solas so long

as near as i can tell, i have won almost nothing.

i wrote this article last year that was too long to pitch to most magazines and too depreciating for most travel outlets. it's about ethiopia and how miserable it is there.

so i entered it for a Solas Award. Traveler's Tales Publishers gives out some cash awards and publishes a "best of book" each year. it costs $20 to submit an article, which was sort of depressing -- to pay to have someone read your stuff.

well, i "won".

my article Vampires from Venus was selected as one of the three "funniest" stories of the competition. so i get a free copy of their Best of 2007 book (i'm guessing retail value of about $19.99) and a certificate. i didn't win one of the three "best of show" awards which are $1,000 to $500. it doesn't look like my article is getting printed in the 2007 best of book either.

so, uh, for $20 i get a certificate and free postage of a book a don't particularly want. except since the competition is only really open to US residents it's getting mailed to my folks in SF.

i'm trying to be happy that this editor liked my story, but it's not really happening. i mean, basically i paid him to have free rein to publish my article whenever he wants. or not. if it does get printed, i get a $100 "honorarium." so basically i bought a book and gave away my article.

i do think it's a really good piece. so that's something. if anyone wants to read it, just let me know and i'll send you a copy. it's one of the three funniest travel articles written this year!