Progress

Regarding the contest in my last post...
I won!

My prize, a copy of this year's Writers of the Future Anthology signed by three of the authors, is in the mail. I am very excited to read it (a little market research, hmm?), but more than getting a prize, the results of this little challenge-among-peers means:

1) validation--someone who is not related to me enjoyed my work!
2) very valuable feedback from a variety of readers.

How valuable? It led me to make some significant changes to the story before sending it out into the void. The result: it made it past the slush readers at a very selective pro-paying market, and while it was ultimately rejected, this is a HUGE first!

On an unrelated note, I queried on a story for the first time this morning and received a response this afternoon. As it turns out my submission wasn't lost, they actually liked it! Of course this could still end with a rejection, but it is another big first and a step in the right direction.