Saturday, January 28, 2012

Are we ready? Reporting in for January!

The Koala is smugly preening her fur after a fab January. 15,000 words and three, count 'em, three short story submissions. One of which got tossed out immediately, because it would have been a reprint and the publication had changed its policy on that. Whoops. But I tried. And I start the year on nine pristine points at the top of the eucalypt.

Read the full story of Koala pointage here, and report in below! (And the 2011 awards post is below this one if anybody missed it.)

30 comments:

jjdebenedictis said...

I slink in with three points, one for writing, one for a new synopsis, and one for a new query letter.

I probably should bump it to four for editing, but honestly, I've been slacking, so let's leave it at three and I shall have to do better next month!

PJD said...

You're gonna have to do the math for me. I'm asking for judgment here.

Writing 8000 new words, 3 points.

Creating a cover for my book: ?
Publishing my novel as ebook: ?
Proofing my print book: ?
Publishing my novel in print: ?

Part of me wants to argue that I should get one point for each sale of the ebook, or at least one point for each country the ebook sold in (two so far). But that might be pushing it.

So I get three points minimally, but I leave it to you to decide where I end up for January.

Unknown said...

Just found out about this yesterday, and was busy all of today, but had some poems lined up to submit to a certain magazine so I decided to hurry up and send them off... so 5 poems, 5 points. Unless it's just one point because it was one magazine? That isn't particularly clear in the description. Help a newbie out?

Also I'm editing a novel, and I haven't kept exact count of how many words I edited this month, but I know it must be at least 1400 - so let's say 3 points for that. Not bad for not even knowing it was worth points at the time.

Jenna Jones said...

Ugh, math is hard.

Okay:
Words written, 22,000
Website overhaul

I'm going to claim 9 points. I"m not quite clear, I think, on what counts as editing. Is the total word count of the MS or is it new words added in the course of editing?

I edited a 28,000 word story and added about 800 words in the course of edits. I really don't know how to count that.

Angie said...

Writing -- 6717 words = 2 pts.
Editing -- 12,995 words = 2 pts.
Submissions -- 3 = 3 pts.
TOTAL = 7 pts.

Pitiful writing total, especially considering my last few months. :/ In my own defense, I'll point out that I had TWO laptops get borked out from under me. The first one's still a doorstop, and the second one was fixed (sort of) only a few days ago. [mutter]

Angie, raging at the unfairness of Murphy

McKoala said...

Oooh, oooh, fresh blood! Welcome Serena!

Some rulings needed... The Koala's never really dealt with poetry, but it's time I did. I think Peter would be grateful for that too. I'll start with one point per poem - assuming they're longer than Haiku? Editing, did you miss off a zero - was that 14000?!

Peter...rulings for you. One point for publishing the e-book, one for publishing the print book. None for the cover. Swithering over the proofing - whether to count that as part of the publishing or not. Want to argue the case?

Jenna - the editing is kind of a catch all to cover adding/deleting and all the work involved in bringing something up to scratch. You can kind of average out the number of words you play with one way or the other.

JJ, the slinking's a nice look for you.

Angie's score makes people with fully functioning lap tops look bad...

Robin B. said...

Reporting in:

1 point: 1 story submission (I picked one that doesn't take sim subs. Dumb, but true!)

2 points: (I think?) Edited approx 9500 words.

2 points: (I think? I need to make a chart of these point counts!) Wrote upwards of 4K new words.

Also did a lot of planning and decision-making stuf on plot, but that doesn't count. Still, a good month for me. Yay!

Unknown said...

McKoala,

Yeah, that was a typo - 14000 words edited. Thanks!

Stacy said...

I have at least one point for a submission, but I still have to tally up my writing points.

PD Singer said...

Sorry, I think Peter should get one point at least for each of those activities, because I know how much work they are, and it's all necessary to create a final readable product. Proofing, definitely necessary, and covered in your ruling to Jenna.

Go Peter!

Jenna's site looks great!

Offers condolences to Angie's doorstop.

*Looks to the right*
*Looks to the left*

120,000 words edited 24
(This is the book that's kept me in Koala points for 2 years, and the last time I count it, because it's coming out the end of March.)

14,300 words written 6

Redesigned web site 1

30,000 words edited 6
(Different book, new publisher, more editing fun.)
37 total

I'm taking myself out of contention for the yearly prize, because I signed contracts for 5 books to be delivered this year, and while 3 of them are already written, 2 aren't. There's one thing worse than getting Koala-slashed, and that's giving the advance back.

PJD said...

Thanks for having my back, PD! (And for the record, I really like anyone named PD.)

I'll argue for the proofing as being a point. The actual verification of the proof itself was almost no work, but that's only because I essentially reworked the entire formatting and did a full once-over edit of the whole manuscript getting to the publication stage. Up to you whether to award the point or not. looks like I've got at least four, so I won't be eviscerated at least.

Angie said...

Pam just reminded me in e-mail that I betaed one of those 5 upcoming books of hers (completely zoned on that :P ) so I have 8 points, yay!

Angie

Stacy said...

I wrote just shy of 34K words and made 1 submission. 17 points.

Stacy said...

And of course I had to make the 13th comment. blech.

iasa said...

Everyone is doing so well! Lucky I'm here to balance us out with my two points, one for writing and one for editing.

Time to go back to my cave.

McKoala said...

Ah, Iasa, somebody has to bring up the rear. At least, you're still willing to keep trying, unlike some I could mention...

Did you notice that I bumped you up to 6 for December, because I was so impressed by your 5.5?! I think it's a record for you. Plus I must have been swigging at the 'Christmas Cheer' bottle instead of my usual 'Grumpy Koala Juice'.

iasa said...

I did notice, thank you! I have no where to go but up or perhaps slightly down!

Sylvia said...

Total fiction words written: 7,427
Words edited: 4,534
Stories submitted: 4
Guest post of 3,000 words: 1

I make that 8 points.

I don't get words-written points for the guest post right? Especially if I admit that he was only expecting about 500...

Also, I wrote 3,600 words of backstory/notes for a story that I'm hoping I can write this month. I'm not sure if that counts as it ends up a double-dipper (counting the words written and then the new words written once I get serious and then the words edited once I fix it all).

Stevie Carroll said...

I was very busy.

1 guest post on someone else's blog = 1 point

4,020 words written = 1 point

93,316 words edited = 18 points

3 stories submitted = 3 points

Giving a total of 23 points

McKoala said...

Gee, all these high pointers have wondering if this whole challenge thing is too easy...

Travis Erwin said...

I think I score 26 or 27 points.I edited a 100k novel and submitted it to Amazons contest. I wrote about 5k words on a new project. And I made a video as part of my application for a writing based reality show.

Travis Erwin said...

I think I score 26 or 27 points.I edited a 100k novel and submitted it to Amazons contest. I wrote about 5k words on a new project. And I made a video as part of my application for a writing based reality show.

Angie said...

Whee! Go Travis! :)

Angie

Sarah Laurenson said...

*sigh* Yes, reporting. I did something near the beginning of January. I remember feeling off to a good start. No idea what, how much or if any points were earned.

Seems I jumped back into the fray too soon. Between, work, the volunteer gig of death and senior dog care, there's nothing left over. Plus I'm now on the slowest ever jury duty with no time during the day to do anything extra. Hoping this will be over real soon, but it's a very slow, methodical process.

Happy to report the LED string of party lights = a good runway to the dog bed at night. We've adjusted to them and are sleeping fairly well these days.

McKoala said...

*jawdrop* Travis, no wonder you had no time to report in. You start on Approves. Sarah, because the Koala has a soft spot for dogs, as long as they don't chase her up the eucalypt, you are safe for now...

Official scores will go up later this week, but I think most of you know where you are...

Stacy said...

Did I not make the list?

McKoala said...

Stacy, you reported - so yup! Still need to put it up, hopefully tomorrow. Nipping in and out at the moment.

Whirlochre said...

Late in with a feeble 2.

Do I make a 3 if I write out MCKOALA PLEASE SPANK MY BOTTOM 1000 times?

McKoala said...

No!!!

Mother (Re)produces. said...

Okeydokey, here goes:

1 point for the 4000k wd minimum
1 point for the 2000k over that


So... two points!

Do I get points for rejections? Got several of those :)

Nice to be back on the extreme pedicure waiting list!