In Which People's Assumptions About Me May Be Exploded

I didn't write a blog post yesterday because I've had some serious issues to deal with over the last couple of days: additional testing for a medical condition, some basic promo for Alter Ego's latest novella which came out last week, cranking on Blood Sacrifice, and reading over a publishing contract.

Yep, I know which of those items blew your minds.

There's this concept out in the publishing world that if you're pro-indie, then you're anti-trad. As I've said repeatedly, different strokes for different folks.

I love indie publishing because I can unleash my creativity. I love learning new things. I love being in control of my work. That doesn't mean it's right for everyone, and as long as you don't get in my face and tell me I'm a stupid, fucking idiot for going the indie route (variations of which have happened, by the way), I won't refer to you signing away all your rights to your book to a publisher as a moronic act of desperation.

Several people have asked me over the last two years if I'd ever consider signing a tradional contract. My standard reply is, "It depends on the offer." And contrary to popular belief, I have been submitting to short story markets roughly every six months.

Tuesday morning, I got my first traditional offer from Elisabeth Waters, who is editing Sword and Sorceress XXVIII. For those who may not know, the Sword and Sorceress anthologies were started in 1986 by the esteemed fantasy writer Marion Zimmer Bradley. She wanted to showcase smart, capable female protagonists in the tradional fantasy setting.

As a fan girl, I have every edition except II, III and V (which if anyone has extra copies they are willing to trade, I'll send you a signed copy of XXVIII; contact me!). I discovered so many great writers through S&S. Writers whose work I've fallen in love with: Mercedes Lackey, Jennifer Roberson, Carrie Vaughn, etc. This was a market I dreamed about writing for!

When MZB passed away in 1999, many of us fans feared that would be the end of S&S. But the Marion Zimmer Bradley Literary Works Trust has continued on with MZB's goal of promoting stories with female protagonists, and now S&S is closing in on a full three decades.

Here's the thing that tipped the scale for me: the contract that Ms. Waters sent me doesn't take away my rights to my work forever. There's no oppressive restrictions on what I can do as a writer. No claim on my next fantasy work. The advance is appropriate for a short story in an anthology. With its history, Sword and Sorceress XXVIII is something I'm damn proud to be a part of.

Does this mean I'll give up indie publishing? Hell, no! But if Ms. Waters wants my story in next year's S&S, I'm probably going to say yes.

Sword and Sorceress XXVIII will be available October of 2013. My story is called "Justice," and I'll have more info closer to the release date.

[As my primary beta reader, DH is already bugging me about a full-length novel with my heroine from "Justice." I should never have given him that copy of A Game of Thrones. LOL]