Rejectomancy

[AndreaGS]

21-day rejection from DSF saying it was a tough decision made easier by the very dark nature of the material. Suggested I try horror markets.

I didn't think it was that horrific, but I'm not as familiar with horror as I should be. I can't find many pro horror markets that will accept a piece this long. I already have a rejection from CW and a personal rejection from F&SF on this one.

I'm trying Strange Horizons, and then I may try self-pubbing it if that doesn't pan out. I'm reluctant to trunk it.

kd1984 - Sounds like you have a good story on your hands! The plot comment sounds like it may be personal preference. Keep subbing!

[Marzioli]

Originally Posted by AndreaGS

21-day rejection from DSF saying it was a tough decision made easier by the very dark nature of the material. Suggested I try horror markets.

How long is the piece?

[defcon6000]

Originally Posted by AndreaGS

21-day rejection from DSF saying it was a tough decision made easier by the very dark nature of the material. Suggested I try horror markets.

I didn't think it was that horrific, but I'm not as familiar with horror as I should be. I can't find many pro horror markets that will accept a piece this long. I already have a rejection from CW and a personal rejection from F&SF on this one.

I'm trying Strange Horizons, and then I may try self-pubbing it if that doesn't pan out. I'm reluctant to trunk it.

If it's a horror story, you may not have much better luck with SH since they don't take horror. Have you tried Shock Totem or One Buck Horror? There's also Shimmer, and they've recently boosted their payment to 3 cents/word.

[AndreaGS]

Marzioli, it's 7900 words. Thanks for the suggestions, defcon6000 - I'll check those out! I'm just not sure if it actually falls into the category of horror. It does have an underlying sense of dread, and the protagonist's mother is a supernatural serial killer (though not by her choice). I thought of it more as the story of a girl struggling to extricate herself from the enmeshed relationship with her mother. Eh, maybe it is horror. Well, shoot.

ETA: Crap, I just asked my husband, and he says "mostly it's horror". Would it be a good idea to try and withdraw it from SH? This is embarrassing.

[defcon6000]

Oooh, I remember that story from SYW. Yeah, I thought it was horror as well. I'm sure SH will understand if you withdraw--unless you want to see if you can get it past them.

7,900 words is tough. I can't think of many markets who take that length, they all seem to cut short at the 4k-5k range. Into the Darkness antho takes upward of 10,000 words, but their pay is 2 cents/word.

[Marzioli]

Originally Posted by AndreaGS

ETA: Crap, I just asked my husband, and he says "mostly it's horror". Would it be a good idea to try and withdraw it from SH? This is embarrassing.

I say keep it at SH. They DO accept horror, but they're not prone to it. Meaning it has to have more than just shock and terror, which yours sounds like it has. Besides, there aren't many places that accept 7900-word stories. You got to scrounge where you can.

After, or if, you get a rejection from SH, check out Black Static (3 cents--paper sub to the UK) and Midnight Echo (3 cents--electric sub to AU). Both will look at manuscripts as big as yours. I think ME closes sooner, but both are pretty awesome sounding dark fantasy / horror markets.

[defcon6000]

SH does say they are generally not interested in horror. And I've never really seen a horror story from them. Stories with dark themes, but not outright horror.

[WordCount]

Andrea: I'd let it stay there. As long as you don't try to actually SHOCK reader, then I'm pretty sure you'll be okay.

BTW, is it that Dreameater story? I remember reading it for you and don't remember what it's about.


Me? I'm listening to the chirping of crickets.

[O'Dandelo]

Originally Posted by Marzioli

I say keep it at SH. They DO accept horror, but they're not prone to it. Meaning it has to have more than just shock and terror, which yours sounds like it has. Besides, there aren't many places that accept 7900-word stories. You got to scrounge where you can.

After, or if, you get a rejection from SH, check out Black Static (3 cents--paper sub to the UK) and Midnight Echo (3 cents--electric sub to AU). Both will look at manuscripts as big as yours. I think ME closes sooner, but both are pretty awesome sounding dark fantasy / horror markets.

Black Static actually pays 3 PENCE a word, which factors out to almost 5 cents. The long wait and expensive mailing (about $14 from the US) are drawbacks though.

[Marzioli]

Originally Posted by O'Dandelo

Black Static actually pays 3 PENCE a word, which factors out to almost 5 cents. The long wait and expensive mailing (about $14 from the US) are drawbacks though.

Oh yeah, I always forget about exchange rates. I suppose that means Midnight Echo probably pays in Australian dollars, which is greater by $.0105 to $.01. (I had to look it up.)

[alexshvartsman]

Andrea, I would keep it at SH. They have a reasonably fast turnaround; if it doesn't pass the slush reader you should have it back in under 2 weeks. And if it does pass the first round.. well, then it was worth sending it there

[Shadow]

0 day rejection from F*ar and Tr*mbling.

[AndreaGS]

Bummer about the fast rejection, Shadow.

Thanks for the market suggestions, defcon6000, and Marzioli. I'm saving those. I'll see what happens at SH, though I'm still slightly mortified. I'd better read more horror so I know what the heck I'm writing.

WordCount - it is the Dreameater story. I posted the first part in SYW a while ago. Hope you hear something more than crickets soon!

[Polenth]

Originally Posted by AndreaGS

Thanks for the market suggestions, defcon6000, and Marzioli. I'm saving those. I'll see what happens at SH, though I'm still slightly mortified. I'd better read more horror so I know what the heck I'm writing.

There isn't an easy dividing line between dark SFF and horror, so it's not something you can guess for a market. Maybe they'll view it as horror. Maybe they won't. I had a piece rejected as not dark enough (from a market that wasn't horror specific), which then sold to a horror market.

The worst you'll get is a note saying not dark enough / too dark for us.

[Marzioli]

OSC's IGMS R. Their 32-day status quo has been pushed back two days.

[Project Deadlight]

19 day form R from Nine. But resubbed and 2 more stories out today taking me back up to 34 pending.

[O'Dandelo]

Originally Posted by Project Deadlight

19 day form R from Nine. But resubbed and 2 more stories out today taking me back up to 34 pending.

Oh yeah? Well, I have 3 submissions out now! Ha!

[Shadow]

Originally Posted by fihr

(How do you put the little hugs in the comments?) Shadow - I too have had a zero day R from The Coloured Lens. They are remarkably fast!

Yeah they are fast, I like that. Click on the happy face above in the reply to thread box(next to fonts, size, etc) that you type in. You should see a bunch of smiles and at the end-show all smiles. Click that, hugs for all the rejections.

It's alright Andrea,

[sarahthegrey]

Originally Posted by O'Dandelo

Oh yeah? Well, I have 3 submissions out now! Ha!

Deadlight, I'm very seriously scheming to be where you. Envy is a powerful motivator.

Sympathy for all the recent Rs. I'm in the midst of a swarm of crickets, but at least they don't sting like rejection.

[Marzioli]

48-day form R from Exp*nded H*riz*ns. For a place that has a 9-day average for acceptances and rejections alike, a form response is awfully brutal. :/

[defcon6000]

Holy crap, I finally received my R from Ped-estal, and only about three months after the issue was released!

And then the ask you to submit other work in the future. Umm, yeeeeaaaah.

[O'Dandelo]

Originally Posted by Marzioli

48-day form R from Exp*nded H*riz*ns. For a place that has a 9-day average for acceptances and rejections alike, a form response is awfully brutal. :/

Small silver lining, but it's there. 39 extra days of consideration! In the end someone had a regrettably lazy moment with the sending of the R.

[Marzioli]

Originally Posted by O'Dandelo

Small silver lining, but it's there. 39 extra days of consideration! In the end someone had a regrettably lazy moment with the sending of the R.

True, and in the end it's my fault. My writing wasn't impressive enough to open their wallets. This is an early piece, so I probably need to work it over before it's up to my current standards.

[alexshvartsman]

Umm.. guys, what's with partially censoring out market names? It's not like you're badmouthing them or anything.

Sorry about the SH R, Marzioli. Hanging in that long is an accomplishment in itself

I got an 18-day rejection from F&SF. Middle tier form; didn't even make it to the editor. The story was in Clarkesworld's queue less than five minutes after I opened that letter

[Marzioli]

Originally Posted by defcon6000

Holy crap, I finally received my R from Ped-estal, and only about three months after the issue was released!

Efficiency is for the winners, I suppose. Luckily only poets have to deal with that fiasco for most of the year.

Originally Posted by alexshvartsman

Umm.. guys, what's with partially censoring out market names? It's not like you're badmouthing them or anything.

Sorry about the SH R, Marzioli. Hanging in that long is an accomplishment in itself

True, but I've been led to believe a lot of markets are notified when someone mentions their name online, and I'd prefer a bit of anonymity with my post-rejection bellyaching. And thanks for the encouragement! However, it was only semi-pro market Expanded H*rizons. It's still a pretty lengthy holdout, but with less prestige involved.

And sorry to hear about the F&SF. Good luck with Clarke!