On Sunday, I received and email from the folks at Winged City Chapbooks (an imprint of New Sins Press) that they had selected my manuscript “The Geography of Removal” as their annual contest winner.
Thrilled could be used to describe my reaction. Perhaps squeeing might be a better aural approximation.
I had submitted “Geography” at the beginning of February and to three other contests/publishers. I got a “no” from two of the publishers earlier in the summer. One thing I try to do with submissions is to forget about them as often as possible. I have a list of who I send things off to. I might even write on the calender “Check with Journal X” three or four months out from the date I send things off, but otherwise I try not to think about where my work is at. After six months I was thoroughly surprised.
Now things heat up. I found out this week that my chapbook will be released at the end of February, just in time for the Association of Writers & Writing Programs conference (AWP). This means that I will be in Chicago for the conference and to do a book signing at the New Sins Press table.
I will keep you all informed as things progress. Thanks to New Sins Press and thanks to all of my readers for your continued encouragement and comments.