Rejectomancy

[alexshvartsman]

Yup, got a couple of subs at 100+ days also... It's long but not really unreasonable.

project_deadlight: Most magazines will bump you up to the front of the queue when this happens, if you resubmit. Not sure what Black Static's policy is on that though.

[zanzjan]

Originally Posted by Izatright

I haven't weathered the hundred plus day wait yet, so to me a hundred days does seem like an excruciatingly long wait! But, I just subbed to Bull Spec AND Electric Literature three days ago, which, I'm sure you know, are both steady at around 200 days of wait for even rejections. In 200 days, I'll read your response again and finally, experientially, know what you mean.

Yeah, there's a lot of markets that are really long like that, including many of the really good markets -- probably largely because of the volume of material they're inundated with.

FWIW, approx. 17% of my subs were out 100 days or over.
6% of my subs were out 200 days or over.
3.5% of my subs were out over a year.
My longest? 1826 days + 3 ignored queries on a solicited sub, then I withdrew it. (Don't ever wait that long.)
Overall, though, my average response time has been 75 days. If I exclude the 1826 days, it drops to 62.
Right now I've got one out at 526 days and one at 187 days, and counting.

I'm sure I'm failing at sounding sympathetic, even though I *am* -- each of those milestones when I first hit them felt ridiculously long, but in hindsight, with one notable exception, now seem fairly typical.

[Lillie]

Originally Posted by Project Deadlight

110 DAYS!!! Then to be told AFTER AN IGNORED QUERY ALREADY, that they never received it??? I thought this was a place for love and hugs...

That's a bitch. ((((((Love and Hugs)))))) for you

[pangalactic]

Just got a personal from Asimov's. Which is nice, but I'd prefer the sale

[sammyjwebb]

Pan agreed - Acceptance much better, but hopefully the personal note was helpful.

[pangalactic]

Originally Posted by sammyjwebb

Pan agreed - Acceptance much better, but hopefully the personal note was helpful.

It was pretty helpful, even though it was brief. More than anything though it's nice to know that I'm writing stuff that's getting attention at that level, even though it's not selling yet.

[Lillie]

Originally Posted by pangalactic

Just got a personal from Asimov's. Which is nice, but I'd prefer the sale

((((Pan))))

[Lillie]

And just to remind me not to get above myself, a 88 day R from Strange Horizons

I don't care. Well, a little bit, but not really.

[alexshvartsman]

Hugs, Lillie. I got my Strange Horizons rejection in today as well (though mine only hung in there for 55 days or so). Off to the next market you go, Little Story That Couldn't (at least, not so far).

[Working Title]

(((((Deadlight, Pan, Lillie, and Alex)))))

Do you guys prefer individual hugs, or are group hugs okay?

Originally Posted by alexshvartsman

Off to the next market you go, Little Story That Couldn't (at least, not so far).

Poor "Little Story That Couldn't." Go, little story! You can make it!

Originally Posted by pangalactic

Just got a personal from Asimov's. Which is nice, but I'd prefer the sale

Personals may not pay in money, but at least they pay in morale!

[pangalactic]

Group hugs work for me

[alexshvartsman]

Likewise Thanks, Working_Title

[Brett Marie]

A bunch of generic Rs over the past week, and then three days of eerie silence...

[Working Title]

Alright. Perfect example of how I use Duotrope here. My story has been out for 18 days at DSF, and there are seven DSF rejections in the 19-21 day range for today. On the one hand, I figure my story is probably a hair too recent for them to get to today. On the other, I'm holding my breath and bracing myself for the next few days. Stressful, yes, but there's something addictive about having a story (or stories) out and feeling that possibility of being accepted. It's actually why I sent this story out again. I don't like not having that "what-if" in the back of my mind, so I'm actually pretty high on anticipation right now.

[Aggy B.]

All crickets for me.

Survivor is now 10 days over at One Forty Fiction.
Mother just hit the 90 day mark at TNY. I know there's another 30+ days I can expect to wait but now, suddenly, I'm nervous.
Love Like Dysphoria is just close enough to the rejection window at Strange horizons, now I'll have to be nervous about it too.

[alexshvartsman]

Rejections from Clarkesworld and F&SF today. Ah well, at least I didn't *expect* a different response from those markets. Going to re-sub both stories tonight.

[SmallThing]

Hugs to everyone on the rejection front. It does seem like there are lots of personal rejections from great markets going on here. Definitely not as good as sales, I know, but you all are getting some serious attention.

Which doesn't make the rejections not hurt.

The silence in my inbox wouldn't be getting to me were it not for the fact that Clarkesworld is holding on to something much longer than I expected. I really should learn to never ever look at Duotrope...

[Emptyeye]

I found out that apparently the Spirit of Poe Anthology has selected its roster of authors. Since I'm not on it, I'll presume that's an R. :P

[Brett Marie]

Originally Posted by alexshvartsman

Rejections from Clarkesworld and F&SF today. Ah well, at least I didn't *expect* a different response from those markets. Going to re-sub both stories tonight.

That's the spirit. 'Ah, well' lasts till about the end of the sentence. The very next thought is 're-sub... tonight!'

Rs from PANK and DIAGRAM for me. I know I can crack one of these top-tier markets, but you take quite a beating when you start at the top.

[ShadowFox]

Er, last three days, 4 rejections, and one almost a rejection (and no, it's not an acceptance either, just feedback but they sent it to a reader for the second round).

They're coming back faster than I can send 'em out at the moment.

[Working Title]

(((((Brett, Alex, Emptyeye, and ShadowFox)))))

Originally Posted by ShadowFox

Er, last three days, 4 rejections, and one almost a rejection (and no, it's not an acceptance either, just feedback but they sent it to a reader for the second round).

That's tough with those rejections, but one of your stories made it to the second round! That's awesome.

Hey, look, that form DSF rejection I was expecting appeared.

I need a kick more than a hug. A kick to send the story back out and a kick to write other stories faster. Wait, that's two kicks...and a different thread, isn't it?

[pangalactic]

Originally Posted by Brett Marie

Rs from PANK and DIAGRAM for me. I know I can crack one of these top-tier markets, but you take quite a beating when you start at the top.

I'll take that beating; it's worth it in the long run. I'd hate to start at the bottom, never knowing if the piece could have sold to a higher profile market when it gets picked up on the first sub by an exposure-only venture.

(That's not to say I have anything against those places. All my sales to date - with the exception of my Nanoism piece - have been to non-paying venues with limited exposure, and I subbed to them because I like the product they put out. But as a rule I start at the top and work down, and I think I'm getting closer to cracking some of the top markets. I wouldn't know that if I started at the bottom.)

[Lillie]

((((((Hugs for all the rejectioneers))))))

[Sai]

Got hit by the Strange Horizons rejection wave today. I shooed the story out the door again to the Intergalatic Medicine Show, but I'm a little worried that it pushes their pg-13 rating. We shall see.

On the brightside, according to Mac in the Science Fiction/Fantasy forum, there should be news soon regarding the AW antho. I subbed them one of my personal favourites, so I'm looking forward to seeing what they think of it.

[Lillie]

((((Sai))))

Sorry about the R But good luck with the antho!