I had a great time participating in this interview with some of the wonderful authors in the new anthology The Four ???? of the Apocalypse. My story is about the four lawyers, called “Horseman, Horseman, Horseman & Horseman, Attorneys at Law.” I’m honored to be included in this collection with some of my favorite writers!
Filed under: writing | Leave a comment »
I’ve edited or co-edited over a dozen anthologies at this point, and have had to send out lots of rejection letters. You should never take those personally. It’s just all part of the process. (I’ve received plenty of my own as well).
Sometimes the rejection is because the story isn’t good enough. You can’t deny that’s the case. But sometimes it’s for other reasons that have nothing to do with the quality of the story.
Such as:
It doesn’t fit with the theme. This one happens a lot. I have an anthology about dragons and you send me a perfectly fine story that does not have even one dragon in it. Great story, but doesn’t belong in this anthology. Plus, you’ve just made me mad at having to spend time reading a story that you sent in without reading the guidelines for submission. Which leads to the next point:
It doesn’t follow the guidelines. This makes editors the most frustrated. If we say we want stories under 5000 words, don’t go sending us a 7500 word story. Follow the guidelines!
It doesn’t fit with the other stories. Doing an anthology is like arranging a mix tape. You want a good variety of serious and funny and short and long, and you want to start and end strong, and if you have too many of one thing, you just have to cut something to make it all work well together. Or, alternatively, you have a whole bunch of really scary stories and then someone sends in a hilarious story that is otherwise great but would stick out terribly surrounded by all the other ones. All good anthology editors have to consider not just which stories they like best but which ones fit together to make the best collection.
It repeats a theme from another story. If I get two stories about court jesters wanting to marry the princess, I’m not going to pick both no matter how good they are. This is nothing you can prevent, of course, but it has happened. (The example about the court jesters is absolutely true and happened with one my anthologies.)
There’s no more room. My publisher won’t take an anthology over a certain number of words because then the book becomes too expensive to print without raising the cost to the point where it will hurt sales. I hate having to cut stories I love but I often have to do that because I only have so much room. I can’t take them all.
Personal taste. Hopefully, if you’ve read the anthologies I’ve edited or my own books, you know my tastes in stories. If you agree, then hopefully you’ll also like my next anthology. But obviously, I’m going to pick stories I like. A different editor could pick completely different ones. It doesn’t mean that your rejected story was bad–it just means I didn’t like it as much as other ones. When I edit an anthology with another editor, this point becomes very clear. There are stories I love that I want in the anthology that the other editor doesn’t want in, and vice versa.
The writer. I have to be honest here–writing is an art, but publishing is a business. If I have two stories I like but I only have room for one, I’m going to pick the writer who can better sell the book. If you’re a prominent author whose name on the cover will help sell the book, well, can you blame me for wanting that story? But even if you are not a Big Famous Author, if you have a great social media presence and I see that you’ll go out of your way to promote the book, I’m more likely to choose your story over the reclusive writer who never leaves their room.
(A caveat to that last bit: If you’ve never been published before, let the editor know that. We can use that in our publicity. We all want to discover the next great new talent. If your story is good enough, no one will care that you have never been published before.)
So if and when you get a rejection of your story, never take it personally. It doesn’t mean your story is bad. The rejection may have had nothing to do with the quality of your story.
Filed under: writing | Tagged: Editorial choices, What editors look for, Why your story was rejected | Leave a comment »
It’s time for Philcon, Philadelphia’s oldest literary convention. It’s in New Jersey. (Look, it was cheaper, okay?)
This year’s Guest of Honor is my good friend NY Times Bestselling Author Jonathan Maberry! Jonathan and I edited the Baker Street Irregulars series together and he’s also contributed a story to my anthology Three Time Travelers Walk Into… . We’re both featured in the new anthology The Four ??? of the Apocalypse, edited by Keith R.A. DeCandido and Wrenn Simms, and there will be a release party at the convention.
I’ve been a guest at Philcon for years, and it’s always great to go back there and see so many of my friends. This year’s event will be on the weekend of November 17-19.
Here’s my schedule:
Meet the Pros (Friday 9 pm): This is where all the guests come out and have a nice reception with everyone
Autographs (Saturday noon): Keith R.A. DeCandido and I will be sharing an autographing table
Bending the Elements: Comparing Avatar: The Last Airbender and the Dragon Prince (Saturday 3 pm): Tim Souder (moderator), Eric Hardenbrook, Michael A. Ventrella, Katrina S. Forest. Despite being released in 2005, Avatar: The Last Airbender still resonates with audiences today. The first season of Dragon Prince premiered in 2018 to much anticipation. How does this new series compare – a triumph or a pale imitation? Is it a worthy successor to Avatar? What are the similarities and differences?
Reading (Saturday 4:40 pm): I’ll be reading my new story “Horseman, Horseman, Horseman & Horseman, Attorneys at Law” (assuming the Masquerade rehearsal is done in time)
Tips for New Writers (Saturday 5:00 pm): Michael A. Ventrella (moderator), Christopher Stout, P.D. Cacek, Jon McGoran, Kelley Armstrong. So you’ve got an idea for a story that you think could really *be* something. The problem is, you’ve not written much before – other than what you had to for school assignments – and you’re finding the process a little daunting. Here’s some advice that might help you find your groove. (And if you’ve got questions, please ask them!)
The Sandy Swank Memorial Masquerade (Saturday 8:00 pm): Abigail Welsher (moderator), Heidi Hooper, Michael A. Ventrella, Jonathan Maberry, Keyo: The Masquerade entrants take to the stage to show off all their hard work and creativity. Recreation costumes and cosplay, original designs, and historical recreations will all be on display. Our Young Fan Division will present first, with awards to follow immediately, then the adults will have their turn to shine. This year’s halftime will feature the triumphant return of “Trailer Park” to entertain you while the judges deliberate on awards. (I’m the Master of Ceremonies for this!)
The Four ???? of the Apocalypse Release Party (Saturday 9:00 pm): I’ll be attending this as soon as the Masquerade is over.
The Rejection Letter (Sunday 10 am): Ty Drago (moderator), Eric Avedissian, Neil Clarke, Christine Norris, Michael A. Ventrella. Every writer has received this politely worded “Thanks but no thanks” note, leaving the writer clueless about what might be a very good reason for the rejection. If a publication’s submission webpage mentions a 6-week turnaround time and you get a rejection within a day, what does that mean? What are the most common reasons for a rejection at the slush pile stage? At later stages? How can you tell when it’s worth resubmitting a new draft to the same publisher?
Filed under: writing | Tagged: Philcon | Leave a comment »
I’m thrilled to be included in this new anthology along with some of my favorite authors, including many NY Times Bestsellers and award-winners. Here’s the blurb:
AN ANTHOLOGY OF BIBLICAL PROPORTIONS!
We all know about the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse: Death, War, Famine, and Pestilence riding on pale horses and all that Book-of-Revelation stuff. But why does it have to be four guys on horses? Why not the Four Cheerleaders of the Apocalypse? The Four Cats of the Apocalypse? The Four PTA Moms of the Apocalypse? The Four Lawyers, Librarians, or Lunch Ladies of the Apocalypse? The Four Drummers, Rock Stars, or Opera Singers of the Apocalypse? Or even the Four Squirrels of the Apocalypse or the Four Emojis of the Apocalypse?
My story is, of course, about the four lawyers of the Apocalypse: Horseman, Horseman, Horseman & Horseman, Attorneys at Law
Here’s the full table of contents:
Filed under: writing | Leave a comment »
I had a great time answering Amazing Stories’ crazy questions and I hope my answers made people laugh. Check it out!
Filed under: writing | Leave a comment »
Capclave is a fun convention for literary science fiction and fantasy fans. (It’s where I met George R.R. Martin all those years ago and had my 15 minutes of fame for predicting the Hodor plot).
It’s held near Washington, DC and this year’s is the weekend of September 29th.
It’s a small convention, concentrating on literary achievement. I always enjoy attending and meeting fellow authors and readers. Plus we usually have fun with the Eye of Argon reading.
Here’s my schedule:
| Friday 10:00 pm: Creating a Believable Legal System for Your Fantasy Participants: Cathy Green (M), David Keener, Mary G. Thompson, Michael A Ventrella Disputes are going to arise in your imagined world, and someone has to resolve them! There are hundreds of examples of how legal systems work in real life, but what about in the societies you create? How can you develop a legal system that is both realistic and also relevant to the story (and not an obstacle to your pacing and plot)? Panelists discuss what makes for a believable (or not) fantasy legal system. |
| Saturday 2:30 pm: A Little Perspective: POV in Fiction Participants: Charlie Jane Anders, Jean Marie Ward, Michael A Ventrella (M), Scott H. Andrews Who tells your story is as important as how it is told and what is in it. Changing the point of view can completely transform how a story is received. Panelists discuss options for experimenting with perspective, how to know what is most effective for a story, and why styles such as second-person are worth your consideration. |
| Saturday 10:00 pm: Eye of Argon (Ends at: 10:55 pm) Participants: Hildy Silverman (M), Ian Randal Strock, Michael A Ventrella Eye of Argon is back! Join us for a so bad it’s good (but still bad) live interactive performance of this convention classic. |
| Sunday 10:30 am: Author Reading: Michael A. Ventrella Participants:Michael A Ventrella Michael A. Ventrella reads from recent and upcoming works. |
| Sunday 11:30 am: Constructing Your Magic System Participants: Jeanne Adams, Ken Altabef, L. Penelope, Michael A Ventrella, Scott H. Andrews (M) Magic is an important element of fantasy stories. Unless you want to end up in ‘a wizard did it’ world for how every problem is resolved, your magic systems needs to be constructed with a set of rules. How should you begin constructing this system? What is the cost of using magic? How powerful do you want the magic to be? Panelists discuss these and other considerations for creating a compelling magical world. |
Pictures from previous Capclaves (click on a picture to enlarge):
Filed under: writing | Leave a comment »
I’ll be at Albacon this weekend (September 8 – 10) in Albany. Here’s my schedule:
The Eye of Argon and the Further Adventures of Grignr the Barbarian (Friday 9 pm): In which guests who have written hilarious stories for my latest anthology will read them!
Reading (Saturday 11:30 am): I’ll be reading a story that is soon to be available in a new anthology called THE FOUR ???? OF THE APOCALYPSE. My story is called “Horseman, Horseman, Horseman & Horseman, Attorneys at Law”
Interview with Walter H. Hunt (Saturday 3 pm): I’ve been asked to interview Guest of Honor Walter Hunt, and we’ll also be taking questions from the audience.
You Are Not The One (Saturday 4:30 pm): A panel discussion about The Chosen One
“That’s Not History, That’s Hollywood.” (Saturday 9:30 pm): A panel discussion about what TV and movies get wrong about history
Filed under: writing | Tagged: Albacon | Leave a comment »
Since the release of my nonfiction book THE BEATLES ON THE CHARTS, I’ve been thrilled to see it do well on Amazon’s top 100 “Beatles” chart. It has pretty much stayed there since its release!
I’ve been pleased to have been a guest on many blogs where we discuss the band and their chart performances. Have a look at some!
Filed under: writing | Leave a comment »
Balticon is the annual literary science fiction convention that I always try to attend. It’s Memorial Day weekend, and this year, they’re keeping me real busy on panels! If not on a panel, you’ll probably find me at the Fantastic Books table in the dealer’s room.
I’m looking forward to finally meeting John Scalzi there — I have all his books!
Anyway, here’s my schedule:
So you Want to Be a Writer? (Friday 4 pm): Joshua Bilmes (moderator), Monica Louzon, Ian Randal Strock, Michael A. Ventrella. How does a would-be writer become a published author? What are the steps to improve your writing and produce publishable work? Should you start with short stories or a novel? Do you need an agent (and how can you get one). Published writers tell how they broke in and how you can learn from their example.
Reading (Saturday 10 am): Michael A. Ventrella. I’ll probably read my short story from the “Eye of Argon” anthology
They Banned my Book (Saturday 11:30 am): AD Boorman (moderator), Shahid Mahmud, Elektra Hammond, Martin Berman-Gorvine, Michael A. Ventrella. Books are being banned in libraries and schools. Have you had to deal with an attempt to ban or censor a book? What did you do? Why are we seeing more attempts to ban/censor books? Is there ever a good reason to ban/censor?
As You Know, Bob (Saturday 1:00 pm): Michael A. Ventrella (moderator), Ann Chatham, Alan Smale, Aaron M. Roth, David Keener. Science Fiction and Fantasy frequently has an enormous amount of backstory that needs to be conveyed to the reader. How can writers share this backstory without having one character explain to another something they both should already know, with an “As you know, Bob”? How can the writer avoid long paragraphs of background? And how do readers learn to accept things that don’t make sense at first and trust the author to fill it in?
Limits on YA (Saturday 5:30 pm): Michael M. Jones, A. L. Kaplan, Dr. Jim Thorne, Michael A. Ventrella. There is often a problem with defining YA and it often boils down to whatever the publisher declares is YA. But are there limits to YA? Is there anything that cannot be included in YA or whose presence makes the book not YA?
A Little Laughter is a Serious Thing (Sunday 11:30 am): Randee Dawn (moderator), Alex Shvartsman, Michael M. Jones, Mary G. Thompson, Michael A. Ventrella. Many serious books/tv/movies still add some humor, especially in dialogue. How much humor can you include before it looks like you are trying for the next Hitchiker’s Guide? Can humor be distracting? What books/tv/films get it right and what ones don’t?
Do Alternate Histories Still Need Turning Points? (Sunday 5:30 pm): Walt Boyes (moderator), Martin Berman-Gorvine, Jim Beall, Roberta Rogow, Jack Campbell, Michael A. Ventrella. It used to be that authors of alternate history invented a turning point (point of divergence) and everything logically followed from that change. Is this still necessary? Can an author just say what if the Romans discovered America or what if the South won the civil war and just go on with the story? What is gained and lost in such an approach?
Here are some pictures from previous Balticons. Click to enlarge.
Filed under: writing | 1 Comment »
I started the Pocono Writers Conference quite a few years ago, and though we shut down a few years for COVID, we’re back! There are still open slots as I write this!
We’re back! You can now sign up for the 2023 Conference at this link.
SCHEDULE
9:00: Check in
9:30: MICHAEL A. VENTRELLA: Introductions
9:45: HILDY SILVERMAN: “What Editors Look For”: With so many submissions to sift through, what can a writer do to elevate their work above the rest? Surprisingly, including a few simple things can leapfrog your tale ahead of half your competition immediately. Hildy will share what these are, and provide additional tips to help improve the likelihood of your story making the cut.
11:00: MARIE LAMBA: “How to Revise Your Novel for Submission: Self-Editing Techniques that Work”: Finishing the first draft of a novel is a major accomplishment, but that’s just the beginning of a writer’s work. The next step is to do a thorough revision, shaping that novel into its very best form. Top-notch revision skills are an important part of a writer’s toolkit, especially now that agents and editors expect manuscripts to be well-polished. But revising a long work of fiction can be daunting. Where do you begin? How do you decide what’s working and what isn’t? And how, exactly, should you go about fixing things?
12:00: Lunch (not provided, but there are lots of places nearby or you can bring your own)
1:00: LAQUETTE: “GMC 360º”: Fiction writers are often trained to use goal, motivation, and conflict to build three-dimensional characters. While this is a great use of GMC that should be encouraged, it’s not the only way to use it. We’ll explore how understanding your characters’ GMC, and strategically using it at key points within the manuscript, can help you create profound emotional arcs full of compelling full-circle moments that heighten tension and increase chemistry between your characters.
2:15: TEEL JAMES GLENN: “Character and Conflict, or How to build a better beating”: Since the first storyteller sat around a campfire spinning tales of gods and heroes, it has been a given that a little action makes a mildly interesting story into a real grabber. Since the fight has to serve the purpose of the story you have to use the same criteria as any journalistic or dramatic story. Ask yourself, ‘is this fight necessary?’ Who, why, how and when to add action to your story. This session will offer insight into when it is the right choice to have a violent scene and what and how the participants would fight. And more importantly—how those choices reveal character to the reader.
3:30: MICHAEL A. VENTRELLA: Panel Discussion and Question and Answer session with all panelists
Admission is free but seating is limited. Please only sign up if you are sure you will be attending. If you later discover you cannot attend, please delete your reservation so there will be enough room for everyone. Do not reserve space for anyone other than yourself — if there is more than one reservation under your name, the extra ones will be deleted.
….
WORKSHOPS
Each of the participants are holding smaller sessions during the presentations where you can get individual critiques and comments.
These sessions are $20 each. You can sign up for as many as you want but you must pre-register because space is limited. Please note that by signing up for these personal sessions, you will miss some of the other presentations.
The panelists will contact you by email prior to the session to discuss writing samples and other requirements.
9:45: Laquette
11:00: Teel James Glenn
1:00: Hildy Silverman
2:15: Marie Lamba
….
ABOUT THE PRESENTERS
Teel James Glenn has traveled the world as a stuntman, fight choreographer, swordmaster, illustrator, storyteller, bodyguard, and actor and puts all of that life experience in his fiction writing. He’s taught writing, acting, art and stage combat for several decades in the states and abroad in Canada and Germany. He has also presented seminars on writing action, weapons and historical combat at Deadly Ink, C3 Conference, Liberty State Fiction Writers, Stoker Con, and dozens of writer and media conventions. His writing has been in over two hundred magazines including Weird Tales, Mad, Space & Time, Black Belt, Sherlock Holmes Mystery, Silver Blade Quarterly, Mystery Weekly and Cirsova. His novel “Cowboy in Carapathia: a Bob Howard Adventure was the winner of the 2021 Pulp Ark Award for Best Novel, and its sequel “The Cowboy and the Conqueror,” is a finalist for the 2023 award. He is also the recipient of the 2013 Pulp Ark Award for Best Author and a Derringer mystery finalist. Website: TheUrbanSwashbuckler.com
Marie Lamba is author of the young adult novels What I Meant… (Random House), Over My Head and Drawn, and of the picture books Green, Green (Farrar Straus Giroux) and A Day So Gray (Clarion). Her articles appear in more than 100 publications and is a frequent contributor to Writer’s Digest. She has worked as an editor, an award-winning public relations writer, and a book publicist, and has taught classes on novel writing and on author promotion. As an agent with The Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency in New York, Marie is currently looking for young adult and middle grade fiction, along with general and women’s fiction and some memoir. She is also open to submissions from picture book authors or illustrators who are already established, or whose work she has requested through conferences. Marie is also open to non-fiction submissions for all age categories. For more details and her submission guidelines, please visit: https://www.jdlit.com/marie-lamba
LaQuette writes sexy, stylish, and sensational romance. That means she writes sentimental and steamy stories (like Hallmark movies, but with lots of sex) featuring at least one main character who always keeps it cute. This Brooklyn native writes unapologetically bold, character-driven stories. Her novels feature diverse ensemble casts who are confident in their right to appear on the page. If she’s not writing, she’s probably trying on or looking for her next great makeup find. Contact her at https://dot.cards/laquette.
Hildy Silverman writes in multiple genres, including science fiction, fantasy, horror and blends thereof. In 2020, she joined the Crazy 8 Press authors collective (https://www.crazy8press.com/), which publishes novels and anthologies by its membership. In 2013, her short story, The Six Million Dollar Mermaid, which appeared in the anthology “Mermaids 13: Tales from the Sea” (French, ed.), was a finalist for the WSFA Small Press Award. In 2005, she became the publisher and editor-in-chief of Space and Time Magazine (www.spaceandtimemagazine.com), one of the oldest small press genre magazines still in production, and ran it until 2018. She is a past president of the Garden State Speculative Fiction Writers and a frequent panelist on the science fiction convention circuit. For more information about Hildy, including a complete list of her published work, please visit www.hildysilverman.com.
Michael A. Ventrella is a Stroudsburg writer with five novels so far, including Big Stick and Bloodsuckers: A Vampire Runs for President. He’s edited a dozen anthologies, including the Baker Street Irregulars anthologies (co-edited with New York Times Bestselling author Jonathan Maberry); Three Time Travelers Walk Into…, and Release the Virgins. His short stories have appeared in other anthologies and magazines. He’s also written nonfiction books about the US Constitution, The Beatles, and the Monkees. At his web page (MichaelAVentrella.com), he interviews authors and editors and gives advice for the starting writer. In his spare time, he is a lawyer.
Filed under: writing | Leave a comment »
“A wild and thoroughly entertaining steampunk adventure featuring an improbable cast of historical figures, plenty of action, and lots of fun!” – Jonathan Maberry, New York Times bestselling author of Deep Silence and V-Wars
Michael A. Ventrella 