Regularly submitting to the same market questions

Sea Witch said:

Do you ever get the impression that they know you? If you submit to them over and over (hoping they'll accept something)? Even with tons of submissions?

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I suspect that this really depends on the market. A market where you have a team of first readers going through stories, you might submit to them a half-dozen times and not get the same first reader more than twice.

Except for cases where magazines have incredibly fast turnaround or have a submission frequency policy, I feel free to send another story as soon as I've received a rejection and have another story I feel might be suitable to send there. (I'd use common sense here, too. You don't want to give editors the impression that you're dumping the trunk on them in one big heap. If I recall correctly, Izz had at least one experience with that at C&C.)

If you're getting through to the editors (or they have no slush readers before the editors) they may well remember you. When an editor left a particular 'zine, I got a personal message on her last slush season, so I know she'd noticed me. I'd never had an acceptance there.

Which at some levels, is embarrassing. I'd rather they didn't remember the why-did-I-think-this-was-ready stories. But you take the good with the bad. If they're left with a generally favourable impression, they may be more inclined to offer personal comments.

Yes, this definitely happens. I even got a "hey, good to see you again, sorry, this one isn't IT either" from a market I'm 0 for 3 at.

I'm pretty sure there is one who is tired of me

I've submitted to a zine twice, got two acceptances, and I and the editor talk one on one. Usually, if he likes the idea, but he doesn't like execution (ahem...ambiguity) he'll tell me. I've submitted one story automatically with them, and one through a re-write.
Honestly, I think If I sent to them again, they'd accept me. All the stuff I have with me now, as expected, is better than the stuff before it. (I pubbed with them about one month ago)

Sea Witch said:

Do you ever get the impression that they know you? If you submit to them over and over (hoping they'll accept something)? Even with tons of submissions?

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I was thinking the same thing. I have been submitting the the sake magazine almost every week. It has a really fast response time. But I do wonder if the editor is getting sick of me. I just can't help it. It has kind of become my go to market.

In novel length fic, my home, I've wondered the same thing. I've asked my agent and she says, "No, nobody's ever told me, 'oh, here comes Kinnard with another unworkable story again!'" I have to believe her...so far.

I've heard that in my market certain themes won't fly. Historical fic: your heroine has to be over 18 despite the fact they married much younger in some periods. You can't write medievals. You can't have Vikings in a story. Contemporaries: you can't have a divorced main character. You can't write about "hot" topics (I have an unsold with off-screen spousal abuse). No missionaries (really! in Christian fic!). The list goes on and on, and I seem to be able to find whatever's the "don't write about this" theme of the day and sub a novel that deals with exactly that. Maybe that's why they're sick of me and won't say so.

Here's to truth!