Is it a bad idea?

celticroots · Mar 11, 2012

to sub a story after rewriting, editing and all that good stuff, without putting it on SYW or having other's read it? This isn't about my last post ( I can take constructive criticism well), but I've been thinking of doing what is mentioned above with one of my new stories.

Do you guys ever do this?

Lillie · Mar 11, 2012

All the time.

I hardly ever have any of my stories read before I sub them.

I just kick them out into the cold without a scarf or a hat, and expect them to do their best.

But you should do what you feel comfortable with.

MJNL · Mar 11, 2012

Lots of people do. I have two people I trust read my stories before I send them out. Sometimes it only goes to one of them. They catch plot holes and typos. But, there are many successful writers who don't get any input. I'd suggest getting some feedback if you're new to professional level writing--I've learned a lot that way. But it certainly doesn't have to be via SYW or other online crit groups.

If you're comfortable subbing without crits, then go for it.

Polenth · Mar 11, 2012

My critique partner looked over most of my first stories. But now, most stuff I send hasn't been seen by anyone else. If you write a lot of shorts, it's not very practical to get every one looked at.

veinglory · Mar 11, 2012

I generally send my short stories straight out the door. I sometimes use a beta reader or writing group for novellas, at least parts of them.

gettingby · Mar 11, 2012

I send my stories out without having someone else look at them. Honestly, I'm not a fan of SYW.

areteus · Mar 12, 2012

If you have been through one level of crits and edits and you are happy that you have made the changes asked for by the critters that you agree with (note, you don't necessarily need to make all the changes, filter all crits through your own vision) then there is no need to repost to any group or resend to betas. You will only get confirmation that you made the changes they asked for/approbation that you didn't do what they asked and nothing more... It's critical stagnation.

Better to send it to a publisher and, if it gets rejected again, then push it out to more crits and explain that it got rejected.

Stijn Hommes · Mar 12, 2012

Sometimes you need to make a deadline making it impossible to get a second set of eyes in time. No problem in my book. Although it's less than perfect.

Carradee · Mar 12, 2012

I do it all the time. Frankly, I like it. It's incentive to improve your self-editing skills.

Rhoda Nightingale · Mar 12, 2012

Well of course you can submit it without having anyone look it over. It's completely up to you. I haven't done it with short stories before, but I've done it with novels once or twice. Doesn't hurt your chances much at the query-level, I don't think.

And anyway, if it ends up getting rejected across the board, you can always tweak and come back for suggestions later. (This is what I'm doing with Doppelganger right now.) If you're confident it's ready to go, then by all means, let it go.

Jamesaritchie · Mar 12, 2012

celticroots said:
to sub a story after rewriting, editing and all that good stuff, without putting it on SYW or having other's read it? This isn't about my last post ( I can take constructive criticism well), but I've been thinking of doing what is mentioned above with one of my new stories.

Do you guys ever do this?

Well, what did writers do before the internet? No one on earth can tell you whether a story is publishable except the editor who buys it. It's just this simple.

But make sure it is well edited. Editing, meaning goofs in grammar, typo, and format, is something others can help you with, as long as they don't try to correct intentional mistakes, such as the way you use grammar when a character speaks.

It certainly won't kill a manuscript, but too many mistakes such as making "others" possessive, can be annoying.

ZaWolf · Mar 12, 2012

I think it's important to remember that, just as you could probably spend eternity editing one story, the same is likely to happen if you wait for other people to stop having criticisms about your stories.
That is to say, once you've found your voice and you're comfortable with your style of writing, as well as your technical proficiency, it might be more of a liability than an asset having others read and critique your work before allowing yourself to send it off into the wild.

jaksen · Mar 12, 2012

No, it is not a bad idea.

TumbleHome · Mar 12, 2012

Unless I'm writing with someone else, none of my stories have been vetted by other writers- although I am looking forward to trying that method out in the near future.

So... not a bad idea IMO, if it feels right and you have confidence, good luck!

Mad Rabbits · Mar 12, 2012

Not a bad idea. Perhaps solicit a critique if you feel uncomfortable about some aspect of the story. Other people can be good at picking up plot holes or things that are illogical, that you might not pick up on because you are too close to the material. But as to the fine grain editing, I think it's best to learn how to do that yourself.

Is it a bad idea?

celticroots

Lillie

practical experience, FTW

MJNL

A Little Lost

Polenth

Mushroom

veinglory

volitare nequeo

gettingby

areteus

Stijn Hommes

Know what you write...

Carradee

practical experience, FTW

Rhoda Nightingale

Vampire Junkie

Jamesaritchie

ZaWolf

jaksen

Caped Codder

TumbleHome

Inconsequential. Also: short.

Mad Rabbits