A Blind Beholder: I've subbed to The Dark several times and never gotten a confirmation of receipt. Of course, I've also been very quickly rejected (24 hours or less).
Rejectomancy
- Thread starter Aggy B.
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Just a prime example of how one magazine's idea of pretty good just isn't another's.
Of course, that's easy for me to say since all I've gotten so far are forms.
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Just a prime example of how one magazine's idea of pretty good just isn't another's.
Of course, that's easy for me to say since all I've gotten so far are forms.
Yeah, I have no idea where I'm going to place this thing. I knew it'd be a difficult sell when I wrote it and lo and behold, it is. xD
I sent it out again and got an hour and a half rejection on it from Interzone. It'd be almost sad if it weren't so funny. I'm trying IGMS. I normally don't submit there, but maybe this is more their kind of thing.
It's funny. I got a personal on this from Apex and Tor.com, but I just can't seem to pawn it off anywhere.
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9 day personal R from Bastion. Reader said the beginning was "arresting" and made her keep reading after she'd been going to stop for the night, but it lacked conflict and she felt it was more a setting than a story.
And that makes R #29 for that story.
And that makes R #29 for that story.
10-day heave ho from Jamais Vu. The editor included a helpful critique. A superb, high quality market (pro pay, personal rejections), but very tough to crack.
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The story I submitted to DSF is now in slush, according to the tracker. I'm not 100% sure what that means, especially compared to "unreviewed."
Probably means that it's been looked at to confirm that it is a story (and not something else) but it's not been read yet.
4 day personal-ish R from Shimmer today. At the very least I keep getting them from Ms. Tobler, but "flash is still a hard sell" for her. (Her responses thus far are unique - i.e. not the same as each other - but definitely fit a specific pattern of response.) On to the next market.
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The only feedback for #pitchmadness I've had so far on my police procedural urban fantasy is that paranormal is a hard sell at the moment and my word count (100k) is scary high. I am pulling my hair out over this because there are a LOT of books that are WELL over 100k that got in, including NA Fantasies. So I am at a loss. I have no idea whether to take any of this seriously as to whether I should be taking the chainsaw to my manuscript when obviously plenty of other "paranormal" stuff that is at my own word count and HIGHER got in. Feeling really emo and frustrated today over this.
100k is scary high? My agent's shopping a novel that's 104k. (Although it's not a police proceedural.)
Perhaps there's a pacing issue that is being blamed on the word count?
Personally, I don't change stuff unless A) I agree with the changes or B) someone is paying me to. If you feel like the pacing is fine and book is the length that it needs to be, I would leave it. If you think maybe it could be shorter/tighter then maybe look at it with that in mind. But you have to kind of go with your gut on this stuff. Which is scary because we (as authors) aren't always the best at seeing flaws in our work, but at some point you have to commit to the story you've told. Otherwise you'll never convey the passion for it to anyone else.
If you don't mind me asking, what do you mean by 'paranormal is a hard sell'? Is that a specific genre within paranormal (eg, romance, or urban fantasy), or is genre fiction in general just tough at the moment?
100K doesn't sound that high for an urban fantasy. But they're right about the genre being a hard sell at the moment. There's nothing you can really do about that one though, other than try anyway. The book is the genre it is.
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a blind beholder
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Sorry about the Rs, everyone.
And to add to the pile: 10 day form rejection from The Dark. Really thought I had a decent shot, especially considering they reject 99% of submissions within a day or two, but nope, not even a personal.
And to add to the pile: 10 day form rejection from The Dark. Really thought I had a decent shot, especially considering they reject 99% of submissions within a day or two, but nope, not even a personal.
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I've only ever get form rejections from Strange Horizons, no matter how many personals I received on the story beforehand. 'Tis frustrating.
Sorry about Rs.
Personal rejections (asking to see other stories) for a short from Tor and Magazine of Science Fiction & Fantasy; form rejections on same from Strange Horizons and Clarkesworld. It has gone on to try its luck with Fantasy Magazine and I'm writing/polishing other stuff to see if I can do better next time around.
Wish I could write faster. And write faster paced :-(
Personal rejections (asking to see other stories) for a short from Tor and Magazine of Science Fiction & Fantasy; form rejections on same from Strange Horizons and Clarkesworld. It has gone on to try its luck with Fantasy Magazine and I'm writing/polishing other stuff to see if I can do better next time around.
Wish I could write faster. And write faster paced :-(
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Last year my R for Clarion West came in on the 22nd. So just waiting now for it. Sad because I really feel ready for some serious learning with other writers. Apparently there seems to be a general understanding that all acceptances are sent out by the 15th, I guess that holds water. EDIT: woops, sorry sorry, that came out wrong. I mean, ready for what CW can offer me as a workshop - I definitely learn a lot with other writers here, obviously.
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Same here. According to The Submission Grinder, 18% of rejections are personal, so they're not a chatty market.
Well, at least you're getting personals. The bit about flash being a hard sell is a good tidbit to keep in mind if I ever write anything else that could be a good fit for them.
I know exactly what you mean. I had an awful moment earlier this week when I realised that if I hadn't heard, I probably wouldn't hear... I hate those rejection-by-silence situations. Was expecting confirmation at least by today!
ETA. Well, at least that's resolved as of 22 Mar... I'm going to go indulge in some gloom...
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for all!