You deserve an explanation. An explanation as to why I haven’t, among other things, answered an e-mail, called a friend, attended a convention, or updated any of the fiction markets that I operate (and/or other websites) in quite a long time… I bought a house.
This is a good thing! I haven’t died; I’m not sick; I’m not stuck in a major depression (just a little ennui). It’s just that I’ve become utterly unreliable for everything outside of my family, my day job, and the house. Overall my priorities shifted a bit and my fannish/freelance enjoyment took a back seat. Until this past weekend when I attended The Steampunk World’s Fair, I hadn’t been to a convention since Balticon 2010 (last Memorial Day). I haven’t played Dungeons & Dragons with my regular group, my childhood friends, in quite sometime. I haven’t kept up with my e-mail, often going weeks at a time avoiding it. I’ve got a long, long list of things I haven’t done or kept up with.
I have been working hard at a demanding job as a web developer at a major financial institution. I have been enjoying quality time with my family, including game nights, carnivals, birthdays, etc. I have been exercising regularly, eating right (probably not in the way that you think) and improving my health. So, personally, things have been going well for me. I almost wish I had a crushing depression so that I’d be able to excuse my utter neglect of everything else…
Thaumatrope is closed. Announcements to this effect and changes to the website will appear (when the stars are right). It is very likely to reopen in the future. Outstanding payments will be sent out. The site will remain online, and the stories will remain available. I’m planning on publishing an anthology.
Everyday Weirdness is closed. Announcements to this effect and changes to the website will appear (again, when the stars are right). It is somewhat likely to reopen in the future. Outstanding payments will be sent out. I’m planning on publishing an anthology.
Space Westerns is on hiatus. It will reopen. I still have big plans for it. The website redesign is stalled, but when it launches (soon, always soon) that will be the first sign that things are happening on that front. When it returns in full it will return with big guns.
Containment is being updated. If there are conventions in your area that you think should be on it, either add them or let the proper people know about the listing service so they can add their info.
So, I’m starting to be able to be active again. I’ll have more detailed posts about the markets soon, but if anyone has any questions, just let me know.
Thanks for the updates, Nathan. And congrats on the house buying!
Definitely looking forward to the relaunch of Space Westerns.
Congrats, Nathan! I’m glad to see you’re doing okay! Congrats for the house!
None of that excuses your unresponsiveness or your failure to live up to your end of agreements (such as paying the writers whose stories you have, at least until you make good, stolen). The fact that you’ve been living so well in this time isn’t something you should be bragging about, it’s something you should be ashamed of.
And for all of that, you don’t even attempt an apology. Are you for real?
I have no excuse for my lack of response in any way, shape, or form. Shame is what kept me from posting updates here up until now. I can only pledge that I will pay for every story that I’ve published and say that I am sorry that it’s taken me so long to just get to this point. The last thing I wanted to do when starting up a fiction market was to go into arrears with the writers: the people who make it possible to publish fiction in the first place. This post wasn’t meant to be an attempt at an apology. It was my attempt at getting the word out, since I haven’t responded to anyone is quite some time and I’m so far behind in my e-mail correspondence as to make individual responses nearly impossible. Frankly, I didn’t ask for forgiveness because I don’t believe anyone should forgive me—at least until after I’ve paid them.