Bewildering Stories Editorial

by Jerry Wright

Growing Pains

Look at our home page. Yeah, go up top and click the Home Page Button, and look at our hit counter, and then come back.

Shortly after we started this venture, I think we'd had say 2000 hits, I was discussing our growth on the previous forum with the redoubtable Thomas R. At that time, he was doubtful we'd ever make 20,000 hits. Ever. Right now, we are over 82,000 hits on our front page alone and growing at well over 1000 new hits per week. Our readership is growing. We are getting stories from more people who have a great deal of talent. We are also getting more stories from people who are close to being accepted. Or not even close...

We STILL feel it is part of our job to help and hone those who submit stories to us. But guess what? We decided that it was time to ratchet up the requirements, so we are going to see fewer and fewer marginal stories. We just don't have room for them.

I remember the old days, when stories would come in with Sunday's e-mail, be transferred into HTML and voila' would end up in that week's edition of BwS. Now, we have a 5 week backlog. And for some things, even longer.

And of course, Don and I along with Bob Blevins and the wonderful people from Adventure Books have been working with Chris Cartright on the cover for our first foray into publishing -- "The First Bewildering Stories Anthology". I think you all will be pleased and impressed. I know I am.

This isn't really an editorial, but it IS some good news, and after last week's fights with computers, hackers, and customers with virii, I can use some good news!