How're your submissions going in 2010?

Truth and Fiction · Nov 18, 2010

Oh, also, on the question of whether journals don't actually read pieces: I think that this is a common defensive kind of emotion we've all felt from time to time. But the reality is, many journals get so many submissions, and so many of those submissions aren't right for them (for all sorts of reasons) that often they don't have to read past the first page before rejecting. Or paragraph. It's just the nature of it. (And yes, sometimes they might miss gems, or maybe they've filled the issue with solicited stuff, and the bigger-name magazines might pay less attention to the slush...but you can't control that.)

It doesn't really matter if a journal takes 6 months or 6 hours to respond. Often, if you are rejected after 6 months, it's because it took them 6 months to dig your manuscript out of the pile and actually look at it.

johnnysannie · Nov 18, 2010

I've spent a bit of time on the editor side of the desk for two different literary journals ove the years and in my experience - both editorial and as a writer - I can vouch for the fact that all submissions are read. Some may not be read in entirety but they are read.

Until you put on an editor's hat, it is difficult to fathom the vast amount of total unsuitable dreck that is submitted. Just wading through it to consider the decent stuff takes a lot of effort and time.

Feedback just isn't on the radar for editors - there isn't the time to do it and it isn't their place.

There are other places - crit groups, the share your work forum here, creative writing classes, beta readers, etc. to get feedback.

Rufus Leeking · Nov 18, 2010

johnnysannie said:
I've spent a bit of time on the editor side of the desk for two different literary journals ove the years and in my experience - both editorial and as a writer - I can vouch for the fact that all submissions are read. Some may not be read in entirety but they are read.

Until you put on an editor's hat, it is difficult to fathom the vast amount of total unsuitable dreck that is submitted. Just wading through it to consider the decent stuff takes a lot of effort and time.

Feedback just isn't on the radar for editors - there isn't the time to do it and it isn't their place.

There are other places - crit groups, the share your work forum here, creative writing classes, beta readers, etc. to get feedback.

I'm not expecting feedback like "delete this scene," but the lack of comment at all from some of these journals makes me question it. plus, the volume of dreck they must get is a reason why i expect they can't read it all.

plus you all are probably right about the defensive reaction

triceretops · Nov 18, 2010

All my subs have been for promo and marketing for my lastest book. Like, requesting blurbs, soliciting reviews, trying to give away free ARC copies, plastering free review sites, and such things. And it's gone terribly bad so far. Publisher is fairing no better. We might have to push the publishing schedule up a couple months.

Tri

johnnysannie · Nov 18, 2010

Rufus Leeking said:
I'm not expecting feedback like "delete this scene," but the lack of comment at all from some of these journals makes me question it. plus, the volume of dreck they must get is a reason why i expect they can't read it all.

plus you all are probably right about the defensive reaction

Trust me, they make an effort to read all of it. If it really is poorly done, they probably don't read the entire MS but they try.

And editors just generally don't comment on rejected work. There is no reason that they would. On the flip side, however, if your work is accepted and you're working with an editor, you should see comments and suggestions until any editorial changes they would like to see satisfy both of you.

Submitting isn't like turning in a paper to a college class where most of the time students get a grade AND feedback.

Polenth · Nov 18, 2010

Rufus Leeking said:
ok. let me ask it this way, does anyone here have experience with a publication that gives feedback and accepts longer work?

If you want feedback in order to improve, a critique group is best. If you're just looking for proof that they've read it, slap yourself and submit the next story. You're very unlikely to find a market for longer works that guarantees feedback (I don't know of any), and even if you did, you wouldn't want to limit your submissions to them.

It's a common defensive reaction to blame rejection on something other than the story. The market doesn't read them, only publishes the editor's friends or only publishes famous people (even though you hadn't heard of any of the writers in their previous issue). It's not a good mindset to get into, because it makes rejection about everything other than the story.

Rufus Leeking · Nov 18, 2010

Polenth said:
If you want feedback in order to improve, a critique group is best. If you're just looking for proof that they've read it, slap yourself and submit the next story. You're very unlikely to find a market for longer works that guarantees feedback (I don't know of any), and even if you did, you wouldn't want to limit your submissions to them.

It's a common defensive reaction to blame rejection on something other than the story. The market doesn't read them, only publishes the editor's friends or only publishes famous people (even though you hadn't heard of any of the writers in their previous issue). It's not a good mindset to get into, because it makes rejection about everything other than the story.

dude. look at the name i came up with. do you really think someone could actually reject MY work?

RexZentah · Nov 27, 2010

I live near a big city. I check out authors presenting their books all of the time. It's been fun. I saw William Gibson, Mike Lupica and a poor cereal contest winner, suddenly made a little bit richer. The big names often have a great presentation. The contest winner looked a like a fish out of water.

As for how far somebody should read my submission. If they can't tell what it's about by reading the title then, they should read the first sentence. If they don't have an idea of what it's about by then, they should read the second sentence. If they are still confused, they should move to the next submission. I put so much work into those three things. I have put a lot of work into the whole of my work lately.

Lately, my writing has that detective book voice to it. "Just the facts ma'am."

The exhausted man walked down the empty street talking to himself in sometimes harsh tones. He wore pants that were too long and were rolled up like a child's. By the bags under his eyes and his knotted fingers, you could tell he was a writer. Several police cars skidded to stops around him. He coolly surveyed their frantic maneuvers. Must be something about my last submission.

Some of the braver officers approached in their kevlar armor with their many-times used batons ready...

Sn00py · Nov 28, 2010

RexZentah said:
I live near a big city. I check out authors presenting their books all of the time. It's been fun. I saw William Gibson, Mike Lupica and a poor cereal contest winner, suddenly made a little bit richer. The big names often have a great presentation. The contest winner looked a like a fish out of water.

heh no doubt a few years in the industry help to refine their presentation. I met P.N. Elrod ten years ago when she had an unannounced book signing at a Barnes & Noble. She compelled most of the people that stopped by to purchase her book by talking about everything but her book. She worked the crowd with stories of everything from her first marriage to meeting Mark Hamill.

That's great that you get to meet so many big authors.

stormie · Nov 28, 2010

Someone asked if editors requesting longer works critique rejections. The one I remember (I haven't sent him anything in over a year, so don't know if he still does) is Tales Of The Unanticipated. My one ms. was at least 6k words and he--in detail--explained what didn't work. He did this on every submission of mine, which was great and for him, time-consuming. (His website though hasn't been updated since late spring, so....)

As for my submissions this year: I've had at least three where I was notified that the magazine or book publisher was closing its doors. That's the most of that type of notice I've had in over ten years of submitting mss.

AlwaysJuly · Dec 16, 2010

This thread just reminded me that I really should be submitting more (and, well, writing and revising more before that). I've done 9 short story submissions so far this year, 5 rejections, 4 pending.

My focus has been on my novels, but I'd really like to get some short story creds first. So much work to do...

Darkwing · Dec 17, 2010

I currently have 4 short stories out on submission. Three I have been subbing for months, but one I only finished last week.

In total, I've submitted 24 times this year, starting in May. 5 of those submissions have been this month. 4 are currently pending. I have a rule that as soon as I get a rejection, I send a story to a different market. I also start with the pro, SFWA qualifying markets. If I didn't get rejected from them first, I would always wonder if a story would have been good enough to earn me associate membership in SFWA, which is one of my major writing goals.

Most of my rejections have been form, and I'm starting to suspect that there's something in my stories I'm not aware of that is telling the editors that I'm an amateur. :/ I've revised and edited them as much as I can, though, so I'm going to keep submitting them until they're either accepted somewhere or I've exhausted all of the options, at which point I will retire them to a dark place in the bottom of the trunk.

alexshvartsman · Dec 17, 2010

Speaking of submitting more regularly, I came across the following recently:

http://write1sub1.blogspot.com/

The premise is somewhat similar to NaNoWriMo in that it helps you to keep working. Members commit to writing and submitting a short story once a week, EVERY week in 2011. That pace is certainly not for everyone, so they also have a monthly option available.

I am an aggressive submitter, but a lazy, lazy writer. Thinking about participating in this in order to train myself to produce regular output.

Alex Shvartsman

Izz · Dec 17, 2010

alexshvartsman said:
Speaking of submitting more regularly, I came across the following recently:

http://write1sub1.blogspot.com/

The premise is somewhat similar to NaNoWriMo in that it helps you to keep working. Members commit to writing and submitting a short story once a week, EVERY week in 2011. That pace is certainly not for everyone, so they also have a monthly option available.

I am an aggressive submitter, but a lazy, lazy writer. Thinking about participating in this in order to train myself to produce regular output.

Alex Shvartsman

Kewl. Thanks. This might be just what i need to get my writing back on track.

And congrats, everybody, on your submissions. Whether you've made 1 or 100 the fact you're submitting makes you a winner. Keep at it, and may 2011 bring you all many sales.

Izz · Dec 17, 2010

I've joined up for Write1Sub1 2011, on a double monthly plan. Two stories a month next year. Should be fun.

Thanks again, Alex.

sisco · Dec 18, 2010

The Write1Sub1 looks pretty fun. I'm okay at writing regularly but am pretty bad about submitting. I'm thinking about signing up to see how it goes.

Shadow_Ferret · Dec 18, 2010

All my submissions came back rejected.

After a few months of crying in my beer, I'm resubbing them.

Izz · Dec 18, 2010

sisco said:
The Write1Sub1 looks pretty fun. I'm okay at writing regularly but am pretty bad about submitting. I'm thinking about signing up to see how it goes.

Do it, sisco, doooo eeeet!

I might start a thread here in the short fiction forum for those of us who are gonna be Write1Subbing1 next year. I think i've spotted a couple other AWers on the entry list.

And if you do sign up, be sure to check out the SYW sub-forum here for whatever genre you're writing, as some of them have monthly challenges which might help get the creative juices flowing. The SF/F sub-forum even has topics for each week of the month, which is just grand.

Marvin Ghey · Dec 18, 2010

Got a rejection in from The Southern Review, today. My fourth or fifth, I guess, from them. I love those guys.

sisco · Dec 18, 2010

Okay Izz. You talked me into it. I just signed up for Write1Sub1.

Izz · Dec 18, 2010

sisco said:
Okay Izz. You talked me into it. I just signed up for Write1Sub1.

w00t!

*dashes off to create a Write1Sub1 thread here in the Short Fiction Sub-forum*

Izz · Dec 18, 2010

Izz said:
*dashes off to create a Write1Sub1 thread here in the Short Fiction Sub-forum*

Thread created: Write 1 Sub 1. If you've joined up for the challenge, i'd love to see you there.

Timinator · Dec 26, 2010

4th rejection on "Wings of Leonardo" today. Turned it right around and submitted to Kasma Magazine. I got totally spoiled by my non-fiction writing. I sold my 2nd submission and ended up landing a book deal from that. So, I guess I'm now making up for it.

Buffysquirrel · Dec 29, 2010

Speaking as someone who reads a lot of slush, I can honestly say I *start* to read everything that comes my way. Keeping me reading is the writer's job

.

On the submission matter, I have hardly written or submitted anything this year, but I did send a Flash piece a few places that didn't want it, until it found a home with Andromeda Spaceways.

Ecstatic doesn't cover it. Maybe I should write more stories....

stormie · Dec 29, 2010

Finishing the year with an acceptance. As a whole, 2010 wasn't as good as other years. Too many mags either cutting back, editors suddenly gone, or the whole shabang folding.

I'm chilling the champagne.

How're your submissions going in 2010?

On the tip of my tongue

Mushroom

Literary Laureate

storm central

slugging through

Darkwing

Doing the Space Operatic

Doing the Space Operatic

Nothing clever to put here

Court Jester

Doing the Space Operatic

lord of the douche chill

Nothing clever to put here

Doing the Space Operatic

Doing the Space Operatic

New kid, be gentle!

storm central