Rejectomancy

alexshvartsman

Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Aug 27, 2010
Messages
2,049
Reaction score
156
Location
Brooklyn, NY
Yup, got a couple of subs at 100+ days also... It's long but not really unreasonable.

project_deadlight: Most magazines will bump you up to the front of the queue when this happens, if you resubmit. Not sure what Black Static's policy is on that though.
 

zanzjan

killin' all teh werds
Staff member
Moderator
Kind Benefactor
VPX
VPXI
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 5, 2010
Messages
9,728
Reaction score
3,208
Location
home home homityhomehome
I haven't weathered the hundred plus day wait yet, so to me a hundred days does seem like an excruciatingly long wait! But, I just subbed to Bull Spec AND Electric Literature three days ago, which, I'm sure you know, are both steady at around 200 days of wait for even rejections. In 200 days, I'll read your response again and finally, experientially, know what you mean. :)

Yeah, there's a lot of markets that are really long like that, including many of the really good markets -- probably largely because of the volume of material they're inundated with.

FWIW, approx. 17% of my subs were out 100 days or over.
6% of my subs were out 200 days or over.
3.5% of my subs were out over a year.
My longest? 1826 days + 3 ignored queries on a solicited sub, then I withdrew it. (Don't ever wait that long.)
Overall, though, my average response time has been 75 days. If I exclude the 1826 days, it drops to 62.
Right now I've got one out at 526 days and one at 187 days, and counting.

I'm sure I'm failing at sounding sympathetic, even though I *am* -- each of those milestones when I first hit them felt ridiculously long, but in hindsight, with one notable exception, now seem fairly typical.
 

Lillie

practical experience, FTW
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jan 14, 2011
Messages
1,585
Reaction score
178
Location
Wales
110 DAYS!!! Then to be told AFTER AN IGNORED QUERY ALREADY, that they never received it??? I thought this was a place for love and hugs...

That's a bitch. ((((((Love and Hugs)))))) for you :(
 

Lillie

practical experience, FTW
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jan 14, 2011
Messages
1,585
Reaction score
178
Location
Wales
And just to remind me not to get above myself, a 88 day R from Strange Horizons :(

:D I don't care. Well, a little bit, but not really.
 

alexshvartsman

Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Aug 27, 2010
Messages
2,049
Reaction score
156
Location
Brooklyn, NY
Hugs, Lillie. I got my Strange Horizons rejection in today as well (though mine only hung in there for 55 days or so). Off to the next market you go, Little Story That Couldn't (at least, not so far).
 

Working Title

The Indomitable Snowman
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Oct 13, 2011
Messages
54
Reaction score
7
(((((Deadlight, Pan, Lillie, and Alex)))))

Do you guys prefer individual hugs, or are group hugs okay?

Off to the next market you go, Little Story That Couldn't (at least, not so far).

Poor "Little Story That Couldn't." Go, little story! You can make it!

Just got a personal from Asimov's. Which is nice, but I'd prefer the sale ;)

:D Personals may not pay in money, but at least they pay in morale!
 

Working Title

The Indomitable Snowman
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Oct 13, 2011
Messages
54
Reaction score
7
Alright. Perfect example of how I use Duotrope here. My story has been out for 18 days at DSF, and there are seven DSF rejections in the 19-21 day range for today. On the one hand, I figure my story is probably a hair too recent for them to get to today. On the other, I'm holding my breath and bracing myself for the next few days. Stressful, yes, but there's something addictive about having a story (or stories) out and feeling that possibility of being accepted. It's actually why I sent this story out again. I don't like not having that "what-if" in the back of my mind, so I'm actually pretty high on anticipation right now.
 

Aggy B.

Not as sweet as you think
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 28, 2008
Messages
11,882
Reaction score
1,557
Location
Just north of the Deep South
All crickets for me.

Survivor is now 10 days over at One Forty Fiction.
Mother just hit the 90 day mark at TNY. I know there's another 30+ days I can expect to wait but now, suddenly, I'm nervous.
Love Like Dysphoria is just close enough to the rejection window at Strange horizons, now I'll have to be nervous about it too.
 

alexshvartsman

Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Aug 27, 2010
Messages
2,049
Reaction score
156
Location
Brooklyn, NY
Rejections from Clarkesworld and F&SF today. Ah well, at least I didn't *expect* a different response from those markets. Going to re-sub both stories tonight.
 

SmallThing

Eek!
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jan 23, 2009
Messages
230
Reaction score
35
Website
cosmicdriftwood.wordpress.com
Hugs to everyone on the rejection front. It does seem like there are lots of personal rejections from great markets going on here. Definitely not as good as sales, I know, but you all are getting some serious attention. :)

Which doesn't make the rejections not hurt.

The silence in my inbox wouldn't be getting to me were it not for the fact that Clarkesworld is holding on to something much longer than I expected. I really should learn to never ever look at Duotrope...
 

Emptyeye

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jun 12, 2011
Messages
114
Reaction score
6
I found out that apparently the Spirit of Poe Anthology has selected its roster of authors. Since I'm not on it, I'll presume that's an R. :p
 

Brett Marie

Slayer of Adverbs
Super Member
Registered
Joined
May 23, 2011
Messages
263
Reaction score
16
Location
All over the Map
Rejections from Clarkesworld and F&SF today. Ah well, at least I didn't *expect* a different response from those markets. Going to re-sub both stories tonight.
That's the spirit. 'Ah, well' lasts till about the end of the sentence. The very next thought is 're-sub... tonight!'

Rs from PANK and DIAGRAM for me. I know I can crack one of these top-tier markets, but you take quite a beating when you start at the top.
 

ShadowFox

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Aug 4, 2008
Messages
298
Reaction score
24
Er, last three days, 4 rejections, and one almost a rejection (and no, it's not an acceptance either, just feedback but they sent it to a reader for the second round).

They're coming back faster than I can send 'em out at the moment.
 
Last edited:

Working Title

The Indomitable Snowman
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Oct 13, 2011
Messages
54
Reaction score
7
(((((Brett, Alex, Emptyeye, and ShadowFox)))))

Er, last three days, 4 rejections, and one almost a rejection (and no, it's not an acceptance either, just feedback but they sent it to a reader for the second round).

That's tough with those rejections, but one of your stories made it to the second round! That's awesome. :)

Hey, look, that form DSF rejection I was expecting appeared.

I need a kick more than a hug. A kick to send the story back out and a kick to write other stories faster. Wait, that's two kicks...and a different thread, isn't it?
 

pangalactic

Gargling blasters
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jul 14, 2010
Messages
721
Reaction score
47
Location
Manchester, UK
Website
chrisbissette.com
Rs from PANK and DIAGRAM for me. I know I can crack one of these top-tier markets, but you take quite a beating when you start at the top.

I'll take that beating; it's worth it in the long run. I'd hate to start at the bottom, never knowing if the piece could have sold to a higher profile market when it gets picked up on the first sub by an exposure-only venture.

(That's not to say I have anything against those places. All my sales to date - with the exception of my Nanoism piece - have been to non-paying venues with limited exposure, and I subbed to them because I like the product they put out. But as a rule I start at the top and work down, and I think I'm getting closer to cracking some of the top markets. I wouldn't know that if I started at the bottom.)
 

Lillie

practical experience, FTW
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jan 14, 2011
Messages
1,585
Reaction score
178
Location
Wales
((((((Hugs for all the rejectioneers))))))

:(
 

Sai

Book lover/Spy
Super Member
Registered
Joined
May 11, 2007
Messages
2,392
Reaction score
394
Location
Back home
Website
www.kuri-ousity.com
Got hit by the Strange Horizons rejection wave today. I shooed the story out the door again to the Intergalatic Medicine Show, but I'm a little worried that it pushes their pg-13 rating. We shall see.

On the brightside, according to Mac in the Science Fiction/Fantasy forum, there should be news soon regarding the AW antho. I subbed them one of my personal favourites, so I'm looking forward to seeing what they think of it.
 

Lillie

practical experience, FTW
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jan 14, 2011
Messages
1,585
Reaction score
178
Location
Wales
((((Sai))))

Sorry about the R :( But good luck with the antho!