Sidewalk Dies, Resurrected by Alternative Deathiness (Alternative War as Well?)
From B Cubed Press last February: B Cubed Press is pleased to announce an open call for ALTERNATIVE DEATHINESS. A fun filled romp into the concept and nature of Death.
Seriously what the hell is death, big guy with bones and a sickle? An ominous Tarot Card? Or is it simply the passing of one thing for another. A change in phase. Or, it is the ending of you, and just you, a personal FU from the universe that say oopsie, you’re out of here?
So be prepared to look hard at this topic, its rituals, its layers. Have fun. May as well, considering the end comes for us all.
The title to be ALTERNATIVE DEATHINESS and you may be sure it was one I would bite on. Another book, ALTERNATIVE WAR, was announced at the same time and, although perhaps not quite as fascinating, I submitted to it too, a reprint called “Refugees.” But of the most interest, a reprint as well, was “The Sidewalk” for the one about death. What would be its fate?
Well . . . it died. In a rather full fullness of time, July 20, the word was returned. It had been rejected (“Refugees,” however, was apparently still on campaign). And there the matter lay.
Until. . . .
Fast forward to this morning, August 3, from Tom Easton (who he?): Thank you for submitting “The Sidewalk” to SPAWN OF WAR AND DEATHINESS. We loved this and would like to accept it for publication. A note followed concerning bibliographic information and then, not much later, a second acceptance came for “Refugees.” Such is the life of the fiction writer, always interesting, filled with surprises. A little detective work however (aided by Facebook), provided the answer.
On B Cubed’s page: Breaking News: MORE STORIES BEING BOUGHT.
The Alternative Deathiness and Alternative War anthologies have drawn so many excellent submissions that we find ourselves facing a dilemma. These anthologies have drawn such a collection of quality reprints, far more than we could ever use, that something MUST BE DONE.
Our Solution? Bob has asked Tom Easton to pick the best of the reprints for both War and Deathiness for a single extra anthology.
NOTE: Some rejections will be Retracted (or at least we will try).
And there you have it.
jamesdorrwriter 
August 3, 2021 at 4:34 pm
Congrats times 2! Great going, Jim! I just learned that Alternative War (B-Cubed) is taking my Civil War surreal poem, “The Southern Lady”!
August 3, 2021 at 5:35 pm
Ah. Thanks, and congratulations too! I take it “The Southern Lady” is an original poem, it going to the B Cubed original and not the combined reprint extravaganza? The real hoot is that, getting my “rejection” (now rescinded) I sent the story to a different market. So. . . well they’ll most probably reject it anyway but if not, considering how long it took for Stories for the Thoughtful Young to come out from B Cubed,there’ll probably still be a good year between publications. (Anyway everyone knows they’re reprints, so. . . .)