timothy j. lambert

I've made mention many times about another project that Becky and I are working on in addition to TJB 5, and since both Becky and Greg have now mentioned it in their LJs, I'll do the same. The not-so-secret project is an anthology of gay romance for Haworth Press. Editors often have editors and for this project ours is Greg. Since the Greggernaut passed through town again on his way home, we showed him our manuscript and the three of us talked extensively about it. I'm not going to say anything else about it, so don't ask yet which writers will be included. (Note to writers in our anthology: Please don't say anything yet. It's not too late for Becky and I to cut and paste.)

I will say that this has been a wonderful learning experience for me. I'm sure there are editors out there for whom such a project is old hat, who may roll their eyes at my wide-eyed wonder, but it's been thrilling to help put together a collection of good stories written by writers that I genuinely admire. Plus, I can't believe that from now on I can say that I edited—whoops! Almost let a name slip. heh-heh.

What I'll also say is that I still feel like I'm incredibly lucky to be published at all. I know it could all end tomorrow. I'm always insecure about my writing, because I don't have a formal education to back it up like so many of my peers. I know this means more to me than it probably does to anybody else. But, because of this insecurity of mine, I have an inherent need to help anyone I can if I feel like they're a good writer and there's any small way in which I can further their career. Even if it's offering encouragement, or to put in a good word with someone I know in publishing. I know my last name isn't King, Grisham, or Rowling, but I'll still do whatever I can. One of the reasons I'm excited about the anthology that Becky and I are editing is because, in addition to the chance to interact and work with established writers, we've been able to include and work with new writers, too. It's exciting to think that this could be the start of a brilliant career for some of them, and we had a small part in that. It's been great to answer all of their questions, guide them, and gently reprimand them, if need be. I hope it's been as fun for them as it has been for us. Note to writers included in anthology: Again, please don't reply to this post, or any like it, until we give you the go-ahead. Or, you may wake up next to a goat head. If you've signed your contract, you don't have to kiss my ass any longer anyway. Besides, you should be working on your next great story, instead of reading my LJ. Go. Get to work. Make me proud.

Because I admire her work, it pained me that we couldn't include a story that Alana Noel Voth sent to me. It pained me because I was smacking myself on the forehead with my Webster's dictionary while wailing, "WHY?" to the heavens. I'd selected Alana's story, "Benediction", for Richard's BEST GAY EROTICA 2007 and because she was a good writer who was also polite enough to write to me and thank me for picking her story, I made it a point to get in touch with her to see if she had a romantic short story laying around the house. She didn't think she had anything that fit the bill, but sent me the closest thing she had, which was a brilliant story titled "Boxy Temples." I loved it, as did Becky, but it just didn't gel with the rest of our stories. I can't say that we rejected Alana's story, because I'll make it a point from now on to support it in any fashion that I can. Like writing about it here. Or telling my dry cleaner, "Hi. I'm here to pick up three shirts and to tell you about Alana Noel Voth. She's a good writer. Did you mend that button?" Or, by handing her story to Greg and begging him to think of her for future projects, as I did when the Greggernaut passed through town the other day. Yes, I'm shameless. But I have good intentions.