1. My panel “Hint Fiction: Stories That Prove Less Is More” has been accepted by the AWP committee for next year, which means I’ll definitely be in D.C. and hope to see everyone there. Participants on the panel include contributors Michael Martone, Ann Harleman, Randall Brown, and Daniel A. Olivas.
2. Also, I got the official word that the anthology will in fact be available as an e-book.

Now, to set the record straight, I love Google. It’s probably one of the greatest things in the world. I don’t even know why other search engines try when Google has the market cornered. I mean, the friggin’ word had become an adjective. Nobody Yahoos or Bings something; no, they Google it. Anyway, the auto suggestion is great, too. It gives one an idea of what a lot of other people are searching. I think in a thousand years, when civilization has crumbled and those digging through the mess want to learn about our culture, all they’ll need to look at are some screen shots of Google’s auto suggestion. Like Hint Fiction, for example:

Pretty neat, huh? And of course that auto suggestion will change as time goes on. But right now, July 31, 2010, that’s what is there.

Now with Google’s auto suggestion in mind, I thought I’d try to go through the six basic questions of who, what, where, when, how, why and see what Google comes up with. I’m sure this has been done before (I wouldn’t be surprised if Jimmy Chen did something like this at HTMLGIANT), but I haven’t seen it yet, so I figured what the hey (my favorites, without a doubt, are the second suggestion for where and the third and tenth suggestions for why). Enjoy.

Not sure if you can see the customer review there at the bottom right-hand corner, so here it is closer up:

Um, yeah. Everyone always says how Amazon reviewers are the crazy ones, but I think we just found one here at B&N. Personally, I think it’s hilarious … at least from what I can even understand based on the “review” written. Apparently this prissy58 is upset that she wasted her time on a very short book which, mind you, is free. Also, the introduction at the front of the novella states the length, but whatever. I just found this amusing and wanted to share. They say customer reviews are important for potential readers, and maybe that’s true. I wonder if potential readers to The Silver Ring will be turned off by prissy58′s comment. Let’s also hope prissy58 doesn’t download the free version of Through the Guts of a Beggar as that’s even shorter!

Anyway, thanks to everyone who entered the zombie mini-contest giveaway. The tenth eligible comment was made last night, so with the help of Random.org, the winner is … ST! ST, send me an e-mail at robert (at) robertswartwood (dot) com with your address and I’ll get a copy of Best New Zombie Tales, Vol. 1 out to you posthaste.

What does this mean for us “emerging writers”? Who knows exactly. Sure, some are already prophesying the downfall of print, but it’s hard to imagine that will happen very soon. In terms of Wylie and large advances though, this is definitely worth thinking about:

In what may just be a good piece of publishing apocrypha, Wylie himself is reported to have said that if an author ever earns out an advance, he hasn’t done his job. Whether that’s accurate or not, industry players will readily agree that Wylie is among the best in the business in getting publishers to pony up. But by choosing to publish his own e-book editions, isn’t Wylie moving his business a step away from his prime customer (the editor with the fat corporate checkbook) and a step toward the fickle tastes and maxed-out credit cards of consumers?

Time, as always, will tell.

I heard about this from someone who heard about it on, I think, The Today Show, and yep, it is exactly what it sounds like: Candwich. I don’t know about anyone else, but I think this is pretty rad. I mean, it takes a genius to look at an every day staple and think, What if we put that in a can?

Eight eligible entries so far in the latest mini giveaway contest. Only need two more and I’ll randomly select a winner. So have a great weekend, and here, learn more about the wonderful world of Candwiches.

But anyway, this past weekend I had the pleasure of seeing Inception. As I mentioned before, this was the only movie I was really anticipating this summer, and it was well worth it. I highly recommend seeing it and plan to see it again very soon. Truthfully, it’s not even worth attempting to describe the plot or what’s going on, and yes, the ending won’t sit right for some people, but I thought it was perfect. Christopher Nolan is, without a doubt, one of the best filmmakers working today. Leonardo DiCaprio was great as always, but my favorite cast member by far was Joseph Gordon-Levitt (you know, the kid from 3rd Rock From the Sun). I loved him in Brick, and I loved him in this movie, and I really hope he gets cast in the next Batman film, or at least another project of Nolan’s.

So if you saw Inception, you no doubt saw the trailer for The Town. Very few movies do I look forward to anymore, but this is now one of them. It’s Ben Affleck’s second film as a director, after the great Gone Baby Gone which did a wonderful job of capturing the spirit of Lehane’s novel (not to mention proving just what kind of bad ass Casey Affleck is). The difference this time around is Ben actually stars in the movie, but I’ll let that slide; Ben has proved himself a great actor when need be, and I certainly don’t see him giving a dry performance in one of his own directed films. (And hey, look, Don Draper’s in it too!)

The movie is based on the novel Prince of Thieves by Chuck Hogan which I’m reading now. It’s a book that’s been sitting on one of my bookshelves for years and which I’ve been meaning to read eventually. That’s how it is with a lot of books, sadly, but the fact that the movie is coming out soon, I wanted to read it as soon as possible, and so far, about a quarter of the way in, it’s great.

Also, thanks to everyone who entered the Best New Zombie Tales giveaway contest. Despite the high number of comments so far, I count only five eligible entries, which means there is still time to enter. Just make sure to include something zombie-ish in your comment.

Now if you haven’t seen the trailer yet, enjoy.

My story “In the Land of the Blind” (which won the Chizine contest, like, a decade ago) is reprinted in volume one of Best New Zombie Tales edited by James Roy Daley. Really, it’s in there, as can be seen from the back of the book:

Yes, that’s my name there, along with “Micro Award Finalist,” which I guess is something special even though the Micro Awards are no more (three years is the normal longevity of an award, right?).

Anyhow, it’s not your common zombie story. I like to call it a “non traditional” zombie story, because yes, the living dead are in it, but they do not eat humans. In fact, they’re actually scared of humans. Here’s a little bit from the opening:

Like everyone else he knew, Steven’s heart did not beat. Instead it lay dead in his chest, as docile as his brain and his lungs and his soul. So when he first heard the faint beating sound coming from outside his bedroom window, he didn’t know what to think.

He considered telling his parents. He’d been hearing the beating for almost a week now. Somewhere in the trees and bushes beyond their backyard. Its continuous thump-thumping sounded not outside of his head, but rather in.

When his friend Jimmy came over to the house one day, Steven took him out back.

“Do you hear that?”

“Hear what?”

“Nothing.”

If Jimmy couldn’t hear the beating, Steven knew his parents wouldn’t either. They’d just stare down at him with dead eyes and say, Oh Steven, don’t make things up. You know what will happen if you do.

He knew. It dealt with something only the zombies had, something called imagination. It was dangerous and evil and those who had it were hunted down and put out of their misery.

But one night the beating became too much for Steven. He snuck outside with a shovel — why the shovel, he didn’t know, except that he would need it — and followed the sound until he came to a spot beneath a willow tree. He placed his hand on the dirt where the thump-thumping was the loudest and felt the earth vibrating. He began to dig.

The anthology is available as an e-book (for $2.99 at Amazon and Smashwords) and as a trade paperback (for a slightly higher price at Amazon). I actually got my contributor’s copies the other day and they’re really nice. A thick book, too, over 300 pages (mostly because Ray Garton’s story “Zombie Love” is about 100 pages long). Yes, the book is mostly filled with reprints, even though it’s called Best New Zombie Tales. But hey, as they say, if you haven’t read it yet, it’s new to you.

Now, I have an extra copy here. Me thinks it’s time for a new mini-contest. And here’s how we’re going to do it. In the comments section, write something that has to do with zombies. Your favorite zombie movie, book, video game, whatever. Or your least favorite zombie movie, book, video game, whatever. Or be creative and come up with a new mash-up. Whatever, as long as it has something to do with zombies. The deadline? Until ten people have entered. It could be a day, a week, a month, but when the tenth person has entered, I’ll pick a random name and that person will get a free copy. Cool? Cool. Now I’m not great at farewells, so uh … that’ll do, pig.

This story is actually a sequel of sorts to my very tiny story “A Select Scene From The Life Of A Boy With Webbed Feet” which appeared in Mud Luscious nearly two years ago. It’s important to note because “Excerpts” makes a reference to the first story at some point.

Now enjoy this freaky picture of Ashton Kutcher’s webbed toes.

November 3rd Vroman’s Bookstore in Pasadena, and November 10th McNally Jackson in New York City. Much fun will be had at both locations, so make sure to get your travel arrangements in order now.

Also, here are two more blurbs for the anthology:

“Some of these stories suggest entire novels in just few words. So, in this small book, you have a whole library. It’s reading at the speed of light.” — Robert Shapard, editor of Sudden Fiction and Flash Fiction

“The stories in Robert Swartwood’s Hint Fiction have some serious velocity.  Some explode, some needle, some bleed, and some give the reader room to dream. They’re fun and addictive, like puzzles or haiku or candy. I’ve finished mine but I want more.” — Stewart O’Nan, author of Last Night at the Lobster and Songs for the Missing