BY BENJAMIN IRELAND
I was inspired by a recent blog by the Xchyler co-owner, Penny Freeman, to tell my Xchyler story.
Through mutual acquaintances Penny and I became Facebook friends. One day, I posted how much work it takes to write a book when you don’t know what you’re doing. Then Penny messaged me and said, “Send me your manuscript”
I didn’t know what she was talking about. I was unaware, at the time, that Penny could do anything useful with a manuscript. So, I did some investigating, and it turns out she runs an indie publishing company.
The manuscript in question is a novel i’ve been working on for eight years, Kingdom City. So just handing it over to someone that I didn’t know ran a publishing company seemed to be a bit too much of a leap of faith.
In my investigation I discovered that Xchyler holds quarterly, open-submission anthology contests. It was then that a pillar of light appeared and I heard angels singing. A voice spoke to me and said “remember that story you wrote in college? Finish it and submit it”
Okay, some of that was a lie, but I thought, why not? If Penny really is worth her stuff, she’ll reject my story outright and I can move on with my life. I submitted ‘Kissed a Snake’ and waited to see what would happen.
The anthology submissions are anonymous. So despite being acquainted with Penny, I had just as much chance of being accepted as a complete stranger. So I went for it.
Much to my dismay, I was accepted. I was convinced Xchyler couldn’t know what they were doing if they thought my drivel was worth publishing. But I decided to go with it. I had nothing much else going on but balancing a full time job, commuting for more than two hours a day, my wife’s full time job, and taking care of our three kids.
Then ‘Kissed a Snake’ got into the hands of the editors, and that’s when the magic happened. For me, at least. They threw out the bad stuff, told me what needed to be fixed, and respected my creative voice. The end result was not the same story i’d submitted. It had transcended.
At this point I figured, if they could make something i’d written mostly in college result in a story that I was thrilled with, maybe I could let them take care of my fourth baby—which was also my first—my novel.
I submitted it, they considered it, and then miraculously accepted it. And now, i’m waiting for the dump trucks full of money to pull up to my house.
That hasn’t quite happened yet. However, working with the brilliant folks at Xychler is the realization of a lifelong dream. They work entirely from profit, so they are as invested in your success as you are.
Having my short story published was an enjoyable and rewarding experience. So if you’re wondering if Xchyler is a good fit for you too, do it. You have nothing to lose.
When he’s not wrangling with real life, Ireland takes it on the chin from his editing team with good grace from his home in southeast Texas. His short story, “Kissed a Snake”, is featured in A Dash of Madness: a Thriller Anthology, released in July, 2013. His novel, Kingdom City, is slated for release in January, 2014.