I just mailed out all of the overseas contributor copies and subscriptions.
My bulk order should be here by next Wednesday, so I will be able to mail off all the US subscriptions the weekend of November 5th.
I'm still projecting to have issued all refunds for those with a remaining balances left on their subscriptions by the end of December.
The Anthology is now available in print on Amazon and B&N.com. In e format, it is available on Amazon and Smashwords. Due to some odd glitch, the Amazon print version shows the Malpractice Anthology cover when you click on the detail. It is only a glitch. If you order the Best Of Anthology from Amazon, I assure you it will come with the correct cover and I am working to get the right cover displayed in the link.
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Necrotic Tissue: Best Of Anthology is out, come get some.
Time for an update. Thank you all for your patience.
The print version is ready, but there is always a lag between the printer and Amazon of up to two weeks. When the print is available, I will post a link on the FB Stygian Publications page. The price for the print version is $11.95, with 32 stories and over 65,000 words of the best horror short fiction in the last three years.
The ebook version is already available on Amazon and Smashwords if you are into that for $2.99.
All US contributor copies have been mailed out. Overseas contributor copies will get mailed out in two weeks as well as subscriber copies. I'm treating this like the 15th issue for all those subscribers with copies still due.
After they are all mailed out, those of you that have copies still due to you will get refunds as previously described. I hope to issue all refunds by the end of the year. If you believe you are due a refund but haven't seen anything by Jan 31st 2012, let me know.
Congratulations again to all the writers that made it into this anthology.
If anyone is interested in a review copy, please let me know.
The print version is ready, but there is always a lag between the printer and Amazon of up to two weeks. When the print is available, I will post a link on the FB Stygian Publications page. The price for the print version is $11.95, with 32 stories and over 65,000 words of the best horror short fiction in the last three years.
The ebook version is already available on Amazon and Smashwords if you are into that for $2.99.
All US contributor copies have been mailed out. Overseas contributor copies will get mailed out in two weeks as well as subscriber copies. I'm treating this like the 15th issue for all those subscribers with copies still due.
After they are all mailed out, those of you that have copies still due to you will get refunds as previously described. I hope to issue all refunds by the end of the year. If you believe you are due a refund but haven't seen anything by Jan 31st 2012, let me know.
Congratulations again to all the writers that made it into this anthology.
If anyone is interested in a review copy, please let me know.
Saturday, September 24, 2011
TOC for Best on NT
The Best of NT Anthology is coming along. Final edits will be done next week and I will have a proof copy to review. Mid October is the estimate for release. I will be sending out contributor copies first and then putting the print version up for sale, then I will work on getting an ebook version on Amazon. This will be Stygian Publication's first ebook, so give me some time :)
The anthology weighs in at 65,000 words with 31 stories that will thrill, chill and entertain. Please join me in congratulating these writers for making it into the Anthology.
Aldrich Byrn, How to Make a Brain Souffle
Matthew Phoenix, Bless me Father
Jimmy M.F.ing Pudge, Bad Billy
David McAfee, Cardiac Episode
Nate Lambert, Camp-een
Cate Gardner's, The Scratch of an Old Record
Doug Murano, Chums
Jason Hardy, Crowley's Surprise
Robert C. Eccles, Spelling Bee for Exceptional Children
Robert Millard, Smoke
David Tallerman, Caretaker in the Garden of Dreams
Daniel I Russell, Blood Pit
Gregory L Hall, Love is the Answer
Jan Brady, Mumsy The Last Unicorn
Zombie Zak, Zombie Unicorns
Fred R Kane, Unicorn Poem
Natalie L. Sin, Losing Face in Kwai Chung
Roger Kilbourne, Special Needs
Natalie L. Sin, Miss Molly's Scarecrow
Matthew Ewald, From the Journal of Johnathan Harker
James Stafford, Lizard Pit
MontiLee Stormer, Flytrap
Mark Owens, Sigil
Jeffrey Rice, Choices Made Possible by Modern Science
AJ Brown, Picket Fences
D. Brian Hardin II, Five or Six Feet Away
Brendan P. Myers, Ohrwurm
Bryce Albertson, Last Waltz in Texas
Jaelithe Ingold, The Rules
John P. McCann, Dagon and Jill
Matthew Fryer, The Narcslaag
The anthology weighs in at 65,000 words with 31 stories that will thrill, chill and entertain. Please join me in congratulating these writers for making it into the Anthology.
Aldrich Byrn, How to Make a Brain Souffle
Matthew Phoenix, Bless me Father
Jimmy M.F.ing Pudge, Bad Billy
David McAfee, Cardiac Episode
Nate Lambert, Camp-een
Cate Gardner's, The Scratch of an Old Record
Doug Murano, Chums
Jason Hardy, Crowley's Surprise
Robert C. Eccles, Spelling Bee for Exceptional Children
Robert Millard, Smoke
David Tallerman, Caretaker in the Garden of Dreams
Daniel I Russell, Blood Pit
Gregory L Hall, Love is the Answer
Jan Brady, Mumsy The Last Unicorn
Zombie Zak, Zombie Unicorns
Fred R Kane, Unicorn Poem
Natalie L. Sin, Losing Face in Kwai Chung
Roger Kilbourne, Special Needs
Natalie L. Sin, Miss Molly's Scarecrow
Matthew Ewald, From the Journal of Johnathan Harker
James Stafford, Lizard Pit
MontiLee Stormer, Flytrap
Mark Owens, Sigil
Jeffrey Rice, Choices Made Possible by Modern Science
AJ Brown, Picket Fences
D. Brian Hardin II, Five or Six Feet Away
Brendan P. Myers, Ohrwurm
Bryce Albertson, Last Waltz in Texas
Jaelithe Ingold, The Rules
John P. McCann, Dagon and Jill
Matthew Fryer, The Narcslaag
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Best of Necrotic Tissue Anthology Update
You already know we are behind, but we are making good progress. The draft layout is done and being edited and the cover is almost done. I hope to have a proof copy in my greedy hands by October 1st and to mail out contributor copies around October 15th.
Friday, July 22, 2011
Running late with Best of NT
I am proud of the fact that for 14 issues, we were never late on our quarterly schedule. Unfortunately, we are running late with our Best of Necrotic Tissue anthology.
Instead of coming out in July, it looks more like mid August for a release date. Sorry everyone, but I am very happy with the selection of stories and hope you will feel it is worth the wait.
Instead of coming out in July, it looks more like mid August for a release date. Sorry everyone, but I am very happy with the selection of stories and hope you will feel it is worth the wait.
Monday, February 21, 2011
Closing Necrotic Tissue
I've decided to shut down Necrotic Tissue. There are a lot of reasons, but the main one is financial. I've always known that NT would never be a huge moneymaker, but I did hope that I could at least make it self-sustaining. It hasn't, and I can't continue to take the loss.
Stygian Publications, which is my publishing company, will remain open and I still plan on doing one or two projects a year.
I want to thank everyone that has supported NT over the years by sending us stories and buying subscriptions. Despite the fact that I couldn't reach the financial goal, I don't feel that NT failed. It is an excellent product and I am immensely proud of the issues we've put out.
I've decided to end NT with the upcoming issue #14, coming out in April. All of the writers that submitted stories to us in January will be getting them back. I only made the decision last week, and I'm sorry I held on to those stories. I hope those writers will find other homes for them.
I am considering putting out a Best of Necrotic Tissue later in the year. It isn't a done deal, but if the writers want to be a part of it, I would like to put it out.
Unlike other magazine closings I've seen in the past, all the writers will get paid and get their contributor copies. All of the subscribers are also going to get a refund for issues they haven't received. It may take me until May to get all the subscribers their money back, but they will all get refunds.
Thank you again for giving me the opportunity to share your stories and make something that brought me so much joy.
Scott…
Stygian Publications, which is my publishing company, will remain open and I still plan on doing one or two projects a year.
I want to thank everyone that has supported NT over the years by sending us stories and buying subscriptions. Despite the fact that I couldn't reach the financial goal, I don't feel that NT failed. It is an excellent product and I am immensely proud of the issues we've put out.
I've decided to end NT with the upcoming issue #14, coming out in April. All of the writers that submitted stories to us in January will be getting them back. I only made the decision last week, and I'm sorry I held on to those stories. I hope those writers will find other homes for them.
I am considering putting out a Best of Necrotic Tissue later in the year. It isn't a done deal, but if the writers want to be a part of it, I would like to put it out.
Unlike other magazine closings I've seen in the past, all the writers will get paid and get their contributor copies. All of the subscribers are also going to get a refund for issues they haven't received. It may take me until May to get all the subscribers their money back, but they will all get refunds.
Thank you again for giving me the opportunity to share your stories and make something that brought me so much joy.
Scott…
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Issue #13
#13 has been out since January 21st, and at this point, everyone that was a contributor or is a subscriber should have it in their hands. The 21st of the month an issue is due is later than I prefer. January is tough because of the holidays, and we prepared accordingly. Still, there were more delays than normal, especially from the printer and I'm not happy to be so late.
I have friends that think I'm being too hard on myself, because most small press magazines are habitually late, assuming they don't fold before the issue is created. I understand this, but if I didn't hold myself to a high standard, I will slip. I push hard to get the issues out the door on time because I believe it means something. I believe I made a commitment when I took money from subscribers and I intend to do my best to honor that. Fortunately, I haven't yet failed to deliver an issue in the month it was promised, but this is the closest I've come and it bothered me.
Okay, enough about that, let's talk about the issue. The first thing you may notice is that IT IS HUGE! I didn't plan to make it this big when we opened up to submission for January's issue back in July. What happened, was that the volume of quality stories increased to the point where we all of the editors had full short lists. When we ranked them, a huge number received a rating from all four editors at or above our minimum level to be considered publishable.
I spent some time thinking about it. Most magazines are folding, shrinking, postponing or putting out reprints. I understand that. Times are tough and a lot of people are out of work. Worse, people are continuing to get laid off despite the nightly news trying to convince us that recovery is right around the corner. So money is tight and that means fewer people are subscribing and that means all publishers are hurting for cash. NT is no different. We've felt the pinch like everyone else and I have to tell you, it pisses me off.
I'm not saying I'm pissed off at people for not renewing subscriptions. Please, don't think I'm griping, because I appreciate any and all support you all have given. No, what I mean is that the situation pisses me off. All the people without jobs and all the companies that have closed pissed me off. I think we're all pissed, but it's became yesterday's news. The smart thing to do in these situations is to hunker down and play it safe. Spend as little as you can and above all things save the company.
Here's a little inside scoop. On demand printers have price break points for printing. That's common sense, but what most writers don’t know or think about, are the details. The break point for a small book, or in this case magazine, is 106 pages. There is a smaller break at 46 pages, but that's really small. For a magazine, anything less than 106 pages is a waste of money too, because you are paying the same price. Go over, and it changes from a flat rate to a formula that rises fast. The optimum number then is 106 pages. If you pick up a magazine from an on demand printer that is longer than this, the publisher is knowingly incurring more cost, not to mention paying for more stories to fill those pages.
I don’t begrudge magazines that have made this decision to go smaller or even scale back. I applaud them for continuing to exist in these tough times. I've said it before and I mean it, writers need viable markets. I salute all of the small press magazine and book publishers who are sticking it out. Most are losing money and continue because they believe in it, so thank you. My point is that I have strongly considered going down to 106 pages. It's an option that I have to consider and it may happen at some point in the future. Like I said though, the situation pisses me off. I've been adding content and striving to publish more writers, not less. Since we went to print with issue #7, here are the NT page counts:
#7=110, #8=118, #9=136, #10=130, #11=128 and #12=152.
At no time did we lower our standards and pick more stories just to make the book bigger. We used the same measuring stick each time and while not ever issue is an increase over the last, there has been a consistent increase in the number of great stories we have received. So when I looked at the huge pool of stories that were deemed publishable for January, I did the math and it came up to 65,000 words. 60,000 is the minimum number to be considered an anthology. I considered accepting a few for issue #14, just so I could take them all. Issue #12 had already got silly big, with 52,000 words of fiction and weighing in at 152 pages and I had to do the smart thing right? People loved issue #7 and it had 110 pages. They were a solid 110 and there is nothing wrong with that. As I said, we may need to tighten the reigns and move closer to the magic 106 pages in the future.
That's the future. As I have repeated several times, it pisses me off. We had a lot great stories and I wanted them all together, so I said screw it and put out issue #13 with 188 pages. Was it smart? No. Did it feel good? Hell yes.
I hope you all enjoy the issue and feel it is worth the money. I also hope you understand if future issues weigh in closer to 130 pages. It seems to be the sweet spot.
I have friends that think I'm being too hard on myself, because most small press magazines are habitually late, assuming they don't fold before the issue is created. I understand this, but if I didn't hold myself to a high standard, I will slip. I push hard to get the issues out the door on time because I believe it means something. I believe I made a commitment when I took money from subscribers and I intend to do my best to honor that. Fortunately, I haven't yet failed to deliver an issue in the month it was promised, but this is the closest I've come and it bothered me.
Okay, enough about that, let's talk about the issue. The first thing you may notice is that IT IS HUGE! I didn't plan to make it this big when we opened up to submission for January's issue back in July. What happened, was that the volume of quality stories increased to the point where we all of the editors had full short lists. When we ranked them, a huge number received a rating from all four editors at or above our minimum level to be considered publishable.
I spent some time thinking about it. Most magazines are folding, shrinking, postponing or putting out reprints. I understand that. Times are tough and a lot of people are out of work. Worse, people are continuing to get laid off despite the nightly news trying to convince us that recovery is right around the corner. So money is tight and that means fewer people are subscribing and that means all publishers are hurting for cash. NT is no different. We've felt the pinch like everyone else and I have to tell you, it pisses me off.
I'm not saying I'm pissed off at people for not renewing subscriptions. Please, don't think I'm griping, because I appreciate any and all support you all have given. No, what I mean is that the situation pisses me off. All the people without jobs and all the companies that have closed pissed me off. I think we're all pissed, but it's became yesterday's news. The smart thing to do in these situations is to hunker down and play it safe. Spend as little as you can and above all things save the company.
Here's a little inside scoop. On demand printers have price break points for printing. That's common sense, but what most writers don’t know or think about, are the details. The break point for a small book, or in this case magazine, is 106 pages. There is a smaller break at 46 pages, but that's really small. For a magazine, anything less than 106 pages is a waste of money too, because you are paying the same price. Go over, and it changes from a flat rate to a formula that rises fast. The optimum number then is 106 pages. If you pick up a magazine from an on demand printer that is longer than this, the publisher is knowingly incurring more cost, not to mention paying for more stories to fill those pages.
I don’t begrudge magazines that have made this decision to go smaller or even scale back. I applaud them for continuing to exist in these tough times. I've said it before and I mean it, writers need viable markets. I salute all of the small press magazine and book publishers who are sticking it out. Most are losing money and continue because they believe in it, so thank you. My point is that I have strongly considered going down to 106 pages. It's an option that I have to consider and it may happen at some point in the future. Like I said though, the situation pisses me off. I've been adding content and striving to publish more writers, not less. Since we went to print with issue #7, here are the NT page counts:
#7=110, #8=118, #9=136, #10=130, #11=128 and #12=152.
At no time did we lower our standards and pick more stories just to make the book bigger. We used the same measuring stick each time and while not ever issue is an increase over the last, there has been a consistent increase in the number of great stories we have received. So when I looked at the huge pool of stories that were deemed publishable for January, I did the math and it came up to 65,000 words. 60,000 is the minimum number to be considered an anthology. I considered accepting a few for issue #14, just so I could take them all. Issue #12 had already got silly big, with 52,000 words of fiction and weighing in at 152 pages and I had to do the smart thing right? People loved issue #7 and it had 110 pages. They were a solid 110 and there is nothing wrong with that. As I said, we may need to tighten the reigns and move closer to the magic 106 pages in the future.
That's the future. As I have repeated several times, it pisses me off. We had a lot great stories and I wanted them all together, so I said screw it and put out issue #13 with 188 pages. Was it smart? No. Did it feel good? Hell yes.
I hope you all enjoy the issue and feel it is worth the money. I also hope you understand if future issues weigh in closer to 130 pages. It seems to be the sweet spot.
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