Archive for December, 2008

12/30/08: David’s Index for 2008

Novel words written: 40,521
Short fiction words written: 33,972
Notes, outline, and synopsis words written: 8,163
Blog words written: 40,048
Total words written: 122,704
Novel words edited out: 8,955
Net words written: 113,749

New stories written: 6 (5 fiction, 1 non-fiction)
Existing stories revised: 1

Short fiction submissions sent: 28
Responses received: 25
Rejections: 10
Acceptances: 8 (6 pro, 1 non-fiction, 1 semi-pro)
Other responses: 2 (rewrite requests)
Other sales: 3 (1 reprint, 2 audio)
Non-responses: 2
Awaiting response: 4

Short stories published: 9 (3 pro, 1 non-fiction, 1 reprint, 2 translations, 1 audio, 1 previously-unpublished story as part of collection)

Novels completed: 1
Novel submissions: 4
Rejections: 3
Acceptances: 0
Awaiting response: 2

Nebula nominations: 1
Nebulas won: 0

Collections published: 1

Happy New Year!

Lots of news this week. The December Internet Review of Science Fiction includes Greg Beatty’s long and thoughtful review of Space Magic (“this collection makes it clear that David D. Levine is a writer to watch”). The December Locus includes Gardner Dozois’s review of Transhuman (“Best story here is by David D. Levine”). I received my contributor’s copies of the February 2009 issue of Realms of Fantasy, including my story “Joy is the Serious Business of Heaven” (I love, love, love the illustration they gave it). The audio version of “Sun Magic, Earth Magic” (ably read by BCS editor Scott H. Andrews) was posted at Beneath Ceaseless Skies. A five-minute video of me blabbering incoherently, recorded by Bill Johnson of Willamette Writers at OryCon, was posted on YouTube. And I learned that Aeon Magazine, the next issue of which was going to contain my story “The True Story of Merganther’s Run,” is suspending publication, but the story is supposed to appear in an anthology, The End of an Aeon, some time in 2009.

12/5/08: A lot can happen in a week

Since my last post…

  • The December Internet Review of Science Fiction was posted, including Greg Beatty’s long and thoughtful review of Space Magic. “[T]his collection makes it clear that David D. Levine is a writer to watch.”
  • The December Locus arrived, including Gardner Dozois’s review of Transhuman: “There are probably no award-winners in [this anthology], but there is a respectable amount of good solid core SF. Best story here is by David D. Levine, but there are also good stories by Mark L. Van Name, Paul Chafe, Sarah A. Hoyt, Wen Spencer, and others.” I’ll take it.
  • Locus also included the annual Forthcoming Books section, which told me that both Gamer Fantastic and Witch Way to the Mall will be published in July 2009. I’d been wondering when those were coming out. Also, Transhuman is going to be reissued as a mass-market paperback in April 2009.
  • There was also a photo of me and Lou Anders at World Fantasy Con on page 5. In color, no less!
  • I received my contributor’s copies of the February 2009 issue of Realms of Fantasy, including my story “Joy is the Serious Business of Heaven.” I love, love, love the illustration they gave it.
  • The audio version of “Sun Magic, Earth Magic” (ably read by BCS editor Scott H. Andrews) was posted at Beneath Ceaseless Skies. It’s also available from iTunes.
  • A five-minute video of me blabbering incoherently, recorded by Bill Johnson of Willamette Writers at OryCon, was posted on YouTube. I thought it would be an interview, but once the camera was rolling I was informed that, no, I should just talk about whatever I wanted. I had nothing prepared. *cringe* Other writers fared better.
  • I learned that Aeon Magazine, the next issue of which was going to contain my story “The True Story of Merganther’s Run,” is suspending publication. I think this is the first time I’ve “killed” a market. However, the story is supposed to appear in an anthology, The End of an Aeon, some time in 2009.

(Sorry to use bullet points in a blog post, but I was a technical writer for 15 years and sometimes I revert to type.)

In addition to all that, there have been several Real Life issues which are annoying and mildly worrying. We have options, though, and there’s nothing to get too concerned about, I hope. I have a list of seven “items I am waiting for”, three of which have notations such as “aargh!” next to them.

We leave for Germany today. Um, did I mention that? Our itinerary:

  • December 5-6: fly Portland to Frankfurt
  • December 6: Nuremberg
  • December 7-14: Cruising the Danube on the Viking Spirit (stopping at Nuremberg, Regensburg, Passau, Linz, Melz, and Vienna)
  • December 14-16: Vienna
  • December 16-20: Munich
  • December 20: fly Munich Portland

I’ll post from the road if I can.