Contracts Signed On Two New Analog Pieces

Yesterday, I signed the contracts on the two new Analog pieces I reported on last month. The first is a short story, “The Negative Impact of Climate Change On the Unusual Beasts of the World.” This is one of the stories that I read at Capclave in October. The second is a guest editorial that I was commissioned to write for the magazine. At this point, I have no idea when either will be appearing. Typically, their lead time is about 8-9 months, unless they are filling a spot. That would put my story in the July issue time-frame (which comes out in late April 2013), but this is just a guess on my part. When I have more information, I’ll let you know.

I still get goosebumps when I think that I’ve sold things to Analog. I can remember as if were yesterday, those days in my junior year in college when I first decided to be a science fiction writer, imagining what it might be like to sell a story to Analog. It was a thrill just to think about, on par with imagining what it would be like to solo in a plane. And now I’ve sold to them not once but three times. And I did end up soloing in a plane, too, back when I got my private pilot license. The day I got my license was a remarkable one, but the day I sold to Analog was better.

And for my paperless friends, I was asked to sign and return two copies of the contracts. When I sold my first story to Analog in 2010, I think I printed the contract, signed it, and put it in the mail. This time around, I inquired as to whether I could sign and email the contracts back, instead of printing them out and putting them in the mail. That was perfectly acceptable, which is what you might expect from a science fiction magazine. I really am trying to remain as paper-free as I can manage.