Writing Update: I’m Getting Published

Here’s a thing to add to my future autobiography: last weekend I was on a trip with some friends in Tulsa and early on Sunday morning, after a night of precious little sleep, I drowsily checked my phone. There I found an email from one of the editors of Road Kill: Texas Horror by Texas Writers, which is an anthology of regional horror. I’d sent a submission to them a couple months before after hearing about Road Kill from Madison and Mattie because I’d just written a regional horror story myself.

The email was this:

We like your story, but it needs work. Please call.

I wasn’t sleeping anymore after that.

I waited until we came back from Tulsa and until I got home from work on Monday to call. Which is to say, I freaked out about it for two days straight. But I didn’t have a chance to call any sooner. On the phone, E. R. Bills told me that we needed to do some revisions, but that they were going to include my story in the anthology.

I’m getting published.

In many interviews, I’ve read about famous writers getting asked some variation of the question, “What did you do when you heard the news?” Their answers always involve celebrating, usually with a fancy dinner or with drinks or whatever. They have to, because success in this difficult craft deserves reward. For my part, after the call ended, I paced back and forth across my apartment a couple of times, then I called my parents, who took me out to eat at Furr’s. Such an innocuous restaurant choice as that is also going straight into my autobiography.

Here’s a funny for you. Mr. Bills asked me to send an author bio to include with my story. Even though I doubt they’ll accept it, I sent this to them today:

In those ‘describe me in one word’ social media posts, Summer Baker always gets the word weird. She grew up in Texas panhandle country just outside of Amarillo and, as an adult, still lives there with her ancient toothless dog because the city won’t let them leave. It’s gained sentience and no one can escape. Send help.

While she and the Wonder Dog cower in her apartment, Summer spends her final days writing fantasy and horror, playing videogames, reading, and playing tabletop RPGs with her friends.

Let me tell you, though, this whole thing is hard to process. I’ve gotten so used to no that I’m not sure how to react to yes. I did spend all of this morning tweaking the revisions they sent to me, so it feels like I’m back to doing the work I always do. Just with more people involved. I keep plugging along and in the time since I first submitted ‘Thirsty Ground,’ I’ve trashed one story and completed another. After this post, I’ll move on to drafting the next one. Business as usual.

Still. Kind of screaming inside.

P.S. I’ll update with more details on Road Kill Vol. 2’s release date and where you can snag a copy in a future post. With or without my story’s inclusion, I have a feeling it’s going to be a deliciously thrilling read.