Those who have submitted short stories

vrabinec · Apr 14, 2009

How happy were you with the story that popped your submission cherry? I'm working on two novels and a short story that I'm very happy with. I will gladly put my name on them, send them out, and if they're rejected, so be it. But an opportunity came up to sub something to a short story contest (the PARSEC contest that's posted in the contests forums) and so I sent out my first submission. Not too thrilled about the story, but it's my first submission and I can't take it back now.

Kinda feels like I lost my virginity to some ugly chick at a party, instead of waiting for someone I was pursuing for a long time. Anyone else feel like that about the very first thing they ever submitted?

Maryn · Apr 14, 2009

Not really. I was proud of my first story, and a big market bought it. However, the next dozen, which included several I was just as proud of...

I know what you mean, though. You want your first venture to be something great, and for whoever you sub it to to agree. To totally get off on the right foot, so to speak.

On the plus side, if it's rejected, you can reassure yourself that it's only because you know at a gut level that it's not your best work, instead of wondering, like I do, what reasoning led them to buy that but not this.

Maryn, whose original genre's market has all but dried up

Stijn Hommes · Apr 14, 2009

I only send out material I'm proud of. If I'm not happy with it, it's not going out.
Then again, for me writing is, at the moment, a hobby, so I can afford to do that. Not everyone around here has the same luxury.

Abraham · Apr 14, 2009

Yet to be published but I'm proud of the stuff I send and while I don't submit to the "biggest" of the magazines usually, I send them to the middle ground ones. I have at least gotten some nice rejections, some saying they enjoyed the story but it wasn't right for the issue, would like to see more of my stuff, etc.

Part of it too is finding the right fit for the story which can be tricky (and time intensive).

NicoleMD · Apr 14, 2009

I have yet to sell my first short story, though it almost always gets nice personal rejections. I'm still really proud of it. I just need to find a good market for comedic-horror-fantasy-sci-fi stories. Maybe I crossed one too many genres.

Nicole

Sharon Mock · Apr 14, 2009

I'm not sure I even remember the first story I sent out. I was eighteen or nineteen. I can guarantee you, it was unpublishable... though it was as good as I could do at the time.

Selling stories to good markets is hard. No, harder than that. No, even harder. If publication is your goal, you might as well start submitting to good markets now, and build up those rejection calluses. Don't wait until you've written the "perfect" story--chances are, even if it's as good as you think it is, it won't sell to the first place you send it.

HoraceJames · Apr 14, 2009

If you're having second thoughts you can withdraw it, but Parsec's not chopped liver.

vrabinec · Apr 14, 2009

Nah, I figure, if they bounce it, I'll rework it so it's more along the lines of what I like (the 3500 word limit was brutal, and left me feeling like I left some pertinent info out like setting) and sub it to some mags.

Alan Yee · Apr 14, 2009

The first story I ever submitted was horrible. Not as horrible as horrible gets, but definitely unpublishable. I was probably thirteen or fourteen at the time (I'm seventeen now). After a short time I knew I just wasn't good enough yet. My more recent stories are significantly better, so I'll probably submit them once I finish them and polish them up.

Polenth · Apr 14, 2009

I liked the first story I sent out (to Strange Horizons). Some months down the line, I realised the ending was terrible and needed re-writing. But at the time, it was the best I could do.

Robert E. Keller · Apr 14, 2009

The first story I sent out (before taking over 15 years off from short story writing) was in the early 90s. (Or maybe it was closer to the mid 90s. I can't really remember.) It was called "A Clever Old Serpent" and it was a sword and sorcery tale about a warrior who was invading the lair of a man-eating snake. I sent it to Worlds of Fantasy and Horror. It wasn't a terrible story, but it wasn't all that good, either. I've considered rewriting it just to amuse myself and then trying to sell it somewhere. It was written on an electric typewriter, and the copy of it is long lost, so I'd have to start from scratch (which is probably a good thing).

Robert E. Keller
http://www.scrollsofatlantis.com

Lucy Joseph · Apr 14, 2009

Don't worry about it. In 10 years, hopefully you'll be a much better writer and think all the stuff you're writing now is lousy. Is that comforting or not?

That said, I don't send out anything I don't think is great. At the time, at least.

astonwest · Apr 14, 2009

Instead of worrying about ruining your "submission cherry" I'd be more worried that you'd submit a story not quite up to par and it was accepted by some place that wasn't keen on editing.

Even having had several stories published, that still keeps me up at night.

Abraham · Apr 14, 2009

Don't hesitate too long either to make it perfect. Sooner or later you have to take the plunge and put yourself out there.

Katrina S. Forest · May 5, 2009

I've mentioned this on another thread, but your idea of your best work might not be everyone else's idea of your best work. To date, I've sold two short stories, and neither were my favorites, not even close. They were just a good match for that issue at that time.

I know some of my stories are unpublishable, I can recognize that. But for stories that fall into the category of, "I don't know, maybe," I generally send them out anyway. My "maybe" might be someone else's "exactly."

Etola · May 11, 2009

The first time I submitted something, I was just about 14 years old, I think. (Well, somewhere in the ballpark between 14-16.) Looking back on it, the story I submitted at the time isn't even salvageable. My writing's improved tremendously since then. But I don't regret sending stuff out when I did. When RL got tougher, when I had less time and my life goals became fuzzier, I could still keep at my writing. I knew that no matter what, I had submitted something, which meant I could do it again. And now I have about six stories I'm happy with that are making the market rounds.

psykeout · May 11, 2009

My first submission wasn't a great story, but it wasn't horrible. At the time, I thought it was the greatest thing since OpenOffice. But, I was sadly mistaken.

Fortunately, when the rejection letter came back, I felt like a real writer. I told everybody I knew that I was finally a real writer...I got my first rejection letter. But, believe me...you'll get used to them and eventually appreciate the personal ones which show that someone took the time to read it.

Good luck!

Izz · May 11, 2009

A few weeks ago i sold the first piece i started subbing, to its 5th market, after 53 weeks on the submission merry-go-round. Sold it to a pro market, too, which was neat. Link to story is in my siggy.

It wasn't my first sale, though. My first sale was a very sweet feeling. I think i walked around with a silly grin on my face for two days. That story comes out in July.

Greenwolf103 · May 12, 2009

I have the opposite situation. The first short story I had accepted was by a nonpaying market. I really liked that one, and was happy to see it in print.

My first SOLD short story (and third short to be published) was one which I never expected to get accepted. I was okay with it but didn't consider it to be my best of all shorts written.

bsolah · May 12, 2009

My first submission was a pretty honed story, and still got rejected. The story still means a lot to me and eventually I know it will get published somewhere - once I get around the bloody revising it again!

But don't despair over sending a story you're not quite happy with. Good on you for getting the guts to send your first submission out

EFCollins · May 12, 2009

If I'm ever actually happy with something I write, I think I'll die of shock. Seriously, I'm not happy with any of my work and probably never will be. I'm a perfectionist when it comes to writing, and perfection is unattainable. So, unhappy I'll remain.

cathyfreeze · May 19, 2009

EFCollins said:
If I'm ever actually happy with something I write, I think I'll die of shock. Seriously, I'm not happy with any of my work and probably never will be. I'm a perfectionist when it comes to writing, and perfection is unattainable. So, unhappy I'll remain.

I'm with Effy on this one. I lurvlurv a story, usually, when i finish a rough draft; hatehate it by the time i've got it polished. I often don't send a piece out at all--i just trunk it as offal. So you're da bomb (do they say that anymore? i'm old, i'm allowed.

You're smart to send pieces out. You're brave. And you'll eventually be successful because of that stuff.

cat

Ulee_Lhea · May 23, 2009

EFCollins said:
If I'm ever actually happy with something I write, I think I'll die of shock. Seriously, I'm not happy with any of my work and probably never will be. I'm a perfectionist when it comes to writing, and perfection is unattainable. So, unhappy I'll remain.

This is so true for me too! I finally submitted me first short to a couple of journals this week. I had been putting it off for about a month, going back for just one more edit, which became two, which became twelve. I was basically changing tiny little details, and then changing them back. I just couldn't stop messing with it!

One thing that helped: a lot of journals are closing submissions for the summer, so that gave me kind of a deadline where I just had to DO IT or stew for three more months. That's a great thing about contests, too.

Still, it felt like sending my un-potty-trained five-year-old to Kindergarten, wearing two diapers and hoping no one would notice. I'm such a perfectionist, it's probably always going to feel that way.

Cybernaught · May 23, 2009

At the time I was proud of it, but looking back on it now, it was rejected with good reason.

writeroffthelake · Jun 1, 2009

You're always going to like some of your stories better than others. You may also find yourself liking certain stories more at certain points in your life. If you thought it was good enough to submit, then live with it and be glad that it's been accepted for publication. That, alone, means that at least one person other than yourself found something about it that's worthwhile.

Those who have submitted short stories

Dipwad

I Tried

Know what you write...

Onomatopotamus

Wing nut

Dipwad

Still Here!

Mushroom

Likes heroic fantasy and hot coffee

2 WIP? A glutton for punishment

Still looking for stars...

should be writing instead...

Doing the Space Operatic

I'm a grrrl dog, yo

AW's Resident Commie

World Class Rambler

I lost my fever! I need it back!

Fear no darkness.

Decker