Rejectomancy

JoBird

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Hi everyone.

Just got my R from Sword and Sorceress with a nice note saying it was a "perfectly good story," just not the right feel for what the editor's looking for for this volume, and I should try another market. Okay, I realize I know very little about markets for this stuff - can y'all give me some suggestions? My story is S&S with some dragons, too... Thanks!

Check out this link: http://thegrinder.diabolicalplots.com/thegrinder/Search.aspx

Enter your info and scroll through the list of different markets. You should be able to get to each of the different websites, see their guidelines, etc.
 

Niccolo

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Hi everyone.

Just got my R from Sword and Sorceress with a nice note saying it was a "perfectly good story," just not the right feel for what the editor's looking for for this volume, and I should try another market. Okay, I realize I know very little about markets for this stuff - can y'all give me some suggestions? My story is S&S with some dragons, too... Thanks!

Sorry about the R Lola, but there are plenty of markets for fantasy. First off if you want to hop over to the Submission Grinder, you can search for markets based on genre, length, payscale and a few other options. There are also direct links to the websites of said markets.

You can also check out the Do-You-Know-About-This-Market thread in W1/S1 to get a few ideas. Off the top of my head however, I can think of Fantasy & Science Fiction, Clarkesworld, Lightspeed (once they re-open), Daily Science Fiction, Every Day Fiction, PodCastle. Most markets that accept science fiction also dabble in fantasy, and any pub that says "speculative fiction" in its writing guidelines also takes fantasy.

Happy submitting :)
 

Melinda Moore

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Hi everyone.

Okay, I realize I know very little about markets for this stuff - can y'all give me some suggestions? My story is S&S with some dragons, too... Thanks!

I found a home for my S&S reject at Lorelei Signal and for another one at Four Star Stories last year. Both are token paying markets, but I'm still happy. Beneath Ceaseless Skies is a professional market specifically for sword and sorcery.
 

dachshund

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For a moment, I thought I had a 2-day rej from Stupefying Stories. Turned out it was just an acknowledgment. That always fools me.
 

Niccolo

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Queried my 120 Lovecraft ezine submission today. The editor prompty replied with a rejection, starting with the line "I hate to write rejection letters" which made me think I wouldn't have gotten a response at all if I hadn't asked. :Shrug:

Oh well. He said he'd love to see something else from me, which was nice and encouraging. Time to trunk this one and start on something new.
 

squeaky pram

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Commiserations on the latest rejections, and allow me to add to the list.

157 upper form (?) from 0ne St0ry. Really wanted this one. Sigh.

I need to do some revisions and resend this and a couple more that I've temporarily trunked. My submission count is getting depressingly low.
 

LolaVelo

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Thank you for all your suggestions - y'all rock!

As disappointed as I feel by Rs, the encouraging comments I've got from several of the last ones have given me a lot of motivation to push forward. Being in this message board group has also helped enormously - it has been a great addition to my creative life, so thank you everyone.
 

Eliza C

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Sorry for the especially ouchy R, squeaky pram - some really do sting more than others.

Commiserations for all the other recent R's here too. I'm in one of my quiet periods where everything out had a lag time before hearing, but I should be joining you all again in 2 weeks or less now.
 

everywriter

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I know a writer who was the editor of a magazine for a very long time. He used to say that if you got a handwritten (this was awhile ago) rejection letter you would have been published if you had a name/were a well-know writer. It makes me feel better to think of it, but honestly I don't know if it makes it better or worse.
 

Old Hack

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I know a writer who was the editor of a magazine for a very long time. He used to say that if you got a handwritten (this was awhile ago) rejection letter you would have been published if you had a name/were a well-know writer. It makes me feel better to think of it, but honestly I don't know if it makes it better or worse.

That might be how he worked, but it's not how many other periodicals work.

Most of the editors I know would far rather publish a good story written by an unknown than a lacklustre story written by a famous person; and whether you're rejected with a handwritten note, a blank compliments slip, or an message engraved on heavy stock, your work is still being rejected. You'll gain more from writing and submitting better than you'll gain from trying to interpret nuances which probably aren't there.
 

johemedel

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You'll gain more from writing and submitting better than you'll gain from trying to interpret nuances which probably aren't there.

I find your lack of faith in rejectomancy...disturbing. ;)
 

JoBird

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That might be how he worked, but it's not how many other periodicals work.

Most of the editors I know would far rather publish a good story written by an unknown than a lacklustre story written by a famous person; and whether you're rejected with a handwritten note, a blank compliments slip, or an message engraved on heavy stock, your work is still being rejected. You'll gain more from writing and submitting better than you'll gain from trying to interpret nuances which probably aren't there.

Yes... but what do you really mean by this?

Are you subtly implying that editors are currently on an active hunt for unknown authors? And that they want the thrill of finding an unknown author over publishing someone who's already well known? And that this is the best time ever for an unknown author to break in, and those rejected today will be tomorrow accepted?!
 

Old Hack

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JoBird, I mean ALL OF THOSE THINGS.

And I'm not even joking.

I speak to agents and editors most weeks. They are all thrilled to find a good new writer in the slush pile; they love selling debuts, and seeing those writers soar. There's a special feeling associated with discovering new writers that just doesn't come from working with established authors. It's magic, finding a brilliant book in the slush pile and knowing you're one of the first to read what you think is going to be a best-seller.
 

bpreslar

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JoBird, I mean ALL OF THOSE THINGS.

And I'm not even joking.

I speak to agents and editors most weeks. They are all thrilled to find a good new writer in the slush pile; they love selling debuts, and seeing those writers soar. There's a special feeling associated with discovering new writers that just doesn't come from working with established authors. It's magic, finding a brilliant book in the slush pile and knowing you're one of the first to read what you think is going to be a best-seller.

War this.
 

evilrooster

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True story: one of my favorite books was plucked from the slushpile by an editor who later (entirely coincidentally) became a good friend.

I mentioned that the book in question was on my annual-reread list, and has made a material difference to the happiness of my existence. He told me what it felt like to find it in the slush. I can't recall if he actually ran down the hall waving the manuscript over his head and caroling in delight or just felt like doing so. Either is plausible.

Editors love finding a new author to be excited about. It's part of why they do what they do.
 

ap123

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Got a rejection the other day that really stung, because it was a form. Sniffle.
I subbed this story to this particular market based on the rec of an editor from another magazine, who thought it could work there.

Perfect timing for me to see your recent post, Old Hack.
 

Marzioli

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At long last, here's the personal R I got from WotF for the 2012 4th quarter:

"Congratulations on being a semifinalist. I very much liked this tale, and it came squeaky close to being a finalist. I don’t get many tales told from
point of view—much less that of
that is hoping to
so that it can
. This tale was thoroughly engrossing and icky. Well done!

[Snipped, recommendation for fixing a part at the end--which will lead to changes before I submit again] Good luck in finding a home for this. I don’t think that it will be hard. I would very much like to see something more from you soon!"

Does anyone know if the "this came close to being a finalist" part is standard form for semi-finalists? Because he said the same thing about my other story. I do know for a fact he doesn't always say the last two sentences, so that was nice to read. :D
 

Eliza C

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Impressive, Marzioli! Must be both frustrating and gratifying to know you came so close to the finals. I've never come so close, so 'fraid I can't tell you if any of that response is standard.
 

Project Deadlight

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I've had my first submission out for exactly a year!!! 1ndependent Ink haven't even opened the submission yet on submittable. Frankly ludicrous. If agents can read through entire manuscripts in 3 months then journals for shorts have no excuse. If they can't handle backlogs CLOSE YOUR DOOR TO SUBS!?
 

LolaVelo

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Wow, ProjectDeadlight - a year and it's unopened? Woah! I've had a couple like that on Submittable unopened for 120 days, but a year? That's mind boggling!

What's driving me mad is literary journals who unabashedly keep stuff for months and months, but randomly read work submitted later than yours... Perhaps the older stuff has made it past slush and is being read again, or... perhaps not. No way to tell as there are no bump letters, and the lit journals can be so erratic that there's no point in assuming it's not still in the slush.

On a happier note: Marizoli - most positive rejection ever!
 
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