The Coffee House of Pain

mikeland · Jul 24, 2008

Form rejects after fulls do suck. But it doesn't mean you suck. It's happened to me too. And I suspect it has happened to most writers.

And we all agree that it sucks.

But you don't.

(Am I starting to repeat myself?)

Maui Author · Jul 24, 2008

Oh Jen, that sucks!! I've been there too. I feel that agents shouldn't do form rejects on fulls. They should at least say a little something.

JenWriter · Jul 24, 2008

Guess this means that I need to send some more queries, but with RWA coming up, response times will probably be slowed down even more.

VGrossack · Jul 24, 2008

Jen: A form R sucks, esp on a full, but giving out detailed and thought-out criticism takes time, and agents are really, really busy. Blondchen, then, congratulations, but yes, of course, an acceptance would be so much better.

It reminds me of the old joke:

Uncle: My dear, would you like a shiny new nickel?
Niece: I'd rather have a dirty old dime.

Imagine receiving an acceptance full of insults! Would you take it?

ink wench · Jul 25, 2008

Oh, so sorry Jen. That blows. Time to revenge query.

dgiharris · Jul 25, 2008

Lots of Friday love,

Got hit with a Reject from the New Yorker. It was a swing for the fences, you know, kinda like asking out Ms. America for a date.

But nothing ventured nothing gained right?

Phaeal · Jul 25, 2008

dgiharris said:
Lots of Friday love,

Got hit with a Reject from the New Yorker. It was a swing for the fences, you know, kinda like asking out Ms. America for a date.

But nothing ventured nothing gained right?

You can't earn your short story submission chops without garnering at least one New Yorker rejection. I'm thinking of framing mine.

Congrats! Now, what are you going to DO with those chops? And what kind of chops are they, anyway? I think of mine as lamb chops, with a nice mint jelly.

Phaeal · Jul 25, 2008

JenWriter said:
Why would you send a form reject after being enthusiastic? Makes me think I suck.

Yes, I know agents are busy. So are we. We've got jobs, houses, gardens, grumpy cars, maybe second jobs, kids, pets, maybe third jobs, more kids, more pets, charitable activities, church, maybe fourth jobs, aging parents, taxes, that damn house again, OMG where did all these zucchini come from?, and we STILL have to find time, lots of it, to write.

Two or three sentences, to soften a tough blow, I don't know. Is that really too much to ask? Sad if true. People don't know how many, many karma points they throw away when they fail in compassion.

If there's suction involved, Jen, it's not coming from you. Fight the pervasive universal undertow and revenge-query!

IHeartWriting · Jul 25, 2008

Jen -- So sorry about the form reject

Phael -- Attack of the Killer Zucchini!

Got my third rejection of the week -- this one on a partial, so two fulls and one partial -- blech!

In the WTF category -- an agent emailed me this week asking if the project was still available -- I replied yes -- haven't heard a word since -- WTF?

JenWriter · Jul 25, 2008

IHeartWriting - So sorry. Sounds like a rough week.

And from the referral I got at the pitch sessions, just received an R on the query.

dawinsor · Jul 25, 2008

IHeartWriting, if I were you, I'd snail mail the manuscript. What can it hurt?

cate townsend · Jul 25, 2008

IHeartWriting said:
In the WTF category -- an agent emailed me this week asking if the project was still available -- I replied yes -- haven't heard a word since -- WTF?

See if you can find out what this agent prefers when s/he requests more material. Some want only email queries, but hard copy requested material etc. Sometimes this will be posted on their website. I'm with Dawinsor. If you can't find any preference, mail it with an SASE!

Karen Duvall · Jul 25, 2008

Boo, Jen! I got a form reject on one of my fulls and it blew chunks. But I figured it simply wasn't her cup of tea, so BFD, right? I still got my agent. And you'll still get yours. Have faith!

IHeart, dang on the rejections. Send positive thoughts out to the universe on the fulls and partials you still have out there.

Calla Lily · Jul 25, 2008

Kind of a Revenge Query: My squicky dogwood story didn't win the ChiZine contest, so I subbed it to Doorways Magazine today.

Tasmin21 · Jul 25, 2008

Listen for the message and realize it may come in an unusual way.

I opened a fortune cookie tonight that said "You will be big in the entertainment industry". Does that count as a message in an unusual way?

Blondchen · Jul 25, 2008

Tasmin21 said:
I opened a fortune cookie tonight that said "You will be big in the entertainment industry". Does that count as a message in an unusual way?

Hellz yay! Never underestimate the power of the fortune cookie...

Xyrventalagn · Jul 25, 2008

I asked an online magic 8-ball whether or not I would become a published author, and after careful consideration, it said yes. That's enough proof for me.

~X.

JoNightshade · Jul 25, 2008

Xyrventalagn said:
I asked an online magic 8-ball whether or not I would become a published author, and after careful consideration, it said yes. That's enough proof for me.

~X.

'Careful consideration' - is that what you call it when you keep shaking it until you get the answer you like?

Xyrventalagn · Jul 25, 2008

Well, I could tell that the first fifteen "No" answers it gave me were all lies, and I demanded the truth!

~X.

Tburger · Jul 25, 2008

Lots of pain over on the horror boards - the Chizine contest results are out and most of us didn't make it to the top 15. On the other hand, congratulations to Horace James, an AW regular, who got an honorable mention! This contest is brutal. Mostly pro's and in the end, Peter Straub had to break the tie for third place. Honorable mention my ass - more like "there is no problem with your writing - send this out to a professional market."

oneidii · Jul 26, 2008

LOL X!

Phaeal · Jul 26, 2008

Condolences, T and fellow horror writers.

Well, I myself am in another rejection slump -- haven't had one for a while! No problem, the Writers of the Future contest for this quarter will soon start announcing results, as will the Glimmer Train contest I entered.

Phaeal · Jul 26, 2008

Phaeal said:
Well, I myself am in another rejection slump -- haven't had one for a while! No problem, the Writers of the Future contest for this quarter will soon start announcing results, as will the Glimmer Train contest I entered.

Whoa, I'm getting more and more convinced of my psychic abilities. Rejected by Glimmer Train today! (Well, "completed," which is how they say "rejected." Why, then, don't I feel complete?

)

"Completed" story resubbed ten minutes later, thanks to the wonders of the Internet.

ink wench · Jul 27, 2008

Sorry about the R, Phaeal.

Well, the query that I sent with the stupid mistake (female heroine) came back as an R yesterday. Bleh.

Irrational, I know, after only two queries, but I'm getting scared that this novel is going to meet the same fate as my last one. That is, so little interest that I can't even get a partial request no matter how I write the query. *sigh* Must stop querying until I hear from my last beta! Apparently, no good comes of it.

ink wench · Jul 27, 2008

I don't send a query without it getting ripped to shreds in Query Hell.

I actually love my query this time around (thanks, SYW folk). But my story has vamps in it, which is partly what makes me nervous. I think I just fall for concepts that no one else finds appealing!

Hmm... let go. I'm liking today's perspective. Thanks, Karen!

The Coffee House of Pain

Call me Pookie

Halfway between here and there

Word Count Slayer

bored fan with a tic

ray of motherf#%&ing sunshine

Disgruntled Scientist

Whatever I did, I didn't do it.

Whatever I did, I didn't do it.

Lurking in the shadows

Word Count Slayer

Dorothy A. Winsor

Chalice the Hatchet Knight

On hiatus

They will come from below...

Honey Badger don't give a shit.

has finally arrived

Wahoowa

Copyediting Queen

Whatever I did, I didn't do it.

Whatever I did, I didn't do it.

ray of motherf#%&ing sunshine

ray of motherf#%&ing sunshine