So, here we are, just shy of a month before Christmas. You really wanted to be reminded of that, didn’t you? Have YOU finished your shopping yet? If you haven’t, I have some suggestions, if you have, has anyone told you lately that you’re an overachiever? Just kidding.

Sort of. Overachiever.

Yes, that has been my word for November. Overachiever. Some of my friends from NaNoWriMo and NaNoWriYe and their amazing NaNo word counts, some from really early on – overachievers.

Speaking of NaNo… I have officially given up for this year. I’ve not looked at the word count since… the 22nd, I believe. I won’t look at it again until Monday morning, but I know in my inner word counter clock (it’s a nifty little thing I picked up at a steampunk shop at third star to the left of morning….) that I’m no where near 25k, let alone 50k.

There are a lot of reasons I didn’t make time for the writing this year, and it comes down to bad planning on my part, combined with my youngest sharing her curly-tail germs which kept us all down for two-three weeks with flu. It is words to my yearly count, and it is a good story that I will keep working on, putting the rest of the WiPs into a trunk file for at least a year. Seriously.

Moving on…

Pre-orders opened for the limited edition hardcover of the long-awaited Courting Morpheus anthology.

Until Monday, and only from this link: Black Friday Special, Courting Morpheus is available with free shipping!

Nathan Bransford, one of two agents whose blogs I read on a regular basis, recently posted an interesting response to an author’s revealing information on her income for one title. She’d broken it down, apparently (I haven’t read the original post), into what she earned, what the estimated gross and net profits were for the publisher. Nathan’s response was, from my experience past and present, far more accurate. Well, obviously she’d be right about what she earned, but I see more accuracy in his calculations.

Click here – The Economics of Publishing

The Moron’s Guide to the Inevitable Zombocalypse is open for submissions; ‘articles’ on how to survive, how to battle zombies, etc.

The Zombist: Tales From the Undead West – Zombie tales with a Western flavor… zombie cowboys ride the range!

Bandersnatch Books is currently open to submissions for a few anthologies. Stop in for a look at this great new press!

You’re all running out of time to get stories in for the first (hopefully annual) New Bedlam Project fiction contest! What are you waiting for?

Prizes to prize packages generously donated by Kim Paffenroth, David Dunwoody, Zoe Whitten, Brett Williams and more! Contest judges are Greg Hall, host of The Funky Werepig, and R.Scott McCoy, publisher of Necrotic Tissue magazine. These guys know their stuff!

Grand prize winner will receive pro-level payment, a prize package and who knows, maybe a little somethin’ else, too…

Runners-up receive our regular rate and prize packages.

http://www.newbedlam.com/springthaw.html

Announcement – Our first author, Gregory L. Hall, and his novel, At The End of Church Street.

Announcement – ‘Dual’ling Novellas series begins with Kim Paffenroth’s Orpheus and The Pearl and a new title from David Dunwoody.
(Carrie is still squeeing occasionally, her two favorite authors all bound up in cover!)

Click here to
download an archived
episode – Skullvines Press!

The Funky Werepig – Horror’s favorite Sunday hangout… has an amazing lineup for the month of December! Just look at the folks that’ll be bringing us love, laughs and lollipops….
Nov 29th- Sonar 4
Dec 6th- Tom Monteleone
Dec 13th- Harry Shannon
Dec 20th- TFW Christmas Party with special guest Rio Youers
Dec 27th- You Pick! The Fan’s Fave Show of ‘09

Dear, patient Bob Freeman (who has yet to scold or send flocks of spirits after me) has decided to close up the main Ghostwriters Society webspace, and integrate it with his own Occult Detective site. The articles I have in process are going to be completed, and will be posted to Occult Detective in future, I believe… Once everything has transitioned, I’ll be posting an announcement here.

And that is that for this bit of gossip from the Writersphere. Hope everyone has a wonderful holiday weekend, and don’t forget to check out the Black Friday special at Belfire Press!