i'm starting to feel like my hobby is getting rejected...

If you keep sending your stories out, you're in good shape. Low expectations are a protective device when querying -- they only hurt you if they stop you from querying or writing.

(((Defy)))

Nothing wrong to get rejected but don't enjoy being rejected. Everytime you are, make sure you try to get feedback why your work wasn't accepted. Learn something and then move on.

Keep doing this and you will improve over time.

You are not alone at all, Defy. I think it's a good strategy to choose the next submission outlet while you're waiting for a rejection. I've heard people say not to have the sun set on a rejection; send it out again the day you get the "Dear A-hole" letter.

Of course I'd like more direct feedback on rejected stories, but if I were the editor, would I take the 30 to 60 minutes it takes to give a line-by-line on a 2500 worder I wasn't going to publish? It's all part of the process, I'm afraid, and why I value the input of a beta reader.

Look on the brighter side, at least you are getting rejections which mean someone did take a look at your work. This is definitely better than not getting a reply at all.

So set a target, move from no replies to more rejections to rejections with feedback to positive 'nearly there' feedback to 'we are keen to work with you'. You will reach somewhere.

You're not getting rejected. Your stories are. A story one editor has problems with, another will love. You'll never know which is which unless you keep sending them out. Rejections are meaningless. (I've collected about 220 so far.)

Nicole

tjficklepeople said:

Look on the brighter side, at least you are getting rejections which mean someone did take a look at your work.

Click to expand...

Well, maybe. Form rejections don't mean a damn thing concerning whether or not a submission actually got read.

Back during my submitting days I more than once had a form-rejection come back stating bluntly that the mag was too replete with submissions to accept any more of them. A form-rejection by no means implies they actually read what you sent. They may have, they may not have. No way of knowing unless you get a personalized comment that reveals something about your story that clearly indicates they read it.

Hey, at least you only feel like it's your hobby. Sometimes I feel like I get rejected like it's my job

Unless stated otherwise, your submissions always get read. Always. No exceptions. I think most would prefer to believe rejections come because the stories aren't read, but this pretty much never, ever happens.

Editors read submissions. Or at least enough of them for the editor to reach a decision. In other words, the editor may only read a single page, but if that page is bad, why should he read page two? But he will keep reading until your writing/story makes him stop.

A single form rejection doesn't always mean something, but when you receive a large percentage of form rejections, you are receiving feedback. Loud, clear, meaningful feedback. It means one of two things: 1. Something is seriously wrong with the stories you're submitting, be it the writing itself, or the plots you choose. 2. The stories you're submitting simply do not fit the magazines you're submitting to. The fit isn't close enough to warrant encouraging you to send other.

But number one is the most common.