Rejectomancy

Tienci · Sep 1, 2011

2 of the 8 responses I was expecting this week or so came in: 1 R, 1 "on to the next round."
A couple of the other markets I'm not even sure I'll ever get a response from honestly.

Anyway, I'm looking at you Clarkesworld for the next response (although I suspect an R from DSF will arrive first, sigh)...

Emptyeye · Sep 1, 2011

Lillie said:
Sorry to hear that, Emptyeye.

Better luck with the next place.

Sometimes, on Duotrope, I look at the bit that says 'Work submitted here was also submitted to...' For ideas of where to send to next.

Eh, like I said when I subbed it, I didn't have high hopes for acceptance anyway. Now that I don't have an 800-word minimum to hold to, I'm going to try and tighten up my beginning some before I send it off to DSF.

victoriajakes · Sep 1, 2011

Got my second rejection today, this one definitely personal. I feel like those kind of hurt more, even though I know it's better than a form. "The voice is compelling and the story is certainly interesting but..." That but kills me.

The real lesson here is that reply came just as I was finishing writing another story. Seems like good writing karma? I guess it would be better if it had been an acceptance, but I suppose it's the little things.

zanzjan · Sep 1, 2011

victoriajakes said:
"The voice is compelling and the story is certainly interesting but..."

Sorry to hear it, Rs always stink.

That said, you have a really valuable piece of information here about something you're doing right; as much as it's frustrating to know you got close, form rejections don't generally give you any hint at all at how/what/why you didn't make the cut.

And if I recall, your first rejection had commentary as well? That seems to me to be very encouraging.

-Suzanne

Lillie · Sep 1, 2011

Sorry about all the Rs, Peeps.

(((((((Hugs for everyone))))))))

I've got crickets, but I'm expecting some Rs soon.

victoriajakes · Sep 1, 2011

zanzjan said:
And if I recall, your first rejection had commentary as well? That seems to me to be very encouraging.

I don't think it was real commentary. I'm pretty sure it was a form compliment haha. But I am excited to have any kind of feedback at all. Ultimately I feel like I'm in a very rewarding process that just stings sometimes.

zanzjan · Sep 1, 2011

victoriajakes said:
I don't think it was real commentary. I'm pretty sure it was a form compliment haha.

I've gotten a *lot* of form rejections (go me!) and that still doesn't sound like one. For example, F&SF has several "levels" of form rejection, which start with the basic:

Thank you for submitting [Your Story] but I'm going to pass on it. This tale didn't grab my interest, I'm afraid.

Meaning, I gather, something equivalent to "I didn't read very far". Then there's the level two you-made-it-slightly-farther version that says:

Thank you for submitting [Your Story] but I'm going to pass on it. There's nice writing here, but this story didn't grab my interest, I'm afraid.

Meaning, I gather, "I read a ways into it and it didn't totally suck but I got bored and read something else instead." This is followed by:

Thank you for submitting [Your Story] but I'm going to pass on it. There's nice writing here, but this story couldn't quite hold my interest, I'm afraid.

Which I think means, "I read the whole thing, and it had some promising moments, but meh." I have several identical copies of each of those, where the only difference is the date and the name of my story. (What comes after those I'm not sure, because that's as far as I've ever gotten with them.)

But what these three have in common is that they really say absolutely nothing specific about my particular story. There's no mention of plotting, or style, or voice -- it's completely and utterly generic. Which I'm not faulting them for in any way, since they must be so deluged by subs they can't possibly do otherwise.

So really, we're not just trying to cheer you up. Those sound like good rejections. Take heart, and keep going! (-:

victoriajakes · Sep 1, 2011

Thanks =)
Subbed out two more tonight and totally prepared for the long rejection road ahead. It does help my little new writer heart to know it's more than just "Your writing sucks."

victoriajakes · Sep 2, 2011

Another personal R. Plus they caught a typo, which is embarrassing. After this I'll stop updating y'all with every rejection, just so pumped to really be doing this. Plus I think my boyfriend is sick of hearing about it and I have no one else who can relate... :Shrug:

zanzjan · Sep 2, 2011

Eh, that's what we're here for.

Also, that someone is still receiving responses confirms for me that the entire publishing world hasn't, in fact, been abducted by aliens and carried off to the distant planet Smorknoggle, because I still got nuthin' but crickets everywhere I look and nearly everything I've got out is way past ART.

-Suzanne

Tienci · Sep 2, 2011

Sounds like good news on the way to me Suzanne!

victoriajakes · Sep 2, 2011

No news is good news, right? Plus it will give you time to write that story about a planet full of abducted lit mag publishers and the hi-jinx that ensue.

Emptyeye · Sep 2, 2011

Got an R from the AW Spec Fic Anthology today. Not that surprised, as the story should honestly have been betaed before I sent it out. Oh well. Mac did say I write well and with passion, and clearly have stories to tell, so that's a plus.

defcon6000 · Sep 2, 2011

Emptyeye said:
Got an R from the AW Spec Fic Anthology today. Not that surprised, as the story should honestly have been betaed before I sent it out. Oh well. Mac did say I write well and with passion, and clearly have stories to tell, so that's a plus.

Hehe, I think that's the form response, because she said the same in my rejection. :tongue

sammyjwebb · Sep 2, 2011

Emptyeye said:
Got an R from the AW Spec Fic Anthology today. Not that surprised, as the story should honestly have been betaed before I sent it out. Oh well. Mac did say I write well and with passion, and clearly have stories to tell, so that's a plus.

Mine said I needed to take out about 90% of the adjectives because they got in the way of the narrative. At which point I wanted to hit my head because I often think I haven't fleshed out the scene enough and ADD adjectives. Aargghh.

I can't wait to see what makes it in.

Emptyeye · Sep 3, 2011

defcon6000 said:
Hehe, I think that's the form response, because she said the same in my rejection.

Maybe that's the form second part.

The first part noted that it had a Tom Swiftie feel, which may make it suitable for other markets. Reading it again (And looking up what was actually meant by that :chair

), I can see their point. Because of all the characters in the main party, I tried to find various ways of making it clear who was saying what without just going "X said" continually. Funnily enough, I thought "I'm gonna have to do something about that," but then reading through it again, decided "Actually, it's not as bad as I thought." Maybe it was as bad as I thought.

defcon6000 · Sep 3, 2011

Emptyeye said:
Maybe that's the form second part.

Heh, I guess so. I didn't receive any specific feedback my story. I'm jealous.

Just got an R from DSF. Off to Linger now!

JC Romel · Sep 3, 2011

Emptyeye said:
Maybe that's the form second part.

The first part noted that it had a Tom Swiftie feel, which may make it suitable for other markets. Reading it again (And looking up what was actually meant by that ), I can see their point. Because of all the characters in the main party, I tried to find various ways of making it clear who was saying what without just going "X said" continually. Funnily enough, I thought "I'm gonna have to do something about that," but then reading through it again, decided "Actually, it's not as bad as I thought." Maybe it was as bad as I thought.

He said/She said is fine. If you want to cut down on them, try making it absolutely clear who's speaking. I know, easier said than done, but still.

Aggy B. · Sep 3, 2011

Rejection yesterday from Leodegraunce for Legacy. Not a surprise, but still a little disappointing.

And lots of crickets.

alexshvartsman · Sep 4, 2011

Got a fairly nice R from Abyss & Apex today. "[FONT=&quot]The concept is solid and the execution isn’t bad, but I felt it needed more to be complete." was the comment. I'm not sure I agree that the story needs to grow past its flash stage, so off to the next market it goes.

[/FONT]

sammyjwebb · Sep 4, 2011

Hugs for Aggy and Alex

soapdish · Sep 4, 2011

Everyone.

Just cricket here for me, too.

mfowler76 · Sep 5, 2011

Never give up on your stories!

I received an acceptance today on one I wrote two years ago -- it survived 15 R's before finding a good home.

Eventually, every one of our tales will be published. Sure, they might undergo a few revisions in the process, but they'll get there, sooner or later. I guarantee it.

Persperistence.

faerydancer · Sep 5, 2011

Amen, Milo! I just looked back on some of my stories that I thought had been rejected many, many times before being accepted and the most was only 8 or so. I need to press on! Thanks for the inspiration.

Rejection came in from ChiZine today. Form letter. Poop. Oh well, at least now I can implement the great critique notes I got on OWW SFF when they picked the story as Editor's Choice last month. Silver lining, right?

alexshvartsman · Sep 5, 2011

Way to go Milo! What market? What story?

And sorry for the ChiZine R, Brenda. Hugs.

Rejectomancy

Tienci

Lost in the Land of Giants

Emptyeye

victoriajakes

let me tell you about my dogs

zanzjan

killin' all teh werds

Lillie

practical experience, FTW

victoriajakes

let me tell you about my dogs

zanzjan

killin' all teh werds

victoriajakes

let me tell you about my dogs

victoriajakes

let me tell you about my dogs

zanzjan

killin' all teh werds

Tienci

Lost in the Land of Giants

victoriajakes

let me tell you about my dogs

Emptyeye

defcon6000

sammyjwebb

Emptyeye

defcon6000

JC Romel

Aggy B.

Not as sweet as you think

alexshvartsman

sammyjwebb

soapdish

writing

mfowler76

Speculative Fictioneer

faerydancer

alexshvartsman