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

[gettingby]

Hey, @soapdish. I have a question for you or anyone else who knows about this. How do you know your piece is/was shortlisted? I always thought shortlisted were the finalist of some prize. And my understanding is that doesn't come out until after the winner is announced. I could be wrong about when the list is released.

But when you say you're waiting on a pro market that doesn't sound like a contest. However, in my experience I've never been notified I was on any kind of shortlist. I was notified by one publication that my story had made it to the final round of consideration before they eventually bought it. I'm not sure there was any shortlist involved. I wasn't given those details.

I had a different publication send me a rejection once where they said my story just missed the cut. But I don't think that means I was shortlisted for anything.

I guess I'm wondering if you are using this to mean something else or I'm just not getting it. Anyway, good luck with what you've got pending.

 

[soapdish]

However, in my experience I've never been notified I was on any kind of shortlist. I was notified by one publication that my story had made it to the final round of consideration before they eventually bought it. I'm not sure there was any shortlist involved. I wasn't given those details.

Yes, that’s how I’m using the term.

I see (and so do many other writers) as submitting to any market as a form of a “contest” even if not officially so. Because you are competing against others for publication—particularly if it’s an issue based market.

In this case the list of possible “winners” (ie. the ones chosen for publication over others) is narrowed down once it’s passed up to the senior/deciding editors. So the list of “winners” is now smaller than it was initially—or shorter.

It’s not uncommon for me to use terms more liberally than others may use them, though

ETA: oh yeah, I also just remembered that regarding…

I had a different publication send me a rejection once where they said my story just missed the cut. But I don't think that means I was shortlisted for anything.

…I’ve also been rejected and told that before I was rejected, I had made the “shortlist.” So, it gets used in a few different ways, I suppose. Again, that was not for a contest, that was for an anthology.

 

[gettingby]

You can use the word as you want, I guess, but it's kind of just speculation. There might not be a list at all. I've worked at a couple literary journals and none of them had lists or finalists involved when putting issues together. And the word shortlisted does actually mean something other than what you were using it to mean. Just saying...

But I do believe regular submission can be just as competitive if not more so than competitions. In a competition there is going to be a winner. A literary journal can reject everyone and solicit writers writers for work they want to publish. And maybe other times there are writers with connections that get considered a little closer. I don't think in either of those cases, publications that lean on those practices are doing anything wrong. But our stories aren't always given a fair shot at the "prize" the same way they would in a competition.

In my experience, it's only happened once that I was notified of any progression of consideration for a story. It's hard to really know how different publications operate. I'm always curious about it. Like if my submission has been pending longer than average, does that mean it's been passed on up or held onto for further consideration? I wish I knew, but when the form rejections eventually come I guess it doesn't matter all that much. Do you think there's a reason most publications tend to stay quiet while evaluating a submission no matter how far it's made it? I'm not sure why it is?

 

[gettingby]

Got another rejection which was a little sadder than the first, since I think it was my story with the best chance out. Now I only have... one? Two? stories out in the world. Your lowest numbers, gettingby, still seem very good to me. I absolutely get the questioning though. The writing game is so hard.

I'm usually more on top of this than I am now. I'm reworking the beginning of one of my stories. Another one I'm reworking the whole thing. I would like to have a few stories in perfect shape for submitting by September 1. I'm not a perfectionist so perfect in my mind is an achievable goal.

Most of the places I like to submit to have open submission windows in the fall. But I still like to send a submission or two every week so it gets to the point where I am hearing back from a publication or two every week. I have been slipping, though.

I also know that my acceptance rate usually hovers around 1%. That means I sell 1 story for every 100 submissions I make. And that means I need to make a lot of submissions.

 

[soapdish]

You can use the word as you want, I guess, but it's kind of just speculation. There might not be a list at all. I've worked at a couple literary journals and none of them had lists or finalists involved when putting issues together. And the word shortlisted does actually mean something other than what you were using it to mean. Just saying...

Right…
In this case it is used more figuratively. Almost like shorthand for something, with a literal list perhaps existing. Perhaps not.

(And yes, I’m aware shorthand (and short hands ) also have other meanings.)

FWIW, I have been a part of publishing projects where a literal list has been used. And seen publications say it in their guidelines before too.

But you are correct, you don’t always know.

 

[gettingby]

My submission I was most hopeful about was rejected today. I've got a few out, but my numbers are dwindling. I've got a new story, and I'm pouring all I've got into it. I want to submit it to a place that closes Aug. 1

On top on that. I would like to try and push myself to make a dozen new submissions this month if I can. I've got some stuff that's probably ready to go out and there are a few places open I want to submit to.

 

[Tamlyn]

*waves from July*

 

[soapdish]

*waves from July*

Wait. Is it July already where you are? Nooooooo!
I’m not ready.

 

[Tamlyn]

I tried to hold the month back, but no luck, sorry. It's slippery.

I started well and actually got some submissions out! Then one of them got rejected straight away And I know this market rejects quickly, but it still makes me feel like they opened it, yelled NOPE NOPE, and hit the reject button. If they held onto it a moment longer, I might be able to believe the story was decent but not right for them.

But I've chosen a story to edit for the month and made some notes on it. Haven't decided what to write, but that tends to be easier, because I can just start writing and something usual comes out. Not always something worth keeping, but something.

 

[Tamlyn]

I was trying to think of what story to write this month. I took a browse of some themed anthologies and went oh, I could definitely write the romance version of this world and characters that has been bouncing around my head for a while. Started.

Then double-checked the submission deadline. So I can definitely finish writing a story before the 20th. Can I edit said story to make it good by then? Uh....

Going to try though! Will finish drafting today, hopefully, then I guess start editing straight away, even though I usually prefer to let it sit for a while.

(Of course, I don't feel like writing at all right now.)

 

[soapdish]

I was trying to think of what story to write this month. I took a browse of some themed anthologies and went oh, I could definitely write the romance version of this world and characters that has been bouncing around my head for a while. Started.

Then double-checked the submission deadline. So I can definitely finish writing a story before the 20th. Can I edit said story to make it good by then? Uh....

Going to try though! Will finish drafting today, hopefully, then I guess start editing straight away, even though I usually prefer to let it sit for a while.

(Of course, I don't feel like writing at all right now.)

Sometimes being under the gun produces the best stuff. Good luck @Tamlyn

 

[soapdish]

I’m looking at the markets I’m still waiting to hear from (some since beginning of the year) on Submission Grinder and seeing a lot of responses going out from all of them. So I should be hearing something soon.