As readers of this blog know, I was happily inundated with submissions for Eclipse during February.  I am slowly and carefully working my way through the submissions, and hope to get them finished by the end of the month, though it might take a little longer.

By way of an update, I’ve just sent the second round of responses out to authors. If you’ve not heard from me by today, that means I’ve read your story, considered it, and have set it aside to read it a second time. I hope to get back to you, one by one, over the next few weeks.

As to how things overall are progressing, I received a total of 438 valid submissions during February, and a further 47 after the closing date.  The 47 received after the closing date were returned.  Of the 438 valid submissions, I have responded to 391 authors and still have 47 submissions on hand.

If you have not heard from me by tomorrow and have any queries regarding your submission, please do not hesitate to email me.

Last Saturday I’d decided I wasn’t going to go to the Denver WorldCon. This was not a decision which seems to have taken well. On Sunday I was talking to CHARLES, and made a just-in-case room reservation because all of the hotels for WorldCon are filling up.  On Tuesday I decided I’d go.  There are lots of reasons, but it became a very good idea all of a sudden.  This morning I booked and paid for my flights, in what seems to me to be unprecedentedly short period of time.  Maybe it was last year’s experience of booking without a travel agent, but I’m done.  I fly into Denver with the Locus crew just after lunch time on Tuesday 5 August and fly out just around dinner time on Monda 11 August.  All I need to do now is buy my membership, and I’m done (though I wouldn’t mind switching my room res. for one in the main hotel).  I’m actually a little shell-shocked.  If you’re going to be in Denver for the big crazy fest, drop me a line and we can try to get together.  I’m eager to see as many people as possible.