Monday, November 15, 2010

Philippine Speculative Fiction 6: Deadline Today

Hello everyone. First of all, thanks to everyone who have submitted. Nikki and I are deeply touched with all the hard work people have put into writing their stories, with some submitting their stories in between call center calls, while others sent theirs in between meetings outside the country. It’s really incredible to see how much story affects so many of us that despite the demands of our careers and families; despite the limitations of finances or time; despite the distractions that abound, so many still found ways and means to explore their imagination. What’s even more incredible is that so many took the time to write them.

For those still in the process of editing, writing, trimming, adding, deducting, dividing and bullying your stories into place, take heart. You still have several hours left to pacify your stories and submit. :)

Now, for some business.

I personally have tried to respond to everyone who submitted within (roughly) 24 hours. There are a number of reasons why you may have not received an email from me confirming the receipt of your submission:

1) Gmail failed. Hard to believe, but I hear it happens. Your email or my response may have been lost in the fiery underbellies of the Internet where all viagra-related spam should be.

2) I failed. I am, of course, merely human with a predisposition for coke zero. While high on the said beverage, I may have deleted or erroneously categorized your submission. I tend to believe I’m fairly organized, so chances are, I logged in your submission but have not responded to you because of my sugarless high.

3) You failed. I use Gmail’s filtering functionality to keep your submissions out of my spam folder. This means that your subject heading is extremely important. While I do catch the occasional recalcitrant submitter and transfer them safely into the submissions folder, I cannot be certain I’ve caught all.

Whatever the reason, the safest thing to do is to simply re-send your submission to me (kate.osias at gmail). Don't worry if you've forgotten whether I've responded or not. Just send again to be on the safe side, and let me figure out how to work out our submissions inventory.

Again, thank you for all the hard work people. Looking forward to reading your submissions! :)