Got a six month rejection first thing this morning - this one stung. Normally I can deal with them pretty well, but today, for whatever reason - this one knocked me.
Rejectomancy
- Thread starter Aggy B.
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zanzjan
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Yeah, sometimes they still get to me too, and it's rarely predictable. Here's hoping the next sub successfully lands the story for you 
I got the R for a story that was being held for consideration. Gah, I was hopeful this one would finally find a good home. And this was right on the heels of three other Rs in the past week. Two months of nothing, then they all pile in at once.
Thanks Zanzjan - you're right, there's just no calling it. Thanks for the kind words. Just got my second form for the day from Th3 D@rk.
Sorry to hear that JJ - on to the next markets.
Sorry to hear that JJ - on to the next markets.
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There should be a law against receiving an R the same day a new piece is published. Someone needs to write a program for that. :hammer:
*passes an ice cream cookie to alma* I hate it when that happens when a piece has been out forever.
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16-day form R from DSF. I really thought this one had a chance going in, but nope: instant form. Blerg.
Peace
Ty
Peace
Ty
Rejection on a story that was on hold today too, sigh. I love this story and it's had great personal Rs from a bunch of markets, but I'm beginning to run out of decent markets for it. Must write new stories!
Sorry to hear that Mistri - I feel like I'm running out of markets too. I don't want to send it places where I'm not sure it'll fit ...
I've had a few stories tied up for almost six to eight months waiting for competition results. Several submissions to other magazines are overdue, particularly Asimov's and BCS. I'm almost out of paying markets for a few pieces. Can't sell anything it seems, let alone a novel.
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Tonight I earned my 100th rejection for 2016 (not counting the prior year rejections). I'm conflicted; should I be proud, ashamed, frustrated? Mostly, it's just a shrug and 'whatever' kind of thing. I did the math on when I should give up on my favourite market: after I get 258 rejections from F&SF. I've got a looooooooong ways to go before I hit that number, and I'm still on the high from getting two acceptances in two weeks. I figure I've got at least another 30 rejections to go before I'll start getting discouraged. In the meantime, I'll just keep writing.
CharlyT, I think the positive takeaway here is that you have an AMAZING work ethic. It's great that you keep going. It'll happen eventually.
It's great that you keep going. It'll happen eventually.I also reached my 100th rejection for 2016 this month, so let's have a drink in honor of our perseverance.
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Tonight I earned my 100th rejection for 2016 (not counting the prior year rejections). I'm conflicted; should I be proud, ashamed, frustrated? Mostly, it's just a shrug and 'whatever' kind of thing. I did the math on when I should give up on my favourite market: after I get 258 rejections from F&SF. I've got a looooooooong ways to go before I hit that number, and I'm still on the high from getting two acceptances in two weeks. I figure I've got at least another 30 rejections to go before I'll start getting discouraged. In the meantime, I'll just keep writing.
Awesome, awesome, awesome. And literally yesterday I was just bemoaning my 0-for-69 streak since I started doing this in 2014. Inspiring!
Peace
Ty
Tonight I earned my 100th rejection for 2016 (not counting the prior year rejections). I'm conflicted; should I be proud, ashamed, frustrated? Mostly, it's just a shrug and 'whatever' kind of thing. I did the math on when I should give up on my favourite market: after I get 258 rejections from F&SF. I've got a looooooooong ways to go before I hit that number, and I'm still on the high from getting two acceptances in two weeks. I figure I've got at least another 30 rejections to go before I'll start getting discouraged. In the meantime, I'll just keep writing.
Whoa. You two are machines. That's mind boggling, and sort of inspiring, too. Gets me motivated to finish more stories.
I've written seven stories this month and have 12 more planned before I start uni again. If these don't get me at least 40 more rejections I don't what will.
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Amaze-balls! It's definitely true that the more pieces you have out in the world, the less a single rejection stings. 7 in less than half a month? Good on you! Not even Ray Bradbury was able to keep that kind of pace.
Do you guys have this problem? I keep going back to look at rejected stories and seeing obvious ways I can fix them, edit them down. I'm starting to think I should set every story aside for a few months and come back to them with fresh eyes before submitting anywhere. I wish I could see it all right away!
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There are two people in my writer's group that do that. They'll 'finish' a piece, then set a "Do Not Open Until" date on it. One does it for 3 months, and the other for 6 months. Neither one has mentioned whether it's reduced their rejection rates, though, because that's the way they've always done it.
I haven't found that technique useful, but I guess that's because as a reader I'm way pickier about voice and narrative flow than I am about plot and structure, so I really struggle with recognizing weakness in plots (unless it's a no-brainer logic/continuity problem). Personally, I use my daughter as my beta reader, because I know how much she loves my stories and my rather fragile ego can take her suggestions without going all "BACK OFF". It helps that she's in film and has gotten really good at breaking down story structure and can point her finger at scenes I've written that aren't well integrated before I consider a piece 'finished'.
Depends on the story. I almost always let them sit for at least a short time (days, couple of weeks) so I can proof with fresh eyes. After a rejection (especially early rejections) I'll read them over again. Sometimes I feel confident that that's the best this story is going to get and keep sending it—sometimes I feel confident that that's the best this story is going to get and retire it.
If I'm not sure I might post it on SYW for feedback (or take it to a workshop or my writing group if I can). And then there's a few that got trunked without ever being submitted (don't like them enough).So I'm all over the place I guess.
Not even Ray Bradbury was able to keep that kind of pace.
Well, it's also true that he knew how to write well, so he could give himself more time to perfect plot and characters. Me, I'm still learning the basics, so I experiment, trying to reach quality through quantity.
Got an odd rejection from a small venue I won't name. I sent them a fantasy story a couple months ago. There's a supernatural creature in the story, but that's it, no magic, no spells, no nothing. The reason the venue didn't like it is that, "magic systems were not clear". There were none. At all. What was I suppose to clarify?
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Those kinds of notes always leave me scratching my head too. I got one recently with the note, "was excellently written, but the plot was thin" Um... How can it be excellently written if the plot's thin? So many confusing and conflicting notes!