I’ll be the first to admit I didn’t anticipate my first book coming out in an electronic format. Pretty difficult to give away signed copies of that, you know? I didn’t even own an ereader until two weeks ago.

However, I like to think I’ve got an open mind. After researching not only the future of epublishing but also my other options, I made what I hope was an informed decision and let my book go to a (primarily) electronic publisher with the hope that someday I will see it in print.

Of course, this isn’t my first foray into electronic publishing. Before I began writing a lot of words and stringing them together, I wrote a few words and strung them together. I’ve written short stories and flash fiction and even microfiction. And trust me when I say, the print markets for short fiction of any length are really, really, REALLY competitive. Like, if you’re not awesomely good at stringing those words together, forget it. I read the short stories in print publications and get goosebumps because they’re so freaking good. Print short story writers are da bomb. No kidding.

That said, most of my short fiction was published online. I managed to get a few into print pubs that weren’t really paying much attention on a particular day, but for the most part, I’m an online writer. Not that there’s anything wrong with that (salute Seinfeld!). Online writing is pretty damn good, too. I’ve edited for online publications, and believe me, they get everything. While editing fiction for edifice WRECKED, which is sadly no more, I saw some stories that stunned me with their poetic beauty, stung me with their edginess or knocked me out flat because they were just so good! Same thing for my current gig at Dark Recesses. Believe me, you can find great writing online, too.

And so I’m now the proud owner of an iPad. The first book I’m reading on it? The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. I’ve actually got a nicely bound leather copy of it on my bookshelf, but it seldom comes down. I’m loving getting reacquainted with Mr. Holmes.

Want to see a really great example of online publishing? I can highly recommend the first issue of Stymie. If you flip through to page 30, you’ll find the one and only story I’ve ever written about golf: Her Only Rival. Plus, it’s just fun to flip the pages — almost as good as my iPad.