The New W1S1 High Tea Bar and Lounge (with extra-comfy sofas)

[RedPanda93]

In other submitting news... On submittable 12 of my 16 submissions on submittable are "in-progress." This probably means I'll be getting more rejections shortly. But maybe they won't all be rejections, who knows? How often do you guys check the status of your submissions? I do this more than I should admit.

This is always hard to balance right. What I did is to set a separate folder in my inbox with the label "writing." Whenever I get a rejection, I move the email to that dedicated folder, and then I can reference it later without haveing to look at it every time I open my inbox. At the end of each month, I log into Duotrope, go through any rejections in my "writing" folder, check the status of everything in Submittable, and then update my Duotrope dashboard accordingly.

 

[gettingby]

This is always hard to balance right. What I did is to set a separate folder in my inbox with the label "writing." Whenever I get a rejection, I move the email to that dedicated folder, and then I can reference it later without haveing to look at it every time I open my inbox. At the end of each month, I log into Duotrope, go through any rejections in my "writing" folder, check the status of everything in Submittable, and then update my Duotrope dashboard accordingly.

That's an interesting process. I log everything on Duotrope when I get rejected and sometimes an acceptance. I haven't done anything with the emails, but it's not a bad idea to keep track of some personal rejections. Not all of them, but the really good ones that say something nice or encouraging and have the editors name stamp, not the typical "the editors." They might have something worth mentioning and addressing the cover letter to that editor? I don't think I would do that often, but I'll give it thought.

The rest of the rejections I don't care to read a second time. I just let them get buried in my inbox and forget about them. But I always log everything on Duotrope, which has just about every submission I've ever made. Years of rejections. I'm tempted to look up just how many times I've been rejected.

I'll tell you my number if you tell me yours?

 

[RedPanda93]

I'll tell you my number if you tell me yours?

Haha for sure. I’m at 55 reject, 2 acceptances (both in the last year) since I started writing 2 years ago. When I was first starting out, naturally, I thought I was Joyce and sent stories I now can’t even look at off to the top lit mags. In the last year though, I stopped paying attention to lit mag prestige and just started submitting to places that had sane response times (one university mag took a year and nine months to get back to me) and felt like a good fit. Both the acceptances are from smaller, unpaid mags, but they’ve done me a world of good in helping me not to give up.

 

[gettingby]

OMG. I feel like a submission slut. lol. Since the beginning of 2012 I've gotten 1,147, according to Duotrope. I've had 18 acceptances. I have and continue to focus on the top lit mags. That's certainly why I have so many rejections. But the acceptances to some dream pubs does make it all worth it to me. I really didn't know my rejection count was so high. I only just looked it up now.

A lot of publications do take a really long time. One place took two years to reject me, too. I try to keep a lot of submissions out there so I don't focus on any one of them too much. The idea is if I send out one or two submissions a week, I'll start to hear back from one or two a week. Of course, that doesn't always work out, but it does keep me going. I've been slipping with that a bit. That's why I like this W1S1 challenge. So at least something new goes out once a month. My new story isn't out yet, but the month isn't over. Still, I made 3 submissions this month. I want to write a new story and put it on submission each month. I'm still going to try to make at least 4 submissions a month, hopefully more.

It's tough out there. Good luck!

 

[Tamlyn]

I use Submission Grinder, rather than Duotrope, but I try to ignore my submissions once they're sent. While I don't often go look at Submittable or whatever, I do stare at the graphs and responses on Submission Grinder, trying to practice rejectomancy. So I don't know how successfully I ignore them! (Some people hate long responders. I like not having to think about it for a while.)

My writer email inbox has 12 million folders, as I sort by market, and I just move any rejections (or acknowledgements) into that folder.

 

[Tamlyn]

And I've almost finished editing my story! I need to type up the last changes, but those are few and would require a meteor strike or some such to not happen (and I would have other problems then).

I'm not subbing it yet, since I feel like I've burned markets doing it too early before. So in at least a couple of weeks, I'll have another look, and see if I go then what was I thinking, this isn't ready.

But I'm calling it done enough to tick off edit 1 for the month.

 

[AnnieColleen]

Story submitted! I'd forgotten that the sub window for the new version of Fantasy Magazine was this week, but I saw it mentioned soon enough to get a flash piece sent in. And yes of course there was some tweaking before sending, but I really love the effect -- in particular there's one blank line that I think nails the ending in a way I could never quite make work.

 

[AnnieColleen]

…and the other story that was out came back. Someone is having fun with timing.

 

[gettingby]

Was going through email today and realized I had missed a rejection from Riddle Fence that came earlier this month. I really need to make more submissions, write more stories, and say a few prayers to the literary gods.

Does anyone know what they are going to write for February? I'm thinking I might take a stab at a bank robbery story. I've done a few in the past, but they haven't turned out as well as I hoped. Not sure the story yet, just know I want it to take place during a bank robbery.

What are your ideas for your next story? If you're not sure, bank robberies can be fun to write about. Good luck, everyone.

 

[AnnieColleen]

And story is out the door again. Props to the Submission Grinder's "find another market for this story?" prompt on logging a rejection.

Still working on my Sisyphus story, so no comment on that. Though I guess it could include a bank robbery!

 

[Izz]

Was going through email today and realized I had missed a rejection from Riddle Fence that came earlier this month. I really need to make more submissions, write more stories, and say a few prayers to the literary gods.

Well, I have a new goal now: have enough stories out that I can miss a rejection

Currently I have... 2 stories out, one of which I'm pretty sure is at a dead market, but I'm leaving the story there just in case it isn't. As an aside, I can't do sim-subs. Too much for my brain. So I need story volume to get to the miss a rejection goal, rather than submission volume

Does anyone know what they are going to write for February? I'm thinking I might take a stab at a bank robbery story. I've done a few in the past, but they haven't turned out as well as I hoped. Not sure the story yet, just know I want it to take place during a bank robbery.

What are your ideas for your next story? If you're not sure, bank robberies can be fun to write about. Good luck, everyone.

I'm going to keep plugging away at the story I started this month, for starters, at least. I've got a lot of the story sorted in my head but I can only seem to get it out in small chunks. I also just added another element, which means it's probably going to be a couple K longer than I anticipated, but will be much better for it. As long as I get the emotional balance right, of course.

My writer email inbox has 12 million folders, as I sort by market, and I just move any rejections (or acknowledgements) into that folder.

I use a DB application called Sonar3 to log and track my subs. It's free, and easy to use.

In other writing news, in the interests of improving my short story output (or possibly in the interests of procrastination), I've started tinkering with my story prompter spreadsheet. Currently, it gives me a setting + event prompt (e.g. Far Future - A Momentous Discovery), but I'm in the process of adding some character stuff to it. So soon it will be spitting out prompts that go something like: 'Far Future - A Momentous Discovery featuring an Unstable Magician'. Should lead to some fun stories. Maybe

 

[soapdish]

Well, I didn’t get any new words down this month.

I think maybe I just wasn’t ready to start a new story yet. It’s been many years now since I’ve actually started an entirely new one. (Except that six word one last month, but that hardly counts) So I’m kinda…clogged up, I guess?

Anyway, this month I was more like: W0S8

I’ll try again next month to get a new story going. And if not, I still have a few I can revise instead. And then wait for the new words to eventually start flowing whenever they feel ready

 

[gettingby]

February is here. A new writing month. A new submitting month. I just thought I would share a few publications that I'm into that have just opened up their submission windows. Good luck to everyone!

Flash Frog -- I don't often write flash fiction, but if you've got a great story under 1k words, check this one out. As a reader, I prefer Flash Frog over Flash Fiction Online. They pay $25 a story. Not much, but then again, maybe an easier story to write and just have some fun with. Flash Fiction Online also just opened their submission window, and they pay $100 a story.

LitMag and LitMag Online -- This journal entered the scene several years ago, well funded and demanding presence. The print journal you can often find at major bookstores. I think a lot of their stories are outstanding, The print journal and the online journal have separate portals for submissions. Both pay semi-pro to pro rates.

Ninth Letter Web Edition -- The theme for this upcoming issue is reversal. Sounds like a theme that could be fun to play around with. This is for the web edition which is separate from their print journal (which is also open). They do have separate submitting portals. Both pay semi-pro to pro rates.

The Normal School -- They don't pay, but I still kind of like this one. A little quirky, but still top-notch writing.

Swamp Pink (formally Crazy Horse) -- I think this is a good one that I've liked for years. Crazy Horse was a print journal I used to subscribe to. They briefly shut down and reinvented themselves as Swamp Pink which is only online. I think you can get a little experimental or offbeat if you want to try this publication. They pay semi-pro to pro rates.

Indiana Review -- Just a good solid publication. There are no cookie-cutter stories in their pages. That's my opinion. They are a print journal, paying semi-pro to pro rates.

The Paris Review -- I probably don't have to say anything about this one. The Paris Review is my favorite journal ever. If you are lucky enough to sell them a story, you will be paid well.

 

[Izz]

Still have plenty to go on January's W1 (it just keeps getting bigger!) but have also started another short (so Feb's W1, I guess), based on a fun line that came to me the other day: "The first time my cousin tried to kill me, we were both eight."

And Story Prompter 2.0 is basically done (though I'm still adding prompt words). Just now it gave me: "Setting: Exploration - A Nautical Experiment featuring a Charming Dog."

 

[AnnieColleen]

I read that line as “we were both right”, which I guess would be a different story!

 

[Izz]

I read that line as “we were both right”, which I guess would be a different story!

Oooh - intriguing!

 

[Tamlyn]

I use Sonar3 too! And it looks like the website has been updated since I last went there (oh, probably a few years back now). The program is free, but I get enough use out of it, I wanted to donate or something but couldn't make it work then. So I should make sure I've got the most up to date version and try to register again.

Edit: And done. That was much easier than last time I tried. (I'm not sure about this font change in the update though... )

But yes. I have online tracking, offline, and then just my general sorting of email, etc. Too much? I don't know, but if one of them breaks I'll still know what's happening with my stories. And if all of them break, there are probably much bigger problems (apocalypse, anyone) going on.

My February goals are almost exactly the same as January. Just, you know, different story and that sort of thing. Not going to write the same story and stuff (might make it a real easy goal). Edit will be my Secret Solstice story, and I might browse through the prompts there to see if one catches me for the story I write this month.

Probably no bank robberies, but you never know.

(I also have novel related goals, and that sort of thing, but I'm going with no minimum on them. So in January I didn't even get one full chapter edited, and that's okay. I'm determined to at least finish that chapter this month, and that will be my focus today.)

 

[gettingby]

Two rejections today. One from The Florida Review and the other from Room. Everything I wrote or sent out last year is still getting rejected, but I'm not sure I'm going to keep sending those out. I'm really trying to focus on new stories that I think have a better chance. Writing 12 new stories this year will greatly change my roster and hopefully some of those will sell.

Have you given up on older stories? When do you decide enough is enough with older works?

 

[Izz]

Have you given up on older stories?

Definitely.

When do you decide enough is enough with older works?

Depends on the story. Some I retire pretty quickly, others I'll submit for years.

I'm also hoping to have a bigger stable of stories by year end. I've only ever had 1 or 2 works out at a time (and sometimes none out) over the last decade and, as weird as it sounds, rejections seem to get disheartening a lot quicker the fewer stories I have out.

 

[Izz]

So the story prompter continues to evolve - it's now up to 6 categories (and it's a magnificent procrastination tool ). Thought I'd share a recent prompt that particularly tickled me for some reason:

A Terrifying Fight featuring a Grateful Hermit in a Lost Colony Ocean

 

[Tamlyn]

I have older stories that are well and truly trunked, and I have older stories I still think are good, even though the mass of rejections piled up behind them suggest otherwise. It really depends on the story as to when enough is enough. I'm always happy to rework stories too (and then get sad if it's now better but I've wasted places I could submit to).

I have started churning out some words for this month's story, but, uh, I had a cool idea! Alas, a cool idea does not make a story. So I might need to pause, try and figure out if there is a plot anywhere in the vicinity to go with it, and restart those words or start something else.

 

[Izz]

I have started churning out some words for this month's story, but, uh, I had a cool idea! Alas, a cool idea does not make a story. So I might need to pause, try and figure out if there is a plot anywhere in the vicinity to go with it, and restart those words or start something else.

Exciting! Hope the cool idea turns into an even cooler story

 

[Tamlyn]

It has been A Week, and next week is also going to be A Week, and I think I'm going to have to drop some of my normal goals (I've already failed at having a writing day this week). I'll still hope to get the story edits finished, and the probably flash finished, and at least a sub out, but yeah.

 

[Tamlyn]

And today a rejection on one of my long sitters. A bunch of responses went out for the market, according to the Submissions Grinder, and a number of them were acceptances. Just not my one.

Based on the reader comments, I'm surprised it ever got passed up to the editor at all. (Funnily, the second reader comments I think are completely accurate but are intended. The protagonist doesn't know what's going to happen at the end? No, no, she does not! That's the point! She's just trying anyway.)

Not sure what I'll do with this story, whether I'll try and look at it again with some of the comments in mind, to see if I agree. It's... been around the block. I may have nowhere to send it even if I decide the reader was right.

 

[Izz]

Based on the reader comments, I'm surprised it ever got passed up to the editor at all. (Funnily, the second reader comments I think are completely accurate but are intended. The protagonist doesn't know what's going to happen at the end? No, no, she does not! That's the point! She's just trying anyway.)

Ah, it's kinda annoying when a reader doesn't understand the intent of something, isn't it? Hard to judge whether it was just that reader or a wider issue.

Okay, ramble incoming

I have a W1 for the month. 600-word flash, written over the last couple days. Have another story started last week that's in progress, and that might have a first draft by the end of this week. Maybe. January's story is still progressing slowly, as is February's initial W1. I still like them both enough to want to finish them.

What I've been doing is regularly generating a prompt and then starting something based on that (like 200-500 words that day kinda thing). If I really like it I keep working on it immediately. If I'm not sure, I'm putting it away, the plan being at the end of the month to assess again, and move some of the starts across to a 'To Continue' folder, and the others into a 'Not Used' folder.

And now just typing this I've realized for this to work I need to create a new progress tracker (because I'd already almost forgotten about the story I started at the beginning of the month, as I haven't worked on it for a couple weeks).

My goals for the year have changed a little, too. Not in terms of W1S1 but in terms of what I'm hoping to achieve in an overall sense. I really just want to get back to a space where I'm writing for enjoyment, without putting pressure on myself to write sellable stuff. Not that I don't want to sell stories, but I don't want that to be my focus, or something (which is kinda funny given I haven't sold any short stories in over a decade and have been very inconsistent at the writing/subbing aspect for about that long, too).

Oh, and I also want to level the writing up a bit, as I feel I've stagnated a bit since finishing the Jazz Healy series. And I figure the best way to do that is words, words, words, whether they end up in a finished story or not.

Oh 2, and as counterintuitive as this will sound given what I've said above, I also want to get back into the habit of finishing things. The last couple of years there have been tons of starts, lots of planning, but very little finishing. But I figure that maybe (again, really counterintuitive) start more, finish more?

Anyhoo, I'm finding the story prompter to be a lot of fun. I'd be more than happy to post prompts here every so often, if anyone wants (no obligation to use them, of course)?