Rejectomancy

Project Deadlight

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After a week away I had two really nice personals from Washington Pastime and Stupefying stories. Then forms from DSF, Tin House, Pedestal and Underground Voices. Despite this, it still feels I’m slightly closer to being published… Ever the optimist.
 

Aggy B.

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Well, it's all crickets. Based on the current/average response times from the markets holding stories right now, I'll probably get a flood of "no" right around the beginning of December.

Aggy, can hardly wait :p
 

alexshvartsman

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After a week away I had two really nice personals from Washington Pastime and Stupefying stories. Then forms from DSF, Tin House, Pedestal and Underground Voices. Despite this, it still feels I’m slightly closer to being published… Ever the optimist.

That's great, because it means you're keeping a bunch of stuff out on submission! You'll find a home for some of those stories soon.

I have subs over at WP, Stupefying and DSF as well. Krazy Krickets are keeping the responses away though - no responses yet in November except for one reprint sub rejection. Really hope to hear from *somewhere* this week.
 

Marzioli

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Got an interesting personal rejection from Beneath Ceaseless Skies (love that they seem to take the time to do that for rejections). Not quite sure what to make of it, though.
 

defcon6000

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Sorry for the R's guy. :e2grouphu

Oddly enough, I want to see an R from Pedestal -- if only to know that they exist.

I don't think Washington Pastime gives personals, unless making a note about something. I've received three from them and they all start with:
Unfortunately, we will have to pass on this one as it's not quite what we're looking for. The premise of the piece was interesting, but it did not completely grab me.

Tho, for a form R, it is nice.
 

Emptyeye

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Got an R from Abyss & Apex. This one took five whole days, almost twice as long as my last one! :D
 

Marzioli

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defcon6000 said:
I don't think Washington Pastime gives personals, unless making a note about something.
Doesn't a note make it personal? (Also, while slightly off topic, does anyone know how much they actually pay? They're always ambiguous on that point in their listings. Token to professional, based on what? PM me if more appropriate)
 
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defcon6000

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Doesn't a note make it personal?

I have received a rejection that might be considered personal, but the comment they made was pretty general, nothing specific.

Got an R from Abyss & Apex. This one took five whole days, almost twice as long as my last one! :D

Woot! Maybe next time it'll be 10 days. :tongue
 
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Lillie

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((((Hugs)))) for all the rejections.

If I get one I'm not sure of, I just put it down as a plain rejection. Neither form nor personal.

It doesn't really matter, an R is an R, but I have to pick a thing from the list on Duotrope.

I have huge crickets, so I think I'm in the 'They are all going to come at once' camp. Lol.
I hate it when that happens. I suppose it gets the pain over quickly, like ripping off a plaster, but then I have to do all the 'where next' thing for loads of stories.
 

alexshvartsman

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Doesn't a note make it personal? (Also, while slightly off topic, does anyone know how much they actually pay? They're always ambiguous on that point in their listings. Token to professional, based on what? PM me if more appropriate)


That is their form; I received one of those as well.

I'd like to know what their actual pay scale is as well. So far I've only submitted reprints to them. The first one got rejected instantly (less than 24 hours). The second one has been sitting there for 11 days now, which is kind of a long time for them.
 

Aggy B.

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Sorry for the R's guy. :e2grouphu

Oddly enough, I want to see an R from Pedestal -- if only to know that they exist.

I got a personal R from the guest editor at Pedestal a few months back. They do send rejections. They also sometimes hold stories for consideration for later issues. If you haven't had a response on something, requery about it's status.

And, I'm all crickets. The clock's ticking down to the magic 140 day mark at TNY though. >_<
 

Marzioli

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I have received a rejection that might be considered personal, but the comment they made was pretty general, nothing specific.
By personal, I thought you meant they added comments about your story on top of their intro rejection sentences. Crystal Maitland has been the editor that sent my rejections and each time she usually included a short note (after the rejection) about why the story/narrative/characters didn't work for her.

Also, got a 54-day rejection from Lore. The story sounded awesome when I first submitted it, but 54 days later and I think it needs work. I hate that.
 
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defcon6000

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By personal, I thought you meant they added comments about your story on top of their intro rejection sentences. Crystal Maitland has been the editor that sent my rejections and each time she usually included a short note (after the rejection) about why the story/narrative/characters didn't work for her.
Like I said, I've only received one comment on my rejection (not entirely sure it was from the editor, sometimes slush-readers sign the email as the editor), and it was just some general about fine-tuning the prose.

And sorry about the Lore R. :Hug2:

I finally received my R from Pedestal, after what? 2+ weeks their most recent issue went live. This is my first R from them, but do they not bother to say the story's name in the rejection? That struck me as odd.
 

Marzioli

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Like I said, I've only received one comment on my rejection
Oops, sorry, I misunderstood what you meant! Sorry about the Pedestal R. I read earlier you knew it was coming, but getting it finalized in email always stings. :(
 

alexshvartsman

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The crickets are getting the better of me.

I have 18 submissions out. Among those 18:

1 is over 6 months mark
2 are over 100 day mark
9 are past or WAY past average response times at their markets

...and the only response I've had in November is a 0-day rejection for a reprint from The Washington Pastime.

Come on, editors. Make some decisions, please!

/vent.
 

zanzjan

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...and the only response I've had in November is a 0-day rejection for a reprint from The Washington Pastime.

Come on, editors. Make some decisions, please!

Ouch. And I hear ya.

I only have three things out right now, but they're all past the duotrope RT time. Nothing along the lines of my vanquished 536 day cricket, but I'm up to 116 days at Analog. I'd be cautiously excited about that except that's the story with the transposed scenes in the middle, so instead I'm in full writer-angst mode -- sent them a query offering to re-submit a corrected version a few weeks back, but so far nothing.

Really, though, my life is hectic enough at the mo' that I'm barely paying attention to what I've got out there, much less writing/submitting anything new.
 

V1c

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Ouch. And I hear ya.

I'm up to 116 days at Analog. I'd be cautiously excited about that except that's the story with the transposed scenes in the middle, so instead I'm in full writer-angst mode -- sent them a query offering to re-submit a corrected version a few weeks back, but so far nothing.

.

I thought there was someone else on here over 100 days at Analog! I'm cautious too. . .especially as I sent them an altered version. I wish us both luck!
 

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0 day "R" from Word Riot yesterday. It made me mad to get an "R" so quick. It also makes me mad to get a slow "R." Or a medium length "R." :)
 

Marzioli

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8-day reject from West Branch. I'm not sure I should have sent it there anyway. It had a lot of spec fic elements in it, even though it was supposed to be magical realism and not fantasy.
 

Project Deadlight

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2 day R from Untied Shoelaces... have to say that as much as the guy's responses amuse me, there is something a little smug in them and frankly, I'm starting to think unprofessional.

Also, a story he didn't even read because it was "in second person" has nearly made it now at the next two markets I sent, which although isn't an acceptance, it's a long way from "i'm not reading this." Rant done. Grrr.
 

Marzioli

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Also, a story he didn't even read because it was "in second person" has nearly made it now at the next two markets I sent, which although isn't an acceptance, it's a long way from "i'm not reading this." Rant done. Grrr.
Sorry about the R, but this sounds great! I've noticed a lot of guidelines being very anal about not making a story in second person. But when it's done well, it's quite an accomplishment!
 

alexshvartsman

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Come on, editors. Make some decisions, please!

/vent.

Well, they did.

I queried about some of the overdue subs. So far I've received three, count 'em THREE rejections today.

First, there was a super nice very-close 30-day rejection from Stupefying Stories. They asked to see more of my stuff and I already sent in something else.

Then there was a 38 day sub to Kasma SF. Apparently they forgot to send the rejection, so it's a good thing I didn't wait longer to query.

Finally, a form rejection arrived from EQMM. This one I didn't query on - it was plenty fast at only 13 days.

I did send out a total of three queries though -- so there's a significant chance of another R later tonight.
 

zanzjan

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I thought there was someone else on here over 100 days at Analog! I'm cautious too. . .especially as I sent them an altered version. I wish us both luck!

Cool! We can suffer (and maybe celebrate!) together! (-:
 

pangalactic

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I'm sitting on a big old pile of crickets at the moment. Need to get writing some more stories so I can send more out. Otherwise I feel like I'm not doing anything.
 

Marzioli

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8-day rejection from Asimov?!? Geeze, a mixed blessing at best! Also a 29-day OSC's IGMS rejection, and a 2-day R from (we-reject-at) Lightspeed. :/
 
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