Fellow author Misha Burnett has gotten one of his short stories into a published anthology! Check it out!
I’ve mentioned Jefferson Smith’s Immerse Or Die Report before.
The concept is brutal in its simplicity. Every morning he takes a self-published novel or story collection and gets on his treadmill for forty minutes. When he runs across something that breaks immersion–unclear syntax, wooden dialogue, boring exposition, pretty much anything that makes him look away from the page–the work gets one strike. Three strikes, and it’s out. The ones that make it past the forty minute mark without collecting three strikes are considered survivors.
EDITED TO ADD: I was reminded that Jefferson Smith is joined by David Higgins in the “test to destruction” review process. Dave’s no pushover, either.
It’s a tough standard–kind of a Gobi torture test for literature.
Of the two hundred and five novels that he put through the mill in 2015,he chose nine survivors to be included in the 2015 Immerse Or Die Story Bundle.
As…
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Michelle Proulx - Author 
I love the idea of the treadmill and three strikes.
“I’m tempted to submit Imminent Danger, but I don’t handle rejection well, lol.”
Do it! Let’s both submit our respective debut novels 🙂
Do it!
Jeff is phenomenally committed to helping indie authors get better, so – while IoD doesn’t sugar-coat anything – all his comments come from a desire that the great bits of a book aren’t weakened by unwitting issues.
Everyone is so supportive!!! Yes, I think I will submit ID. The worst thing that can happen is he doesn’t like it — and that’s not so bad, is it? I mean, it will crush my soul and cause me to eat an entire triple bacon pizza, but nothing ventured nothing gained, right? lol
…. okay!
Actually I just received an email from my mother going “what the heck Michelle why haven’t you submitted it what’s wrong with you the worst he can do is not like it” and I felt very silly. So, yes — let’s both submit!!!
You should try Michelle. You jumped right into the action so would have a solid chance.
I’ll do it! Who doesn’t love an old fashioned alien abduction, I ask you?
I saw this bundle, but the books look a little dark for my taste. Still, it’s an interesting trial by treadmill.
Good luck!