Rejectomancy

soapdish · May 20, 2011

Oops, sorry, small screen, I can only view one post at a time on it and have to scroll a lot :tongue

Er...I mean, :evil

That was my super-secret manipulative strategy to recruit another for the project.

Sagana, you can thank me later

Lillie · May 20, 2011

Press ganged!

I been tricked and press ganged...

alexshvartsman · May 20, 2011

Well, that was fast.

A rejection today from round 2 at ASIM. Brief notes from all 3 readers. Two of them liked the story, but the third felt it was "poorly structured."

It's interesting to learn that you need all 3 votes to "advance" (or so I'm guessing, unless their votes didn't correspond with their feedback). I also really wish the third reader expanded in his/her criticism as I'm not sure what exactly they had an issue with.

Off to Analog next. Hope Sam is having better luck with his Round 2 sub.

Lillie · May 20, 2011

Ah, that's a shame.

But at least you got two people telling you they liked it! That's good.

Better luck with Analog.

Aggy B. · May 20, 2011

Hey, more crickets. And my internet is still wonky. Maybe by the time I check on it tomorrow I'll have a response. (Or five.)

Sagana · May 20, 2011

Thank you Soapdish, greatly appreciated

I don't think it would take any great time commitment. We could just choose a magazine, read stories (we're supposed to be reading stories anyway) and add comments to a discussion?

But this is surely the wrong place for a thread. Where would be a good place for it?

(Sorry for the off-topic)

*hugs* Alex. But feedback is good, and you certainly are getting close. Pleasing 2/3rds of the audience is a pretty big deal if you ask me.

I'm at crickets right now, but the stories I'm waiting on have hardly been out anytime, so I'm ok with that.

Izz · May 20, 2011

Sagana said:
But this is surely the wrong place for a thread. Where would be a good place for it?

If you want to start a thread here in W1S1 for it, go for gold

It certainly sounds like a fun idea, and the more threads we have in the subforum not started by me the better

alexshvartsman said:
Well, that was fast.

A rejection today from round 2 at ASIM. Brief notes from all 3 readers. Two of them liked the story, but the third felt it was "poorly structured."

Awww.

If two readers liked it but one didn't i'd chalk it down to personal preference at this stage. If structure gets mentioned in one or two more Rs then i'd think about editing. Unless after a day or two the comment strikes a chord and you can see what they're talking about.

I haven't heard yet about my sub. Maybe i'll hear today.

Sagana · May 20, 2011

Thanks Izz! I took you at your word *points at market workshop thread*. If anyone is interested, stop on by and throw in opinions. Please don't feel limited to my post there if I've forgotten something or whatever. Remember I'm a newbie here/writer

Izz · May 21, 2011

I now have 5 stories past avg market response times (according to duotrope), and 1 other with second-round readers. I'm still picking that this month will be my biggest total responses month for the year so far (only 1 more to equal previous highest, and plenty of days to go to get plenty more back

)

soapdish · May 21, 2011

Well, this isn't really a rejection, but I know now why I have nothin but crickets on one of my stories. Turns out I subbed it to a dead market

My fault. April was a bad month for me. I was lucky I even got something out there and I didn't put forth the effort to really look into the pub first.

I'm not sure I'm going to resub it anywhere or not. :Shrug:

We'll see.

zanzjan · May 21, 2011

soapdish said:
Well, this isn't really a rejection, but I know now why I have nothin but crickets on one of my stories. Turns out I subbed it to a dead market

Man, that stinks. )-:

Give it a little while and maybe you'll find somewhere you want to send it again. In the meanwhile, I hope your May is going better than your April.

-Suzanne

pangalactic · May 22, 2011

After months of crickets, another rejection last week. 3LBE said no in a lovely little form letter.

Also, Sagana, I really like that idea. When I've got some spare time I'll head over to the thread and join in.

Lillie · May 22, 2011

Hugs for you, Pangalactic.

And

for Soapdish.

I just got one.
If somewhere says '**** wishes you future writing successes, and to try us again soon.' do they mean the last bit, or are they just being polite?

soapdish · May 22, 2011

Thanks, guys. Sorry, pang. Dang.

Lillie, yeah, my experience is that it's a form response, BUT I do believe (depending on the pub) that they have more than one form response. Some reserved for writers who maybe wrote something that was competent enough, just not *right* for that publication. Hence the "we'd like to see something more later" type comment. And then there is maybe another form that doesn't have that last bit. Because honestly, if they thought your writing was crap, why would they ENCOURAGE you to submit there again? It just makes more work for the editors/readers later.
:Shrug:

But that's just me.

Good news is, the market research group we're forming could help with that. By really studying a publication and what they go for, we can take another crack at the markets that said they'd "like us to try again"--whether they meant it or not. Only this time maybe we'll have a better idea of what fits there.

Lillie · May 22, 2011

Yeah, I understand that it's just a form. But it's the first time that anyone has indicated that they might be interested in seeing more.
I was wondering if I could derive some hope from their response or not.

I think I will assume it's hopeful, regardless of what they meant. I'll feel better about it then.

And I don't have anything else right now that I could send them, so if they were just being polite they needn't worry

pangalactic · May 22, 2011

Lillie said:
Yeah, I understand that it's just a form. But it's the first time that anyone has indicated that they might be interested in seeing more.
I was wondering if I could derive some hope from their response or not.

I think I will assume it's hopeful, regardless of what they meant. I'll feel better about it then.

And I don't have anything else right now that I could send them, so if they were just being polite they needn't worry

In my limited experience, most form rejections seem to contain something along the lines of 'not right for us, but please try us again'. Having said that, though, I've received a couple that didn't mention trying again at all. They stung a little, for that reason.

ShadowFox · May 22, 2011

Some markets have more than one form reject. Others don't.

The Writers Commandment:
1. thou shalt not read too much into a form reject.
2. thou shalt send them another story, whether they ask for one or not, as punishment for not realizing thy inherent genius
3. thou shalt send the rejected story to another market.

Lillie · May 22, 2011

pangalactic said:
In my limited experience, most form rejections seem to contain something along the lines of 'not right for us, but please try us again'. Having said that, though, I've received a couple that didn't mention trying again at all. They stung a little, for that reason.

Bloody hell. This is my 7th rejection and the first one to say 'send us something else'.

Now that's depressing

I shall send more crap to them all as punishment.

soapdish · May 22, 2011

I got your back, Lillie.

I shall also send them crap!

zanzjan · May 22, 2011

ShadowFox said:
The Writers Commandment:
1. thou shalt not read too much into a form reject.
2. thou shalt send them another story, whether they ask for one or not, as punishment for not realizing thy inherent genius
3. thou shalt send the rejected story to another market.

0. NEVER EVER argue with a rejection or respond to a negative review.

That one, before all others.

-Suzanne

Izz · May 23, 2011

Just hit 10 Rs for the month. w00t! *dances*

Sagana · May 23, 2011

*giggles at Izz*

chirp chirp

Sai · May 23, 2011

One nice things about life getting really busy is that it keeps me from sitting around and waiting for responses. Which is good, because it's been a week since I last got a response, good or bad.

zanzjan · May 23, 2011

Crickets here. Feeling really down about everything. Must be a shortage of chocolate, or the fact that it's pretty much rained and been gloomy for more than a week straight.

None of my works-in-progress are calling to me. As much as the last thing I need is to start another story, I sure could use a little inspiration right now. And sunshine.

-Suzanne

Izz · May 23, 2011

Sai said:
One nice things about life getting really busy is that it keeps me from sitting around and waiting for responses. Which is good, because it's been a week since I last got a response, good or bad.

zanzjan said:
Crickets here. Feeling really down about everything. Must be a shortage of chocolate, or the fact that it's pretty much rained and been gloomy for more than a week straight.

None of my works-in-progress are calling to me. As much as the last thing I need is to start another story, I sure could use a little inspiration right now. And sunshine.

-Suzanne

Virtual sun is the best i can do, sorry.

Rejectomancy

writing

practical experience, FTW

practical experience, FTW

Not as sweet as you think

Doing the Space Operatic

Doing the Space Operatic

writing

killin' all teh werds

Gargling blasters

practical experience, FTW

writing

practical experience, FTW

Gargling blasters

practical experience, FTW

writing

killin' all teh werds

Doing the Space Operatic

Book lover/Spy

killin' all teh werds

Doing the Space Operatic