrate on the many novels I have in first draft. Hopefully getting them up to a publishable standard as quick as I can. Clyde. |
| Nice to hear from you, David :)
Clyde. Nice to see an entry in your blog too. |
| Hey clyde my man! I've ressurected the blogmonsterŠ
You can withness the destruction in progress HERE! Nyahahaha, I won't forgive you if you don't go and read it. Ooooh, aren't you scared now! :P =D Oh and gratz on your reject. Double :P |
| Next best thing to an acceptance, anyway. ;) |
| Thanks, Melissa.
Yeah, Eric's cool. Always nice to get a reject from him :) Clyde. |
| Hey, I inflict my stuff on poor Eric all the time, and he still talks to me.
Happy Father's Day! Enjoy your "offering!" ;) |
| God! Heee heee.
Tomorrow is Father's day here. Then I may feel something like God as my WONDERFUL children lavish gifts on me and are at my beckon call all day. Translation: Just a normal Sunday, but this one I'll be herded off to some BBQ somewhere and have to sit and listen to the father-in-law "complain" all afternoon about how things were better in his day *sigh* But I know I do have a Monty Python 3 pack DVD set coming my way tomorrow -- how do I know this? I bought it myself, and gave it to my daugther to give to me tomorrow... LOL! Clyde. |
| Thanks, Melissa,
Yeah, the majority in my critique group think as you do about that story now... I know, I was testing the waters there with Lone Star. But then I thought, what the hey, I'm gonna send it off to somewhere soooooooo out of my league it's sad. Sent it off to Inter-galatic Medicine Show. Take that! Was going to send it to Strange Horizons, but it's too long for them, and I simply can't cut anything from it. LOL! Clyde. |
| "You god?" That nice. Me not know you god. Me up too early. Sheez.
I mean, Contest Manager, sure, but God...? |
| Hang in there. I enjoyed it, and you god a great job with the revisions. |
| A very quick rejection from Lone Star Stories for "The Diamond Ring". I knew it didn't have a chance there, but I thought I'd knock at the door anyway. Never know :)
Clyde. |
| Check out:
http://www.bewilderingstories.com/issue209/clyde_letter.html I think it's rather amusing; if I did write it myself! Clyde. |
| Oh! Now it sounds like even more fun. ;) |