Rejection, rejection, rejection...

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

  1. Woodstock Writer

    Woodstock Writer Senior Member

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    I literally want to send all my stories to them. Why can’t more publications be like theirs- quick and useful!
     
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  2. Krispee

    Krispee Contributor Contributor

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    Publications are like people, you can draw your own conclusions from that :superwink:
    (Although given that they are run by people I guess that can't be much of a surprise :supercheeky:)
     
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  3. Funerary

    Funerary Member

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    105 day rejection from The London Magazine.

    Anyone know any good places I can send a pretty psychotic story? It's one of the weirder narratives I've ever written, only about 1,500 words, literary, disturbed and shocking. If any literary journals specialise in dark fiction. I based it on Denis Jonhnson's Crash While Hitchhiking.
     
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  4. Krispee

    Krispee Contributor Contributor

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    Sounds interesting but no idea.
     
  5. Funerary

    Funerary Member

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    I can send it to you if you'd be up for reading it? Would only take you ten or fifteen minutes. I've had it workshopped already but wouldn't mind hearing your thoughts on it now that I've come up with a polished draft.
     
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  6. deadrats

    deadrats Contributor Contributor

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    For that length, see if it might work for an upcoming themed issue of Ninth Letter Online. There are two calls out for different themed issues so one of those might work. I don't remember the exact word-limit cutoff, but I think you would be okay for the web editions. They're a great publication and pay both for print and web stories. BTW I love that Denis Johnson story.
     
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  7. matwoolf

    matwoolf Banned Contributor

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    Umm, I'm suspicious and suspect concerning @Funerary's 1500. I have done many 1500s and they live on my hard drive very successfully. I think you'll find after much reflection they probably deserve a home with you as your puppies.

    Really it's for descendants to prosper, some nephew sniffling through your file of Coastal Milf Headland Vistas...you know...kind of a script...it's the condition...thrive in our soup of humankind...keep writing.
     
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  8. deadrats

    deadrats Contributor Contributor

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    I find the short a story the less forgiving it is, in turn making it somewhat of a harder sell. It might be a good thing to ask yourself if anything is missing and think about what comes before and after the narrative of the story. There are markets for it, though, and there are writers who can pull off just about anything flawlessly. It can feel like a more achievable length than something twice as long or longer, but I've found that this length is usually an incomplete piece for me when I'm writing. I spent some time training myself to write stories between 3k and 5k. It's the length of most stories you'll find in literary journals. That's at least one thing I can usually get right when it comes yo what these editors are looking for. I rarely write outside that length and now it sort of happens on instinct.
     
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  9. Woodstock Writer

    Woodstock Writer Senior Member

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    My first published story was 4000 words and the second was 100 words!
     
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  10. matwoolf

    matwoolf Banned Contributor

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    I have cynicism in that so much appears self-reflecting, circular, the articles about writers or graduates of writing courses sitting on their arses with mental health considerations, that are so relatable and safe editorially. Young Americans on holiday in Italy, and all that...jazz...really needs parody even to jump in....and twist... can't understand why a literary scene would be so earnest, or cowardly, wet.

    I'm getting on a bit now, you'd think these publications would own the left field absolutely. A position of prejudice, I'm sure they do own it all, and I haven't searched wide enough.
     
  11. Krispee

    Krispee Contributor Contributor

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    Sure, I don't mind, send it along.
     
  12. Krispee

    Krispee Contributor Contributor

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    I think cynicism is a given as you get older, you see so much of the world and it frustrates you and that can colour your view on things. I know I've become much more cynical as I've got older anyway, or perhaps it's working with so many blue collars. :D
     
  13. matwoolf

    matwoolf Banned Contributor

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    I wish I hadn't written that post. It can be read a second way which wasn't my intention. I was expressing bile - it's the pointless bile - go google Neil Gaiman's first short story, and you get the same effect...the sensation...nnng, pah...I could have written that...the devil...in the kitchen...ridiculous..I am not jealous...
     
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  14. Krispee

    Krispee Contributor Contributor

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    No worries dude, we all need to rant a bit, not rant exactly but you get my drift. I tried googling his first short, was it Dangerous Fiction? Or have I been looking at completely the wrong thing? I'm not a reader of Neil Gaiman really.
    Have you got a link for us?
     
    Last edited: Feb 20, 2020
  15. deadrats

    deadrats Contributor Contributor

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    A 124-day form rejection from Salamander. I think a higher tier, not that it matters all that much.
     
    Last edited: Feb 21, 2020
  16. Krispee

    Krispee Contributor Contributor

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    What does 'tier' mean?
     
  17. deadrats

    deadrats Contributor Contributor

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    I meant higher tier, like it says a little more than no thanks and good luck, but it doesn't say enough or really sound like a personal rejection. But you probably know all that if I didn't occasionally write with missing words.
     
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  18. Krispee

    Krispee Contributor Contributor

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    Well, everyone else probably knew what you were talking about, having had more experience submitting.

    @matwoolf - Hey Mat, did you find that link, the Neil Gaiman short story? I haven't found it yet...no worries if not.
     
  19. deadrats

    deadrats Contributor Contributor

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    I would like to read that story too if there is a link to it. Wishing you all a great and rejection-free weekend.
     
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  20. deadrats

    deadrats Contributor Contributor

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    I've got a friend... And I want a favor... I'm getting it in some way... Don't know the details... Calling like a lunatic... Voicemail... Messages.... It's killing me not to know how much of a favor this really is, though, my friend made it seem promising in some ways. I know I'm not acting all that professional. I think it's a big deal that I even have a friend who works at this place. Why can't I just chill? Would you guys call in a favor if you had a friend working at a big literary journal? I think this is okay. I mean they still have to like my story no matter what strings my friend can pull.
     
  21. Homer Potvin

    Homer Potvin A tombstone hand and a graveyard mind Staff Supporter Contributor

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    Hell, yes! Then again, I traffic in favors.
     
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  22. Krispee

    Krispee Contributor Contributor

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    Well, normally I would steer clear of something like this, asking for favours is a thing of last resort in my opinion, and it often feels like you are short cutting the process. Of course it also depends on the circumstances, so, not a hard and fast thing.
    In your scenario it seems like the favour has already been granted so my view is mute at this juncture. If they have already promised then I'm sure they will call at some point, pestering may just annoy them.
     
    Last edited: Feb 23, 2020
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  23. matwoolf

    matwoolf Banned Contributor

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    Lo @DR transgresseth ancienne honour code of worm. Henceforth @DR ist refereth slug comme @potvin, by order, CE 2020
     
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  24. deadrats

    deadrats Contributor Contributor

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    It's totally shortcutting the process. It's at the very least a ticket out of the slush. It was something we had talked about in the past, but I never followed through with really asking. Last week my friend came to me. It was a quick back and forth until my story was received. So, I'm not exactly sure the deal. That's why I'm going a little crazy. You wouldn't call on a friend or a connection to get you out of the slush? I mean it's still got to battle it's way to publication from whatever level it gets in at. I would pull your story out of the slush if I worked somewhere. :)
     
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  25. Krispee

    Krispee Contributor Contributor

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    @matwoolf Dude, did you ever find that link, can't find that story you mentioned...driving me nuts...if you can't find no worries...
     
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