I have this little rule. I don't really like to call myself an author unless I actually, you know, publish something. Thus far, it hasn't happened. Although, until recently, I haven't put a whole lot of effort into that. At least not directly. I've written, and therefore call myself a writer, but aside from a few short-story submissions (and the queries for my novel), I just haven't done much.
Starting this year, I sent out a few more short stories for consideration, then focused on my current WIP (which, if I haven't spilled the beans about it yet, is tentatively titled The Dream Pool and roughly 1/3 complete).
But I'm proud to announce that a couple of days ago, my short story Half Moon Tree was accepted for publication. That is why, for the moment, it is no longer available on my website. (The link is still there, but it won't actually open the story to read.)
Publication is scheduled for April, and I'll provide more details later on that. Still, in a small way, I feel legitimized. Although, it isn't just this one thing (though, it makes a big step), but all the little steps, like sending out queries for Mindburst, receiving requests for partials, the waiting, the waiting, and of course, the waiting. Plus the other short stories I've written and sent out, plus the rejections. Rejections for the query letter, plus the rejections for the short stories. It is all part of the process...a process even Stephen King, who I'm pretty sure is one of the most published authors alive today, had to go through.
There is danger in becoming an author, however. I fear my hopes are growing. Take the partials. Who knows what the agents will think. After all, they requested the partials based on a query letter that really tells them little more than the basic premise of the story. They could read the first page and start gagging for all I know. They haven't read my writing yet. Still, I can't help but hope that a request for a full is just around the corner (figuratively speaking, of course). And if that doesn't happen?
At least I'll have one publishing credit under my belt. Time to rack up some more!
