A Story of Rejection, Strategy, and a $665 Surprise
Welcome to this edition of the Dispatch.
Today, I am thrilled to announce the publication of my historical military fiction story, “The Rest Was Only Ash.” It has found a home with the Substack publication Short Story by Palisatrium. This story represents a significant milestone for my career, and the journey it took to get here is a lesson in professional persistence.
From the Slush Pile to a Winning Story
I originally wrote “The Rest Was Only Ash” for the Raconteur Press anthology, Mercs and Mayhem. It is a story of a Scottish mercenary unit during the Thirty Years’ War tasked with extracting an alchemist who has invented a terrifying new weapon. The story explores the moral consequences of their contract when they witness the weapon’s destructive power firsthand.
Unfortunately, the story was not selected for that anthology. It joined my personal “slush pile,” a collection of works waiting for the right home.
Rather than let the story sit, I turned to a professional tool called The Submission Grinder. It is a database that helps authors find markets for their work. It was there I discovered Short Story by Palisatrium, a Substack that publishes one story per month. I submitted the piece, not paying much attention to the details. I was in a phase of submitting many stories from my slush pile and expected little.
I did not even realize it was a contest until I received the email informing me I had won.
A New Career Milestone
It turns out that Short Story by Palisatrium splits its subscription profits with the winning author each month. As the publication has grown, so has the prize. The payment for my story was $665. This is by far the most I have ever been paid for a single piece of short fiction. It is a powerful validation that persistence and strategic submission can turn a rejection into a major success.
I invite you to read the full story. It is a tale of tactical grit and impossible choices, grounded in the brutal reality of 17th-century warfare.
Read "The Rest was Only Ash" here
Join the Journey
If you are new to my work, I invite you to join the mailing list. As a thank you, you will receive my Heart & Havoc digital collection. This sampler features two of my popular stories and is the best way to stay updated on future releases.
Thank you for supporting independent fiction.
Michael Patrick Coady
Author
www.michaelpatrickcoady.com