Rejection, rejection, rejection...

Discussion in 'Traditional Publishing' started by deadrats, Aug 19, 2016.

  1. Naomasa298

    Naomasa298 HP: 10/190 Status: Confused Contributor

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    5 day rejection from Black Static. I'm starting to rack 'em up.
     
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  2. deadrats

    deadrats Contributor Contributor

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    A 65-day form rejection from The Hudson Review.
     
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  3. Krispee

    Krispee Contributor Contributor

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    I did hear from Ninth but not from Crazyhorse. That's the last one before I leave that particular story and move on to other stuff sometime later. Hope everyone else is having some success.
     
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  4. matwoolf

    matwoolf Banned Contributor

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    Mmm...only in the ‘fantasist’ or lunatic fringe sense whereby ‘In Progress’ really does entail an excited editorial grouping - men & women all debating my story’s merits - and ‘Shall we contact Mat and send him the money?’ elicits a ‘No, no, he is certainly far too busy for money transfer...’

    [on night shift tonight :/]
     
  5. Krispee

    Krispee Contributor Contributor

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    Well, good luck with the night shift dude and they should totally send you the money!
     
  6. matwoolf

    matwoolf Banned Contributor

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    I dunno...I always harken/compare to my very brief career as a ‘slush reader.’ If the story submission was ‘not right,’ then opening and rejecting a piece [ordeal] was over in about ‘a week’...so...so...

    ....any longer than a week means what?

    ...Not much :)
     
  7. deadrats

    deadrats Contributor Contributor

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    Ninth rejected me too. I think I might have gotten a new submission before they closed, but I can't remember off the top of my head. I've also got one pending at Crazyhorse. There haven't been any rejections reported on duotrope from them in the last 30 days or so. And the average pending submissions are around 50 days. Good luck on one you have out. Your writing will for sure get picked up. It's just a matter of the right editor reading it at the right time.

    Success is such a funny thing for short story writers, isn't it? One good sale can make you forget about the 50 rejections that came before it and the 50 that are likely to follow. When you have a good story in hand it's all about persistence. I've had two short stories accepted and four pieces of creative nonfiction this year. I guess that's success. My mentor told me selling two pieces of fiction a year was good and also a good way to build a collection. Success can sure feel like a slow road. I think my stories are getting better, but I'm not selling them any faster.

    Happy to read anything new you write, my friend. I'm really sure this will happen for you!
     
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  8. deadrats

    deadrats Contributor Contributor

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    Long waits are a good thing. Not always. But rejections come a lot faster than acceptances. Our submissions need to climb that editorial ladder. First step is to make it out of the slush. Doesn't always work out, but the longer it takes to get a response the more consideration a piece tends to be getting.
     
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  9. J Chris

    J Chris Member

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    I received a rejection on Christmas day once.
     
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  10. Krispee

    Krispee Contributor Contributor

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    Well that kind of sucks on multiple levels dude.

    Maybe, I'm not counting my stories on that one. I seem to remember that Crazy were a long time coming for anything, good or bad, so I've kind of forgotten about that. You seem to be doing really well though, congrats on that, hopefully you get some more. I will be getting back to writing later in the year hopefully, if there is anything I want help with I will definitely send it on.
     
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  11. deadrats

    deadrats Contributor Contributor

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    I've submitted to Crazyhorse about a dozen times in the last few years. My rejections have come in from 35 days to 140 days. All forms. Duotrope's average days for rejections is listed at 66 days. I believe that is reflective of the last 12 months. Since they've been quiet for the last 30 days, they will probably be diving into new submissions soon, but hopefully your story has already been pulled out of the slush.

    It's crazy because submitting stories and getting rejected over and over can make it feel like it will never happen. I struggle with that feeling still. Having been published doesn't guarantee it will happen again. But when a story gets accepted it feels like nothing else. I just wish that bliss would come more often.
     
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  12. deadrats

    deadrats Contributor Contributor

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    A 29-day form rejection from The Sewanee Review.
     
  13. matwoolf

    matwoolf Banned Contributor

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    Ahhh...sh...

    The higher tier rejection from Granta, the 'we read it with interest...'

    :(
     
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  14. Krispee

    Krispee Contributor Contributor

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    You got privileged treatment, I only got a 'it's not what we're looking for...' sort of thing. I imagined them lifting up their palms and telling me to talk to that instead. :D
     
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  15. Woodstock Writer

    Woodstock Writer Senior Member

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  16. Krispee

    Krispee Contributor Contributor

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  17. Woodstock Writer

    Woodstock Writer Senior Member

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    Thank you :)
     
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  18. J Chris

    J Chris Member

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    Nice work. I liked the story. You really delved into Lauren's psyche and how confusing of a time it was for her. I hope you put the money toward something nice for yourself!
     
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  19. Woodstock Writer

    Woodstock Writer Senior Member

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    thanks so much for the nice feedback! Well I haven’t been paid yet (they said within 30 days) and it’s only $10 minus whatever PayPal takes, so I’m not going to be rich :D I did make myself a cocktail the night it was published though!
     
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  20. deadrats

    deadrats Contributor Contributor

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    A 24-day form rejection from Colorado Review.
     
  21. deadrats

    deadrats Contributor Contributor

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    A 12-day form rejection from Boulevard.
     
  22. Woodstock Writer

    Woodstock Writer Senior Member

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    Just got an honourable mention in the Writers of the Future contest, I think I remember someone recently saying this was quite positive?
     
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  23. X Equestris

    X Equestris Contributor Contributor

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    Yep. I got one around this time last year. Although the honorable mentions and silver honorable mentions are functionally high tier rejections, the fact that you beat out thousands of other submissions in a very prestigious contest is something to be proud of.

    It's also an indicator that your writing is on the right track. I recall one professional writer--not sure who it was, exactly--say they placed first in a quarter the year after earning an honorable mention.
     
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  24. Woodstock Writer

    Woodstock Writer Senior Member

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    :)

    Not sure if you know the answer to this- their website says no children’s writing, does this include YA? Most of what I write is YA. I had thought this one was too but thinking about it the character works so she’s a bit older than a teen. I’ve only written a few other fantasy/sci fi stories and they all feature teens, does this mean I can’t submit any of those?
     
  25. X Equestris

    X Equestris Contributor Contributor

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    I imagine "children's writing" refers to picture books, early reader chapter books, Middle Grade fiction, that sort of thing.

    It's worth pointing out that featuring teenage protagonists doesn't automatically make the story Young Adult. A Game of Thrones is a good example; half its POV characters are preteens or teens, but the book is undeniably adult fantasy. YA has common themes, tropes, and tone that make it distinctive. And sometimes, whether a story is considered YA comes down to marketing. Mistborn ticks pretty much all the YA boxes, but virtually no one considers it such.

    So even if the stories you're writing are YA, it shouldn't be a problem as long as the stories feature fantasy or science fiction elements.
     
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