Hey all,
If you don't know me, I've been writing for a long, long, long assed time. Many long breaks due to life throughout, but still. And subbing/querying for a good portion of it (sporadically), with no success. I don't see it said frequently anymore, but conventional wisdom used to be to expect form Rs, and then once you're getting personalized Rs and requests for more it was just a matter of time. Didn't go that way for me, I began with those personalized Rs and requests and just never got further. For perspective, for all the years I've been on AW I had to search through to figure out where good news goes, and still almost posted this in Rejection & Dejection, just because it can't be me with a real writing accomplishment, can it?
For some publication doesn't matter, they don't need the external validation. I've subbed less as time has gone on, but I've always maintained I write to be read, otherwise I'd just keep a journal. I want that damned validation.
Several months back I subbed a short to an old, respected lit mag that's been defunct for several years but is rebooting. Yeah, I've got big brass ones, for someone who could wallpaper not just my apartment but the entire Upper West Side of Manhattan with the rejections I've received, I have no business sending to the lit mags I do but there you have it. I'm so used to Rs saying send more it took a couple days after receiving the R for me to realize it wasn't a send-another-next-time but send more right now. So, some back and forth and a requested R&R later, I got an acceptance yesterday.
Squee!!!!!!
(and now I keep checking my email bc I'm certain I'm going to receive a f/u note that they've changed their mind or sent the acceptance by mistake)
If you don't know me, I've been writing for a long, long, long assed time. Many long breaks due to life throughout, but still. And subbing/querying for a good portion of it (sporadically), with no success. I don't see it said frequently anymore, but conventional wisdom used to be to expect form Rs, and then once you're getting personalized Rs and requests for more it was just a matter of time. Didn't go that way for me, I began with those personalized Rs and requests and just never got further. For perspective, for all the years I've been on AW I had to search through to figure out where good news goes, and still almost posted this in Rejection & Dejection, just because it can't be me with a real writing accomplishment, can it?
For some publication doesn't matter, they don't need the external validation. I've subbed less as time has gone on, but I've always maintained I write to be read, otherwise I'd just keep a journal. I want that damned validation.
Several months back I subbed a short to an old, respected lit mag that's been defunct for several years but is rebooting. Yeah, I've got big brass ones, for someone who could wallpaper not just my apartment but the entire Upper West Side of Manhattan with the rejections I've received, I have no business sending to the lit mags I do but there you have it. I'm so used to Rs saying send more it took a couple days after receiving the R for me to realize it wasn't a send-another-next-time but send more right now. So, some back and forth and a requested R&R later, I got an acceptance yesterday.
Squee!!!!!!
(and now I keep checking my email bc I'm certain I'm going to receive a f/u note that they've changed their mind or sent the acceptance by mistake)
I'm stoked reading your story so you must be over the moon
Way to go, ap123!
