How did you feel when you first submitted a story?

patrick.colliton · Jun 9, 2009

I've been writing a lot for the past couple of years and this is the first actual submission I've made. How did you feel when you first submitted?

Me, I keep having visions of an office full of editors laughing and passing my manuscript from desk to desk lol.

Katrina S. Forest · Jun 9, 2009

I was terrified the first time I sent a short story out. My nerves still get wracked every time I do, and I've sent quite a few. It's just a feeling I get used to having, but I always try to give myself a tiny reward whenever I put something new in the mail.

astonwest · Jun 9, 2009

As anxious as the first time I tried to ask a girl out, and for basically the same reason...

Clair Dickson · Jun 9, 2009

I felt confident. I was sending out some good stuff.

I was also delusional. I just didn't realize it at the time.

Now adays, I'm back to being confident, but with a little less delusion. I've got more than few stories under my belt, with positive editorial and reader feedback. I think I've kind of gotten the hang of this short story writing thing. So, I am again confident that I am sending out good stuff.

Adam · Jun 9, 2009

Nervous, if a little confident.

Didn't sell. Ah well.

shakeysix · Jun 9, 2009

like a virgin--s6

WendyNYC · Jun 9, 2009

Ridiculously confident.

That didn't last long.

efkelley · Jun 9, 2009

astonwest said:
As anxious as the first time I tried to ask a girl out, and for basically the same reason...

This feeling EXACTLY!

But, like asking out girls, the feeling should never stop you.

Cranky · Jun 9, 2009

I had to talk myself into it. My hubby had to nag me, repeatedly. And still, I wanted to puke on my shoes and take it back. I was embarrassed to even send it. And of course, it was rejected.

I've sent out two more pieces and it's been the same song and dance for them, too. Just waiting for the rejection on the last one -- which has already been rejected somewhere else. Meh. I'll keep feeling sick to my stomach, but I'll keep on sending them. What else am I going to do? I'll never be published if I let it stop me.

patrick.colliton · Jun 9, 2009

Cranky said:
I had to talk myself into it. My hubby had to nag me, repeatedly. And still, I wanted to puke on my shoes and take it back. I was embarrassed to even send it. And of course, it was rejected.

I've sent out two more pieces and it's been the same song and dance for them, too. Just waiting for the rejection on the last one -- which has already been rejected somewhere else. Meh. I'll keep feeling sick to my stomach, but I'll keep on sending them. What else am I going to do? I'll never be published if I let it stop me.

My wife did the same thing for me. I've just had to remind myself that nothing is going to ever happen with my writing if I don't put it out there.

raburrell · Jun 9, 2009

Nervous and freaky, until I realized I'd spell-checked the agent's last name, but not her first. Then I didn't feel the slightest bit nervous anymore because I knew what the answer would be

Cranky · Jun 9, 2009

patrick.colliton said:
My wife did the same thing for me. I've just had to remind myself that nothing is going to ever happen with my writing if I don't put it out there.

Exactly.

And truthfully, submitting was actually worse for me than the rejections. Well, the first one was hard, and I can admit now that I even cried a little bit (very little bit) because I felt like a failure. I had to talk myself out of feeling bad.

Good luck!

The Lonely One · Jun 9, 2009

patrick.colliton said:
How did you feel when you first submitted?

Hopeful but realistic. I picture what I think the rejection form might look like when I'm mailing it out, and rest knowing I'll likely soon see how close my version is to the real thing.

Maybe this is an indication of why I'm so screwed up

heatheringemar · Jun 9, 2009

Very nervous, but I just got to the point that I was editing and editing and was literally sick of looking at the words... And so, I thought, "well, if I'm going to do this, it's now or never," and I wrote up my cover letter, dotted all 'i's and crossed all 't's, and hit that 'send' button.

It ended up being a rejection, but I felt a lot better about submitting other works once I got through how it all worked once.

heatheringemar · Jun 9, 2009

Cranky said:
I'll keep feeling sick to my stomach, but I'll keep on sending them. What else am I going to do? I'll never be published if I let it stop me.

That's the way to keep at it!

Do it anyway, regardless of obstacles.

You go for it!

RainbowDragon · Jun 9, 2009

Optimistic.

Of course the longer the chain of consecutive rejections the harder that feeling is to maintain.

Now I still daydream about acceptances but when the envelope or e-mail arrives I know what to expect.

The Lady · Jun 16, 2009

I just love that feeling of knowing the editing can end. For a while.

I felt so brave when I did my first submission. I wanted to give me a medal.

jennifer75 · Jun 16, 2009

WendyNYC said:
Ridiculously confident.

That didn't last long.

Ditto.

dgrintalis · Jun 16, 2009

I recently sent out my first short story and I felt removed. As if my hands belonged to someone else. Cranky is the reason I sent it out in the first place. :Hug2:

I would have just put it up on my blog. But I didn't. I sent it out and got a rejection a few days later and it was okay. I went to the next name on my list and sent it back out. If they reject it, I'll send it to the next and the next and so on...

Now, when I send out the query letter for my WIP, I'll probably be a mess.

Robert E. Keller · Jun 16, 2009

I was excited. It meant that I actually had a story completed that I felt was good enough to try to get published. The story was written on an electric typewriter that needed a tuneup, and it began with two pages of exposition, but I felt like a real writer because I was finally putting something out there.

These days, I find submitting to be relaxing. It leaves me feeling good, like I've accomplished something and now deserve a little break (regardless of whether or not I actually take that break).

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

Susan Lanigan · Jun 17, 2009

I can't remember what my first submission felt like, but I always feel a bit lighter once I send them out. I hate stories that are stuck and can't get out there and do their work!

Rufus Leeking · Jun 21, 2009

The Lady said:
I just love that feeling of knowing the editing can end. For a while.

I felt so brave when I did my first submission. I wanted to give me a medal.

after about 7 months of rejection i had my first story published last month. I bought 25 copies of the journal and leave them in hotels or where ever hat might have a reading room.

the first thing i sent out I was probably cocky. I sent my second best story to a journal i figured was beneath my best. that feeling goes away quickly, but so does any shyness- for me the almost 99% rejection rate at most places means why sweat it? send stuff out, and expect it to be rejected, but don't sweat whether you can stand the humiliation- be happy if anyone at these places reads your piece enough to know what you wrote.

patrick.colliton · Jun 22, 2009

Well I submitted my second story today, but after this thread I feel pretty confident in the rejection of both my stories under consideration. lol

How did you feel when you first submitted a story?

patrick.colliton

Katrina S. Forest

astonwest

2 WIP? A glutton for punishment

Clair Dickson

A dark core to every cloud

Adam

Not dead.

shakeysix

blue eyed floozy

WendyNYC

fiddle-dee-dee

efkelley

ow

Cranky

patrick.colliton

raburrell

Treguna Makoidees Trecorum SadisDee

Cranky

The Lonely One

Why is a raven like a writing desk?

heatheringemar

lurking behind that corner..

heatheringemar

lurking behind that corner..

RainbowDragon

Perpetuous Revisasaurus

The Lady

Critical Member

jennifer75

SupahStah!

dgrintalis

'Tis true, she is a monstergirl

Robert E. Keller

Likes heroic fantasy and hot coffee

Susan Lanigan

Rufus Leeking

patrick.colliton