I think it was 'Opinion,' or similar... ...conject/conjecture - send your premise to the sub, and if they like the idea you have 800 words to go..
Well, this day & age it’s Guardian or Daily Mail for your free newspaper. ... ‘free and easy?’ It was only a 10 minute project. But if they get back to me...bleh.
The diversity thing is an interesting aspect in MFA programs and the literary world in general. I'm probably lucky that I did land in a pretty diverse cohort. We had several talks about if the literary world was ready or open to the immigrant voice, the marginalized group, the voice that is not a product of an old white man. Yet, we could love the voice of the old white men and the stories that so many of us loved. But did we have important voices, too? MFAs are super hard and competitive to get into, especially if you are after a free ride. And of course you need a bachelors and, yes, you've got to already be a good writer. I spent a year writing and took two writing courses independent of any program before I applied. There's no way I would have stood a chance if I didn't. And who gets in comes down to the best stories. So, yeah, you've really got to be able to write. I will say this, when I started I felt like the worst writer among the best. In other writing classes, I got to be the star student. When I was in my program, I often felt like I was just trying to keep up. I know all about the MFA debate, but it was good for me. I'm not saying other people are wrong, but just sharing my experience. So, please don't take it the wrong way. I'm not some MFA or literary snob. It's just that I was a a pretty good mediocre writer, and I wanted to get better. This is just how I did it, and I enjoyed it. I understand that it's not for everyone. And I know people can criticize the MFA-sounding story. But, like I said, I rewrote some of those after graduating and before they sold. The MFA pushed me in all the right ways. I read and wrote like crazy, more than I ever would have on my own. My friends did the same. It was a good time. But no one want to come out sounding formulaic in any way. I think the MFA can teach you how to elevate your writing, but then you, the writer, have to continue to keep that up. I still read and write all the time. And isn't this really all about perseverance? Slush readers tire easily for sure. But I can tell you the bad submissions out number the even okay submissions by far. And spotting a good one is like finding a unicorn. And it's crazy when you know there are hundreds of submissions to get through. The writing doesn't have to be pretty or crisp, but it does have to make sense and something about it has to be more interesting than the last twenty stories I've read about a miserable waitress. Hey, as anyone can see by my crazy rejection collection, I usually get form letters, which means it was rejected before the editor saw it. Just so I don't feel like a loser can I mention that I have published? And it was nothing but a tough climb out of that slush pile. Good luck with your article. I'm going to send you a PM about another place you might want to try.
Keep trying. I've never sold a story that hasn't been rejected at least a dozen times. And it sounds like you were close so that's great. Can't you submit to American journals from anywhere? I'm pretty sure that's not too much of a problem or any at all in most cases.
I think you've opened a window on just how much effort needs to be put in, if you want to make sure you become a published writer. Anybody who is good enough can 'luck out,' very occasionally, and some people who aren't all that great also luck out. But like anything else, hard hard work and openmindedness and willingness to learn, to create, discard, change, adapt, and persevere will also pay off. I suspect that's how most authors 'get there.' They work at it. And they never give up.
Thanks. Yeah, it's nice to know how close I came even if I didn't get it. I can but right now I'd rather focus on trying to break into the industry in my own country. I might try some American journals later this year.
Well from your description it kind of sounded like it, but maybe it was just a bit of humour. Nowadays it's the Mail online for your free newspaper. Or the BBC.
A 60-day personal rejection from Copper Nickel. It didn't say much other than it wasn't the worst thing they've ever seen. And a 43-day form rejection from The Paris Review.
It's not the worst thing we've seen... is that a backhanded compliment, or a tactfully-presented insult? Hmmm....
It complimented me and my story and then had this form paragraph tacked on asking me to refrain from submitting again for six months. A little weird. Most places that say they like your work encourage you to submit again without a waiting period. So, I'm not quite sure what to make of that one. Perhaps it was more of a form than a person or some sort of hybrid.
It's probably a form letter to simply discourage writers from bombarding them with submissions. In case they are serious, you'll want to give them the 6 months, just in case they ARE checking. Are they a particularly reputable magazine? I've never heard of them, but that's not unusual.
All that matters is the story. I came across this publishers' blog lately: https://behlerblog.com/2015/01/06/b-b-but-i-have-an-mfa/ This is the kind of thing I want to show novelists when they say they're submitting short stories in order to have a publication credit to put on their novel query, or someone agonising over what to put in their author bio (not applicable to anyone here, I know). It just doesn't matter.
Out of curiosity, how fast would you all evaluate your own writing turnover rates? I've come to believe that industriousness is an important factor in success in this industry but because a lot of what I write essentially amount to philosophical thought experiments, it takes a lot of effort and time to finish stories. Do you aim to write one story a week or what? How does your submission system work for you?
I only write novels (and non fiction) not short stories, but I'm on track to do 4 this year may be 5 - that's about 400k words per annum.
Impressive, that's a lot of words. I only write for interest so my writing is staccato and infrequent. Maybe I'll get something published, maybe not. I just love to build and create things.
I think sometimes it can matter somewhat and sometimes not at all. It made me a better writer than I could have been otherwise. That's probably where it matters most.
They are out of the University of Colorado and pay more than a lot of places. But, yeah, they're a good one.
I'm a slow writer, but I write enough so that it looks like I'm a lot faster than I am. I do believe there is something to be said for quickly turning out short stories and doing it often. I think reading and writing more short stories quickly is better than taking forever to finish something. Doing it over and over again, you will get better. It's just sort of what happens. My early stories might not have been that bad, but they certainly weren't going to sell to The New Yorker. I've probably written somewhere around a hundred short stories, and I can count on one hand how many I've sold. But I had to write all the bad stories to be able to write the good ones. And if you have to do that too, yes, you should aim for a high level of output or a story a week. But then, when you get a good one, give it more time if it needs it. That doesn't always mean more time to write it, but sometimes it does. Other times it might need to sit and be read with fresh eyes. Or it could need two weeks of editing. Or it could need a complete rewrite. I don't think a story ever comes out as could as it can be on round one. And I don't think all the stories you write are going to need or deserve the same level of attention.
It sure is something to build and create stories. I write a lot of short stories, but usually around page two or three I'm like, "How is this ever going to be a twenty page story?" But I ignore that stupid, little voice and keep going. Then it goes back around the halfway mark and I'm like, "Do I have enough ideas to keep this going? Isn't it just getting stupid?" And then when I finish something that doesn't suck I'm like, "How did I ever do that?" This is sort of my process/cycle.
Sounds about right. I'm thinking that some ideas are smaller and some larger, you never know what it's going to be until you get to the end. Well, that's my theory anyway.
Another rejection, this one a high-tier form that encouraged future submissions. A little discouraging, but this means I can probably lob it at another market I wouldn't have been able to target before the deadline.
@X Equestris -- What sort of genre do you write? I recently finished a science fiction short story. It's just over 3k words. Would you be interested in swapping stories for feedback? It's not something I do all that often, but if you know the genre market maybe you could suggest places I might send it or what you think it needs to fit the market. I have read some. My piece is not hardcore science fiction by any means, but I would like to think it's genre. I am happy to read one of your stories and offer feedback and make suggestions for possible places to submit as well. We both seem to be going hard at this short story thing. I was just thinking, why not help each other out? Maybe I should have sent this in a message. It's okay if you don't want to. Offer stands for anyone in the rejection crew we've got going on here. I can always trade literary or general fiction short stories, but I am kind of more interested in genre at the moment. Still trying to figure out if I can pull of genre. Let me know if you're interested. Thanks.
I write shorts based on science fiction, sometimes science fantasy. If that's of interest to you. I would have thought that if you can write you could put your hand to any genre, so I would have thought you could.
Maybe. But I think there is always a bit of a learning curve when trying new things. I would love to read one of your stories and see what you think of mine. Let's talk over messages and exchange emails. And thanks.
