Hot on the heels of the great Sales v Williamson 2013 Short Story Challenge, I’ve been challenged again, this time by Gio Clairval. Rather than complicate things, I’m keeping the two challenges separate.
So, summary of the rules:
1/Timeframe Jan1 – Dec 31 2013
2/ New story submitted for the first time = 1pt.
3/ Story sold for the first time = 1pt.
4/ Loser buys the winner dinner.
Look for the running total here.
ayeahmur 
This mean,s of course, that you’ll have to do twice as well as points aren’t transferable 🙂
No pressure then.
Why aren’t points transferable for Neil? Sounds unfair to me.
Ian was joking, Gio. My points will count as much against you as him.
Recording 1 acceptance. The story was written last year, though; so it’s only 1 point.
Precision: Written last year but submitted this year.
Ian: I hoped so, but with you boys one never knows 😉
Okay, so Gio 1 v Neil 0
I was wondering about my sale: the story was written last year, but was never submitted (I thought it wasn’t quite ready). It was revised, subbed this month for the first time, and sold. One point or two, then?
Two, of course. One for first submission and one for first sale.
Which makes it: Gio 2 Neil 0
Sold another story (for the first time), but not on first submission.
That’s 1 point, innit? So Gio 3 – Neil 0
(I’m sure you’ve got plenty of acceptances-in-waiting–and I haven’t got many stories to sell–must go and write a few!)
Well done! Nope, I have no stories out at market at the moment. None. Any points I gain this year are stories that have yet to be written (or at least finished).
New acceptance: New story; first sub (2 pts, innit?). Gio 5 – What about Neil? (Who–I fear– he’s going to squash Gio with a volley of acceptances after letting her believe that he’s lagging behind.)
Well done again!
I wouldn’t hold your breath for any volleys in this direction. Still working on books – which don’t count in the contest. I’ll be more than happy if I reach my personal target by the end of the year, and if at the same time you and Ian have also sold a ton of stories, all the better!
New story subbed: 1 pt. Gio 6.
Gio 6 Neil 0 *sheesh*
I need to claw back some dignity here. Well, I’m probably going to be squeezing out one of my own (maybe two) in the next week, so at least I’ll have points on the board. But after that there’ll be another long novel-shaped lull. Ah well.
Okay, I’ve finished a story and submitted it. On the scoreboard at last.
6-1!
As you kindly remembered me, I should upload my score here. I subbed a story for the first time yesterday, and another today, which makes 2 additional points:
Gio 8 – Neil 1
Good going! Tho I’m thinking about asking for an inventory of all these stories of yours…! :p
Ack. “reminded me”. I’m so tired I’m starting to think in Latin.
What are you insinuating, misérable? 😉
Just so I know which ones to look for when they’re published!
The list of sold stories is over at Kosmochlor, which I can see on your blogroll 🙂
Wow, I sold one of the stories I just sent out! Found the contract in my email this morning. (Yayyayyayyay!)
Therefore, it is:
Gio 9 – Neil 1
So, out of interest (because I am interested) is that six new stories and three sales, or five and four?
(Either way it’s a great hit rate!)
*sips her coffee* D’you mean: how many of these are new stories *written this year*?
And no!— No. Mercy. On. The. Glaswegian.
😛
No, no. Just trying to tot up the ratio of submissions to sales. That’s all.
I was joking !!! And I *got* your comment on the “killing you” thing! 🙂
And Neil, I’m really really grateful for this challenge that is keeping me on my toes. I need deadlines and challenges to work (this is the old consultant in me).
You’re killing me with this, Gio. Sales is at least giving me a chance!
Four new stories, two of which sold, two still out (on first submission). *goes to verify on Duotrope’s*
okay, so four new stories written, two sold and three older stories also sold?
(All I know is that I recorded points here as I subbed and got acceptances). *goes to create spreadsheet*
Since January 1st:
7 submission (4 new stories; 3 old stories subbed for the first time)
4 acceptances (2 new stories; 2 old)
1 rejection (1 new story)
2 pending (1 new; 1 old–shortlisted)
Did I forget to record 1 submission (still pending)?
Okay, then the arithmetic is a bit wonky.
7 stories submitted for the first time = 7 points.
4 acceptances (assuming none of those four has been accepted/published before) = 4 points.
So you should have 11 points, no?
I didn’t count the (first and only, so far) reprint acceptance.
Yeah, apparently the total is 11.
Darpit! I created that confounded spreadsheet, and that’s what I can see there: I get a total of 7 subs however I add up the numbers on the lines and columns, as the good old accountants do…
Sorry for the confusabilties. I’ll keep the spreadsheet up to date. And now I’m really late!
*runs out*
Oh now you’re confusing *me*. If it’s a reprint it doesn’t count. It can’t be the first time you’ve sent the story out and it’s certainly not the first time it’s been accepted.
REMINDER OF THE RULES:
You get 1 point when a story is submitted for the first time.
You get 1 point when a story is accepted for the first time.
*sheesh* Sales doesn’t give me this much trouble!
I meant: I didn’t count the 1 reprint in the seven actual submissions and acceptances at all, as reprints are not to be counted.
The 7 subs are 7 subs sent out this year, either of brand-new stories, or of old stories never subbed before.
lol, ok. As you were, then. 11-1.
“*sheesh* Sales doesn’t give me this much trouble!”
That’s because you’ve been busy selling bigger things, like NOVELS!
yeah, didn’t I tell you? Novels are worth 500 points.
New story-new sub-new acceptance.
Two additional points.
Gio 13 – Neil 1
Type faster, Williamson! 😉
Ha, well done.
Also, be aware that I’ve just taken on something that will limit my production even further for the next three months, so it’s looking very good for you!
But wasn’t all this contest business and excuse for goading you into writing and subbing more shorts? (It worked for me anyway… 😉
Yep, it was. But sometimes other things take priority. 😀
Ah, ah, reading quickly, because I’m really, really late, I read “Sales” as “sales” (Sorry for objectifying you, Sales with a capital letter!)
“an” excuse, soree.
And is it a secret thing you’re doing?
For now…
New story-new sub
One additional point
Gio 14 – Neil ? (To be updated soon, I believe)
14-2!
And there’ll be more soon, so watch your back!
Another one out…14-3!
(Forgot to report) Another one out…15-3
🙂
Well done! What’s your split now in terms of submissions and acceptances?
11 submissions, 4 acceptances.
That’s really good going, Gio. This has worked out pretty well for you, hasn’t it?
Yes. Thank you for this!
Story breakdown: 6 brand-new stories and 5 older creatures, either finished in 2013 or finished before 2013 but subbed in 2013 for the first time. (The two old-never-subbed-before stories were accepted on first submission–don’t ask me why I never tried to sell them.)
I have four stories in progress, three of which are novelettes.
I’d love to be able to write more than a short story a month. When I’m writing a novel, I usually churn out a (draftish) chapter a day.
One more out for me (but it’ll be the last one for a while now).
15-4
And another one out … 15-4.
Sold one: 17-4.
I mean, 16-4.
It was 17-4 (I posted the latest announcement in reply to an older one…)
And one more acceptance (of a new story) in the inbox! Woot!
So it’s 18-4.
Don’t suppose you’d like to go write a huge novel or something now?
I should! Still.. Last year, I sent out a ridiculously small number of short-fiction subs, and now, thanks to this challenge…
So, I’d like to keep at it. Unless you yield, of course. ;p
Yield? Hell no! Not while I’ve still got a chance of catching you up!
You can try, Williamson! 😉
Sold one. 18-5.
Cool! Is it the market I’m thinking of?
It might well be!
*thumbs up!*
Two new stories subbed. (One went out a couple of weeks ago.)
20-5
Good for you! I’m so far behind it’s not funny…haven’t even written a word in three months now. But really glad to see this challenge has been beneficial for you.
It’s beneficial indeed as this tinkerer likes revising, on and on, but this challenge pushed me to sub stories instead of rewriting: I even sent out a couple of stories I’d written two years ago and never subbed…
Excellent!
Not that it really matters at this stage, but one more by me. 20-6. 😀
I imagine you’ve got several more to update the count with though, eh?
Conga rats, Williamson! As for me, I subbed stories and got acceptances, but not of the millésime 2013. Expecting responses, though…
I got an acceptance in the inbox today (a new story, sold on first submission–I forgot to announce the sub, too). So it’s 22-6 😀
This challenge was fun!
Well done! I think its fair to say dinner is on me at Eastercon.
Cool! Where is Eastercon going to be?
Well, Glasgow… But if you can’t make it, next time we’re in the same place.