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.
Friday, July 22, 2011
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.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Issue #12 is almost here!
October's issue is here and will be shipped within the week. Daniel Russell is the Editor for this issue and he did a fantastic job. We had more high quality stories over 3,000 words than normal, so while the TOC has only 18 stories (including three 100-Word Bites), the issue weighs in at 144 pages, almost twenty more than the last issue.
If you don’t have a subscription yet and are on the fence, pick up a copy of #12 from www.necrotictissue.com, Amazon or B&N.com and give it a try, you won't be sorry.
TOC:
Sandbox by David Dunwoody
Dead Man's Finger by Deborah Walker
Yes This Will Be On The Final by Dee Caudill
The Artist by Gerald Vincent
The Permanent Sabbatical by Mark Mills
Mr. Lean's Price by William Knight
Aw, Hell by Brian Kirk
The Pilgrimage by Justin A. Williams
High Definition by Robert C. Eccles
Nosophoros by Christine Lucas
Siberian Escape by Uri K.
Ventriloquist's Dummy by Danny Hill
Screaming Guitars by Paula Ray
Little Pieces by Matthew Piskun
'Til Death Do Us Part by Peggy Christie
Devil's Down by Megan Engelhardt
A Murder of Crows by Barlock
Picket Fences by AJ Brown (Editor's Pick!)
A reminder to all you writers out there, that NT is open to submission in October, January, April and July. Less than two days from now, the flood gates open, but we always have room for more.
If you don’t have a subscription yet and are on the fence, pick up a copy of #12 from www.necrotictissue.com, Amazon or B&N.com and give it a try, you won't be sorry.
TOC:
Sandbox by David Dunwoody
Dead Man's Finger by Deborah Walker
Yes This Will Be On The Final by Dee Caudill
The Artist by Gerald Vincent
The Permanent Sabbatical by Mark Mills
Mr. Lean's Price by William Knight
Aw, Hell by Brian Kirk
The Pilgrimage by Justin A. Williams
High Definition by Robert C. Eccles
Nosophoros by Christine Lucas
Siberian Escape by Uri K.
Ventriloquist's Dummy by Danny Hill
Screaming Guitars by Paula Ray
Little Pieces by Matthew Piskun
'Til Death Do Us Part by Peggy Christie
Devil's Down by Megan Engelhardt
A Murder of Crows by Barlock
Picket Fences by AJ Brown (Editor's Pick!)
A reminder to all you writers out there, that NT is open to submission in October, January, April and July. Less than two days from now, the flood gates open, but we always have room for more.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Road Tripping
It's been a while since NT went on a convention road trip. We can't go to all of the conventions, no matter how much we would like to, so my goal for 2010 and 2011 is to go to conventions NT has never attended before.
I'll starts with Horror Realm (formerly known as Zombie Fest), in Pittsburgh PA on September 17-19. It promises to be an action packed weekend, with not one, not two, but three movie reunions. There will be cast members in attendance from Basket Case, Night of the Living Dead and Dawn of the Dead.
There are so many cool guests attending that I don’t have room on this post to name them all, so check out the link.
Greg Hall from Choate Road and The Funky Werepig will also be in attendance and has agreed to act as slave labor and assist me with running my table in the vendor room. Both Greg and I have a novel coming out through Belfire Press this year. Mine is called The White Faced Bear, and it is scheduled for release on October 31st. Greg's is At The End of Church Street and was released earlier this year and has already had several impressive reviews. Greg will be signing copies and busting my chops, so if you're not planning to go, change your mind! If you are going, please swing by the vendor room and keep us company.
I'll have six weeks to recover and then I will be attending Crypticon at the Sheraton in Bloomington MN on November 5-7. What's that you say? Isn't NT located in MN? You caught me, yes indeed Crypticon is in my own back yard, so this one isn't much of a road trip for me. However, someone is making a road trip to attend. The talented and beautiful Artist Samantha Ann Christianson is making a road trip from Winnipeg, Canada with her friend and, the equally lovely model GRACE LYNN. The Echo Effect Productions, to help me promote Necrotic Tissue. She will be doing a body painting exhibition at NT's table in the vendor room with Grace Lynn, and then offer her amazing skills to interested customers. Samantha doesn't just paint you, she transforms you.
2011 is just too far off to go into detail, but I am already confirmed for Visioncon in Springfield, MO Feb 18-20 2011, and the World Horror Convention in Austin, TX April 28-May 1st 2011.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Three Zombies & a Demon
This is a collection of 4 One Act plays adapted by Roy C. Booth from four short stories originally published in Necrotic Tissue magazine. It is available for sale now at www.necrotictissue.com for $11.95 (plus S&H) and will soon be on Amazon and B&N.com
The original short stories are:
The original short stories are:
Bloodsuckers by Steve Barber (Issue #6)
How To Make a Brain Soufflé by Justin Pilon (Issue #7)
Tenure by Eric R. Lowther (Issue #7)
With Good Intentions by Nicky Drayden (Issue #7)
How To Make a Brain Soufflé by Justin Pilon (Issue #7)
Tenure by Eric R. Lowther (Issue #7)
With Good Intentions by Nicky Drayden (Issue #7)
Here is what people are saying:
A playwright with a butcher knife, Roy C. Booth outwits the living in Three Zombies & a Demon. Cunning, brutal and wickedly amusing, even in the X Circle of Hell. - S.D. Hintz, author of Blood Orchard
...Mr. Booth has one sick sense of humor... The play-adapted stories in this collection will make you smile, and cringe.... Roy has taken the souls of these stories and melded his signature wit and dark humor seamlessly. - R. Thomas Riley, author of The Monster Within Idea
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Douche Bag Alert
I don’t make a habit of making public statements about others. I run NT with the goal of putting out a quality product while trying to help writers by offering them a stable paying market, fast turn around time and feedback on rejections. I occasionally get some negative reaction to feedback that is given, but a much larger number of people seem to appreciate the effort, even if they disagree with our opinions on their story.
I recently saw a post discussing a writer that had been submitting and selling stories under the guise of being previously unpublished. NT, like most markets doesn’t take reprints. Those that do, pay less for them. When I saw that the writer in question was perpetrating fraud, I searched our inbox and found a submission from this writer. A quick Google search uncovered that the story had been previously published back in 2008 in an online ezine. I have no idea how many other markets it appeared in. I thought I had dodged a bullet, but I was wrong. You see, back in April 2009, we had accepted a story and got a contract for 1st North American Serial Rights. Now I find out that it had been published in an ezine three months before and then again five months after and who knows how many more times before and since.
Because of this illegal and unethical activity, I declare Lawrence R. Dagstine Douche Bag of the Year. I have never believed in Black Listing and still don’t. It is too easy to start adding people to a list for all kinds of indiscretions, and soon people can have their careers ruined over a personality conflict. I’m not suggesting anyone blacklist this scumbag, but I am warning others to beware and do business with him at your own risk. He has committed at least one confirmed case of fraud against NT and from what I’ve seen on the boards, at least a half dozen others.
Rant over, I now return you to your regularly scheduled program.
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