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

[soapdish]

I know the only chance of getting a quick rejection is being one of the first in lol

I can’t tell if you’re being a smartass here

Or if this is some weird metric I should pay attention to and account for

 

[gettingby]

I mentioned this in the what's on your mind about writing thread, but wanted to let you guys know too that I sold a story. Still, in a bit of delightful shock about this sale, pro-rate and all. I haven't sold a story in over a year. I forgot how good this feels. Man, did I need this right now.

 

[Tamlyn]

Hah. Strange Horizons seem to manage quick responses to the the first lot of submissions, but if you were in the tail end of the submission period, expect to not hear anything for a while. I don't know if they get bogged down or what. I don't care how long they sit on my subs for, since then I don't have to think about it then, so I don't mind the wait. If you want to know if it's a no as soon as possible (I imagine a yes would take a longer time still), then try and be the first person in the queue, I suppose

@gettingby

 

[gettingby]

Fiddlehead and Gain both rejected me this week.

 

[Tamlyn]

Rolling round to the end of the month now. It has not been a terrible month for me, but it has not been a good one either. A few very quick rejections, but they were not unexpected (having low expectations really helps sometimes ). My edited story is maybe dodge - I don't know if I will do anything with it or if I will discover it needs more edits in future - but I got one edited. I also finished a draft of both a story (absolute mess) and a flash (less mess, the one that got edited, but possibly just boring).

I have struggled to get into some of my other work, so I've decided to put the novel draft away for now and start something new (will it work out? I don't know) and/or maybe go back to my pet project for a while.

 

[soapdish]

Rolling round to the end of the month now. It has not been a terrible month for me, but it has not been a good one either.

That’s kinda how my month has gone too.

I subbed several stories, no problems there. Two to markets I have, like, zero chance of landing But I’m aiming high!

Got a couple rejections. One really stung besides I felt I had nailed the theme of the anthology PERFECTLY. But their reason for the rejection was that it just didn’t fit with the theme…

Got about halfway—maybe a third of the way—through writing a new story. So I didn’t exactly get my W1 done this month. I swear my short stories keep trending toward novelettes these days.

But what isn’t yet written is outlined, so I think it should go relatively quickly when I return to it.

Though I keep getting sidetracked by rabbit holes like how garbage is disposed of on remote islands and WOULD there realistically BE an abandoned slaughterhouse on this island and why?

You know, the things you ponder when writing horror.

I don’t know who will want it when it’s done though, since it’s kind of turning out to be a pretty political. And not in a subtle way.

 

[gettingby]

I managed to put out four submission last month. That's sort of the minimum I want to put out (equally one per week). I would like to double that. Sometimes it happens. Other times I struggle and fail.

I've got a story close to being ready to put on submission. I like the story, but my first two paragraphs are a little clunky. I've tried rewriting them several times and something just isn't working. I'm going to take a little time to let this one breathe and see if I can do better when I come back to it.

But my goal is to try and bang out a draft of a brand new story this weekend for my May story. Then spend the rest of the month editing and revising it. I have come to realize that revision is my friend (even if I don't like it I need it) and it takes me several passes to nail it down.

I've sold one story this year. Averaging only about one to two story sales a year, I wonder if the rest of the year is going to be all about rejections. I at least want to try putting my best stuff out there. And creating new best stuff. Of course, I could submit something now that will result in a sale, but I might not hear back about it until next year. Some places are just so slow. That's why I think it's a good thing to write new stories and submit on a regular basis so there's always some submissions I'm due to hear back on any day.

My oldest submission is at 220 days. And that one is at a place known to take over a year to respond in many cases. What's your oldest submission right now? Do you have any that you should hear back from soon? Good luck, all my submitter friends.

 

[Tamlyn]

Oldest is only 98 days atm. I'm sure they'll be rejecting me before long.

 

[Tamlyn]

And, lo, they did. I had something in both the flash and short queue; both got the rejection at the same time, so not even a second look. Probably not even to the second paragraph read lol.

Now my oldest is only... no, I don't want to shake loose that rejection too, not saying.

 

[gettingby]

And, lo, they did. I had something in both the flash and short queue; both got the rejection at the same time, so not even a second look. Probably not even to the second paragraph read lol.

Now my oldest is only... no, I don't want to shake loose that rejection too, not saying.

I know that feeling all too well. Feeling like your story didn't even get a proper read just sucks. But it happens all the time.

I do like it when my submissions are out longer than expected. I would like to think that at that point my story has been read and maybe passed up to a second reader or editor. But most of the time if those one gets rejected I still get a form. However, the majority of the work I've sold has taken time, a lot of waiting a bit anxiously. I've got one in the red on Duotrope that I want super badly.

Best of luck on your next oldest submission!

 

[gettingby]

I made my first submission for the month. Even though this place takes simultaneous submissions, I've decided not to sed this one anywhere else before I hear back from this place. This story has been submitted to several publications in the past and got many personal rejections, but still all rejections. I've given it another pass through, and I feel pretty good about this story. I also feel pretty good about this new submission, enough to wait and see how it turns out. I'm not foolish enough to bank on this turning out in my favor. It's just a gut feeling, so I'm going to go with it.

Do you guys always make simulates submissions when allowed? What would make you submit a story to just one place at a time? I figure I can and will always be writing new stories. It's not like I'm going to run out of material to submit because I can always write more stories. W1S1 definitely helps with that. I'm usually W1S15. LOL. It's always in the back of my mind when I'm writing where I plan to submit. Do you guys have the places you plan to submit in mind while you're writing, too? Just curious. This thread seems quieter than I think it should be.

Anyone got a good story in the works you plan on pulling off for the month of May?

And, as always, good luck my submitter friends!

 

[soapdish]

Now my oldest is only... no, I don't want to shake loose that rejection too, not saying.

Yeah, I’m in that zone too. Where I don’t want to talk about things because I’m afraid of shaking something bad loose. I’m not usually a superstitious person, but I find myself falling into that more and more lately.

I do not like!