I am big league. I got eight out and waiting - plus the two + two, but they don't count. Draft ninety threes are so inferior to ninety fours. Currently exhibiting post-press mania. Ahaha, bios are a breeze: Mat Maff is a writer. He writes in his little house. He has had some little stories published.
Don't let rejection bring you down. It's all part of the process. The majority of what we write is going to be rejected the majority of the time. The competition is crazy. Know the reality of how hard this is, not so you'll be discouraged, but so you write better stories. Hopefully, you're reading some of these publications so you know their standards and style. It helps me to keep a large amount of stuff on submission, but I am constantly writing new stories. What you will write can always be better than what you have written. And what you will write hasn't yet been rejected. I submit like crazy or like a job, and I write the same way. Rejection is part of submitting to literary journals, but so is acceptance. I've had some success, but my acceptance rate is less than one percent. I'm okay with that. I've gotten into some really great places and none of that would have happened unless I gave this everything I've got (and then some). I think two publications a year is really great if a writer can swing it. In my experience, it takes a lot of submitting and rejection to get to that point. So, if it's going to take a dozen more rejections or a hundred more rejections, it really doesn't matter too much. And if it takes writing one more story or ten more stories, that doesn't matter so much either. The biggest part of this is being persistent when it comes to sending out work and writing new stories.
I think I'm done with Carve. I haven't been all that impressed with what I've read, and the submission fee (after having paid it many times) just doesn't really feel worth it. Rattle I do like, as a reader. I don't write that much poetry, but I do check out their site quite often.
Thanks, that’s helpful . Less than one percent, that’s crazy! I guess my issue is my current rate is zero percent. People tell me I’m a good writer and keep saying I’ll get there, but what if I don’t? What if I’m destined to only ever get rejections? That just makes me so depressed. If I had even just one acceptance it would reassure me that I’m not terrible and motivate me to carry on. It’s jusy so soul-destroying, only ever getting rejections.
@Woodstock Writer -- I read this essay about a writer aiming for 100 rejections in a year. This is something that kind of helps me. I'm really trying to publish, but I shift that focus. If I'm so good at rejection, can I really get 100 in a year? It makes you send out more submission. It makes you write more stories. When I started this thread, I was feeling really discouraged and like it would never happen. And it didn't happen for a long time still. But then I sold a story for about $1,000. If I wasn't focused on my goal of getting 100 rejections, I probably never would have sent that story to that publication. It was such a long shot. I just needed more rejections. And then WOW! It happened. I thought being published would do more for me. I've learned that maybe I need to try 100 times or more to publish again. I have published a few times, but there are long stretches where all I get are rejections. So, I write new stories to try these places again. I have I think 17 stories on submission to about 50 places right now. I try and stay on top of that. A rejection comes in, something goes out. Aim for a number of submission. Say it's 10. You need to always have 10 submissions out. Maintain that. Focus on your writing and submitting. Try to let the rejections fuel you. Count them. Post about them here. We've got a good group on this thread. We know how hard this is, but we're trying. And that counts for a lot.
Thanks, that’s really helpful! I struggle to find enough ideas to write that many stories, though. I need to get better that that. I have a mental illness which means I need external validation or I get very depressed. I probably haven’t chosen the best hobby for someone who can’t take criticism and rejection! I’m not expecting you guys to help me with my mental illness, obviously, and I am in therapy. But it makes it hard to be constantly rejected. It feels like there’s no point to my existence.
It's a shitty thing. You feel like you are writing for the walls. It will happen... On my 'journey,' [swoon], I got a lot of validation, or what I perceived as validation being short-listed for a prize, and then turning up for the prize-giving, and drinking all the wine and hob-nobbing with the literary classes, if only for the one night. I actually had a kind of breakdown in the lavatory of the university, and then stood when they announced the winner from China. All the usual...I've written about the experience about 85 times.
I mean the good thing about having mental illness is I do use it for my writing. So I understand what you’re saying there. Sorry to hear that though. Everyone says I’ll get there, but how do they know? It’s entirely possible all I’ll ever get is rejections. That terrifies me.
...being sensible... You and I should pursue the twin track strategy where we post away stories to the loftiest publications...whilst pursuing friendship in some version of 'local writer group.' I know from my experiences before how fulfilling that can be. Where I'm living now I did send the e-mail: 'Hiya, I am new in town,' just I never showed up...because I had established so many excuses why they were all freaks and psychopaths chewing on their false teeth, and writing about dog-walk love and castle appreciation. Maybe I was right?
Validation? I've had my parking validated more times than I've gotten any sort of validation from the writing world. Sure, publishing is great. But it's a short-lived feeling of success. Honestly, you're going to have to view rejection differently. This is really hard. You've got to have a better story than hundreds or thousands of writers who think they've got something good enough to submit too. The odds are stacked against every writer. And most stories that get rejected aren't even read all the way through. Control the writing. Focus on the writing. And if you really can't take rejection, and criticism, maybe submitting stories for publication is not your thing. The world of literary journals is not a kind place and no one is giving a second thought to how a writer feels when they fire off a form rejection. I'll say it again, most of what you write is going to be rejected most of the time. That's just how it is. But that shouldn't matter when you are writing a new story and it feels like the best story ever. Always be writing something new. And you can just write without submitting. But looking for validation when it comes to short stories is as foolish as being in it for the money.
But YOU know the stories are read all the way through. Why not think along those lines? But the 'reader' has to 'catch your drift' at some point as she speeds through paragraph one to eight to page two toward seven and THE END. Then she inhales, back again, a sweep, a decision, reject. ... My frustration...when I pop over to the 3P Review or to...I can't remember...oh it was the New Yorker. They always read like the 'best homeworks,' not too challenging, pleasant, relatable on themes that are prescient, I think is the word...mmm..
If you like writing, don't even think of giving up unless you have something better to do with the time. Giving up something you like doing just to do nothing (or worse, watch TV) is nuts. I write for me. Lucky me. Kind soul that I am, I plan to give other people the chance to read what I write. Lucky them.
Thanks, yeah I do like writing and I have no idea what I’d replace it with. And I like your attitude!