Mar
25
2010
Okay, forgive the reference to the phone book scene in Steve Martin’s film The Jerk, but I’m just as excited. Martin’s character, Navin Johnson, was excited because his name was (for the first time) in the new phone book. I’m excited because my name — and story — are in the June 2010 issue of Analog. The story is “Light Conversation”, in the Probability Zero section (short, often humorous and definitely improbable pieces). It’s my first sale to Analog, a magazine I’ve been reading since my early teens.
As Martin/Navin puts it in
The Jerk, “I’m somebody now! Millions of people look at this book everyday! This is the kind of spontaneous publicity – your name in print – that makes people. I’m in print! Things are going to start happening to me now.” I don’t expect that; I know there’s a long slog ahead to make it as a successful fiction writer. But it’s a milestone on the way.
The June issue probably won’t be available on the newsstands for another week or so, as a subscriber I get my copy early. For those who prefer electronic copies, Fictionwise carries
Analog. I’ll post a link here when the June issue is available.
Update: According to the May issue, the June issue goes on sale April 6.
Mar
20
2010
Internet shadows, that is, as in a dark network.
My web servers suffered a prolonged network outage because of (a) a change Qwest made that messed up the DSL line, and (b) my old ISP being totally non-responsive so I couldn’t get them to work with Qwest to fix the problem. I ended up changing ISPs, and the new folks (Solucian Networking, if you’re in the greater Denver area) have been wonderfully responsive in working to get all the problems fixed.
The past week, as you might imagine, was extremely frustrating for me but I’m taking steps (such as the new ISP) to ensure it doesn’t happen again. My apologies to those of you who noticed and wondered what happened.
Mar
08
2010
As of today, March 8, I am no longer an Amazon Associate — and neither is anyone else in Colorado. Due to the Colorado legislature’s ill-considered attempt to tax online sales, Amazon has done here the same thing it has done or threatened to do in other states which have considered enacting similar laws, and closed Colorado-based Associates’ accounts, relieving Amazon of the responsibility to collect Colorado sales tax.
Since I didn’t join the Associate program with the intent of making much money (I just figured, since I’m providing links to books of interest anyway, why leave money on the table?) it doesn’t affect my income in any noticeable way. It does mean that I, and every other Colorado resident, can continue to order from Amazon without getting hit by them for sales tax. (Of course, we all declare our out-of-state purchases and send in the appropriate tax ourselves, right?)
I’ll still link to Amazon (or B&N, or other sites as appropriate) for books I think are worthwhile, as a convenience for site visitors.