In Today’s Journal
* Quote of the Day
* Alibi Syndicate Press
* On a purely personal note
* Of Interest
* The Numbers
Quote of the Day
“I’m a full-time believer in writing habits, pedestrian as it all may sound. You may be able to do without them if you have genius but most of us only have talent and this is simply something that has to be assisted all the time by physical and mental habits or it dries up and blows away.” Flannery O’Connor
Alibi Syndicate Press
There’s a new traditional publisher on the horizon. I mean the thing is literally dawning as I write this.
The team is led by the inestimable Troy Lambert. As my Cajun friends would say as their eyebrows arch and their mouth gapes open, “Bingeaux!”
Who is Troy Lambert? For one thing, he’s the only living writer I’ve seriously considered contacting to see whether he’d like to collaborate. (I haven’t, and I won’t. I’m just saying, the guy’s that good a storyteller.)
But I’m getting ahead of myself.
Before I continue, let me just say this is not a self-serving announcement in any way.
By that I mean I don’t know whether or when I’ll be personally involved with Alibi as an author or in any other capacity. I’m not part of the inner circle, or a planet orbiting the inner circle, or even a minor moon orbiting a lesser planet. (grin)
I’m mentioning all of this only because I believe Alibi is gonna be a very good thing, something you should at least check out if you’re chasing traditional publication.
If I was in the mood to pursue publication with a traditional publisher, I would definitely give Alibi a strong look.
Alibi is a brand-new traditional publisher that doesn’t do things in the usual traditional publishing way. Here’s the nutshell version:
- They offer a contract that is actually fair to the author (re IP ownership, etc.).
- They also offer royalty rates that are fair to the author. Plus
- They not only will invest Actual Dollars in marketing the works they publish, but
- They will offer graphics and other marketing tools the author can use in their own marketing efforts. AND
- They will actually teach You how to market too so you can help them help you.
So in my humble opinion, Alibi Syndicate Press is definitely deserving of your serious consideration. For details, be sure to check out these links:
My understanding is that Alibi will be seeking submissions in April 2026 or so from authors of pulp-style novels—detective-PI stuff, mysteries, romance, action-adventure, noir, crime, etc.—pretty much across the genres.
In fact, they’ll be doing a Kickstarter for a new True Romance anthology of short stories in early February.
To see what’s happening over there, visit Alibi Syndicate Press. And be sure to sign up for their newsletter so you’ll get their announcements. They’ll even let you know when their open submission period starts.
Now, two quick notes nobody should ever have to tell any other writer:
- Don’t send Alibi a submission until they open submissions. Just don’t. If you do, your manuscript will serve only to help fill their trash or recycle bin, and rightly so.
- If you DO send them something during the open submission period, Be Sure To Follow Their Manuscript And Submission Guidelines To The Letter. Duh. That’s why guidelines exist.
‘Nuff said.
On a purely personal note
Some of you have noticed I haven’t written any new fiction since I finished Blackwell Ops 53 in late December. I’m taking a little time off to chill, reset my priorities, and do a bunch of other stuff.
And no, dudes and dudettes, I’m not worried my fiction writing skills will ‘atrophy’ or any of that silly nonsense. Hey, once you’ve got it, you’ve got it. Believe in yourself, for goodness’ sake.
Of course, I’m also not normal. I have an over-active sense of urgency. I like to do things Right Now so I don’t forget to do them later. That way, far fewer things fall through the cracks.
I also follow Heinlein’s Rules (yawn, stretch, everybody knows that already, Harv) and I tend not to leave any gaps in that process: I write and finish, I don’t rewrite, and I publish.
Yeah, there’s a fifth rule too—Once you publish something, for goodness’ sake leave it the hell alone—but frankly, that fifth rule is about as necessary for a person of average intelligence as the directions on a shampoo bottle.
Heinlein could have saved himself some time and just written three rules: Write, Don’t $%&@ing Rewrite, and Publish. But I digress.
Anyway, because I’m locked into that get ‘er done, results-oriented process, I’m not big on “submitting” my work to traditional publishers.
Even the really good ones like Alibi Syndicate Press slow things down. I understand that’s necessary and they kind’a have to slow things down, but still.
Even with that one misgiving, I might make an exception for Alibi Syndicate Press once the submissions period opens. I strongly suggest you do the same.
Of Interest
Lighten Your Creative Load: A New Year Invitation Okay, whatever. At the end of the day, you still have to put figurative pen to paper and write.
The Numbers
The Journal………………….. 870
Mentorship Words…………….. 0
Total Nonfiction…………………. 870
Writing of
Day 1…… XXXX words. To date………… XXXXX
Fiction for January………………………… XXXX
Fiction for 2026…………………………… XXXX
Nonfiction for January.…………………… 4370
Nonfiction for 2026………………..……… 4370
2026 consumable words………………… 4370
2026 Novels to Date……………………… 0
2026 Novellas to Date…………………… 0
2026 Short Stories to Date……………… 0
Novels (since Oct 19, 2014)…………….. 123
Novellas (since Nov 1, 2015)…………… 10
Short stories (since Apr 15, 2014)……… 310
Short story collections……………………. 29