Rejectomancy

Marzioli

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I don't think so. I got a "clean and concise, but didn't cover enough new ground" so, in my very limited experience with them, it sounds like they tailor their comments individually.
Oh, so maybe I got good concepts, just lousy stories. ;) And sorry about DSF! :(
 

fihr

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Shimmer personal. They always say they like the concept, so I'm beginning to wonder if that's not a standard compliment before they unleash the critical hounds. Still, good suggestions overall, and always appreciated. Love that place, even if they don't gimme moneys!

I agree with Eliza. I think they mean it. My one Shimmer reject said ...a lot to like and they loved the language, but it didn't cover enough new ground. I haven't had a story that seemed right to send them since then, which is a shame, but in hindsight I do feel I understand exactly why they said what they did.

...And sorry to hear about all the other R's - including the DSF R, Eliza, and that longish reject akaSylvia, and your novel R, Project Deadlight... but its a nice compliment re your writing.
 

caliph

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Ok, pumping myself up. Got my 7th R from UFO. One of the earlier ones got into the 2nd round, the rest not so much. Hooray for flukes!

Polishing up my 8th story, but after that I think I'll take a break from humor for a while. Or maybe I'll try the word generator approach...Octopus taxi hostage...lollipop lentil memory. Hm, not bad, actually...
 

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60 day form R from Apex :(.

Me too. Also 60 days, and I see a few more on Duotrope. Nicely timed, Apex magazine;).

Anyway, woot! I've doubled my amount of R's! Party any day now.
 

Marzioli

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Sai and Datepalm, were your Apex R's from the editor-in-chief?
 

Datepalm

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Sai and Datepalm, were your Apex R's from the editor-in-chief?

Ditto, nope. Though it was from someone with, um, a distinctly middle eastern sounding name and it was a story with a middle eastern setting, so now I will wonder for all the rest of time if it's just coincidence or if someone bothered to kick it over to the reader-familiar-with-setting.
 

mhaynes

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Sorry to hear about the Rs, all, especially the long-delayed ones from Apex. I'm sure I've got one of those coming in a couple of weeks myself!
 

Marzioli

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Apex's submission process doesn't make sense to me. I wish they would fill in the gaps. Why are some folks bumped in a few days, and others held over for 30-60 if not for some extra consideration? Was the reader assigned the story overwhelmed? Did HE/SHE hold it because they thought it was good, but wanted to give it some time to digest, only to find out it didn't work for them after all? Does Lynn glance at some that are pushed up the ladder, and then delegate the rejections to her staff that recommended it? I guess we'll never know. One of you has to infiltrate their slushies (not in a bad way) and share their secrets...
 

O'Dandelo

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Apex's submission process doesn't make sense to me. I wish they would fill in the gaps. Why are some folks bumped in a few days, and others held over for 30-60 if not for some extra consideration? Was the reader assigned the story overwhelmed? Did HE/SHE hold it because they thought it was good, but wanted to give it some time to digest, only to find out it didn't work for them after all? Does Lynn glance at some that are pushed up the ladder, and then delegate the rejections to her staff that recommended it? I guess we'll never know. One of you has to infiltrate their slushies (not in a bad way) and share their secrets...

The only thing that makes sense to me is at least one of their slush readers is much slower than the others. Today there were 3 60-day Rs, 2 54s, a 44, and a 23. I'll bet most of those came from the same slush reader. A couple of days ago there was a spate of 3s and 4s. Probably from the same slush reader.

Since all but one were form Rs, I don't think these stories are making it past slush, or I'm sure one of us would have figured that system out by now.

That's my guess. It's luck of the draw. I'm only at 7 days, but since I've already seen stories rejected after mine, I'm already resigning myself to the possibility that I didn't draw well.
 

defcon6000

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Sorry about the overly long R's, guys. :Hug2:Phooey on Afrex. :tongue

One of you has to infiltrate their slushies (not in a bad way) and share their secrets...
So like an episode of Charlie's Angels... Are you going to give us missions via a radio? :D

I figure not all of Afrex's slushreaders read at the same pace (or maybe something came up in the slushie's life), which sucks if you get stuck with a slowpoke. I wonder if Afrex has a complaint department.
 

fihr

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Ok, pumping myself up. Got my 7th R from UFO. One of the earlier ones got into the 2nd round, the rest not so much. Hooray for flukes!

Polishing up my 8th story, but after that I think I'll take a break from humor for a while. Or maybe I'll try the word generator approach...Octopus taxi hostage...lollipop lentil memory. Hm, not bad, actually...

Caliph, you deserve a prize for perseverance. Humour isn't an easy thing to write, IMO.

And commiserations to all who waited ages for apparently first round Apex R's. It does sound like the luck of the draw, and its good to know about it.
 

Sai

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Out of curiosity, is anyone else still waiting on a response from either Lamplight or BCS? And how many days?

I don't know if 24 days counts as 'still' waiting rather than just plain old waiting, but I'm still waiting at lamplight.
 

Aggy B.

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Regarding Lamplight: It's the proposed September release that had me wondering. They've sent out two significant batches of rejections, both in the same window as mine (25 days and then 32 days a week later) and I still haven't heard anything. Wasn't sure if I had just been in the early submitters or if my story was being held.

Guess I'll just wait a little longer.
 

defcon6000

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And there's my Wily Writers R for Urban horror theme. Guess I now have something for Crowded zine.

Out of curiosity, is anyone else still waiting on a response from either Lamplight or BCS? And how many days?
Had my Lamplight sub rejected during the mass reject--at 28 days. It was a flash piece, so don't know if that makes a difference.
 

Aggy B.

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Had my Lamplight sub rejected during the mass reject--at 28 days. It was a flash piece, so don't know if that makes a difference.

Mine's flash as well. (One of the few non-Twitter-fic stories that isn't 5k or over.) Between Lamplight and BCS I'm just all nerves. (Probably why I'm making progress on The Novel.)

:)