Quick question. At what point is one likely to receive a conditional publication opportunity? I've heard from some people that they were given the chance to make a few changes to their stories so that they reach that next level, but I'm guessing this is only for stories that really catch an editor's attention? Received a few comments recently about having an interesting concept and good prose for some shorts, but the endings are abrupt or some information was left unexplained. I don't want to be arrogant and suggest that I could've got the chance to do any such refinement job, but you'd think this type of opportunity would crop up. Just wondering as it seems odd. I guess it's 99% good and 1% bad?
[QUOTE="Homer Potvin, post: 1915454, member: 80728" Either way, I'm retiring with a "5" in front of my age. Hell or high water. Rob a bank if I need to.[/QUOTE] I retired from my "real job" at 55 and spent a couple of years proving to myself that I could make a reasonable living as a freelancer if I really wanted to. Wasn't as much fun writing to order as I thought it'd be, so I found a part time job seven years ago that allows me to not only be a biologist again but gives me a chance to write pretty much what I was writing as a freelancer and get a regular income for doing it. Fiction is near and dear to my heart, but I made a lot more money teaching creative writing than I ever made writing short stories and novels. Still, I continue to write stories and maybe someday, somewhere, an agent will leap out of the submission process and say, "You literary genius! I must represent your work!"
Yes, that has happened to me. It usually means that they read and rejected it so quickly, you never saw a change in status. If they send a form rejection saying they carefully considered it, you just have to laugh. Even though I know one of the editors at Crazyhorse, I had to say that some of my strangest submission experiences have come from them. For instance, I entered their contest several years ago, and my entry was marked as Under Consideration for a long time, so long that I thought I was a finalist. Then I realized that the contest had ended weeks earlier and a winner had already been announced. I hadn't gotten an email announcing the winner either. There was also another editor there (a fairly famous writer who is now emeritus) who agreed to write an introduction for one of my stories for a special folio in another journal, and then he ghosted me even after the editor of the other journal sent him multiple emails. I really didn't have hard feelings about it. Most writers are slackers on one level or another. The piece was still published, which is all I really cared about.
I've never gotten a rewrite request. I'd love to get one, because I'd work my tail off if an editor gave me some direction I agreed with. However, editors are very explicit about those sorts of things. A rejection that makes you feel like you just missed is unfortunately still just a rejection (as I'm sure you already know).
I’ve had a similar contest experience, but with Redivider. I did get an email eventually. In general, I’m not sure what to make of contests, but I do enter some, especially if the fee comes with a subscription that I want to renew anyway. The contests are often enticing—prizes!—but those fees can add up quickly and I never feel like my chances are any better or worse than a regular submission. Still, I’m currently awaiting the results of a few, including one from Crazyhorse.
wasnt a rejection but a "move": one of my shorts got picked up earlier this year for publication. was paid and everything. Today (months after the acceptance), i get an email that it will no longer be published in print but will be on their online journal. I THINK the reason is because they didnt have enough submissions for that genre (it was a genre edition of their literary magazine)??? would that be a valid reason? dont know how i feel about it.... on the 1 hand, online means its more accessible... on the other hand, i wonder why they moved my story...
I sent my first query packet out for my novel. They say if i dont hear back from them in a week or so, chances are its a no. They only respond if they are interested. Its been exactly a week...
Form rejection from an agent I had thought looked promising, sigh. On the other hand, got feedback from a beta reader I had given up on due to stuff going on in their life, and they were extremely positive, which was nice. I still really believe in this book, but admittedly I'm starting to wonder about it's commercial viability as a first novel. I think it might just be a bit too odd. Tempted to spring for a 'consultancy' service to tell me it's likely commercial prospects, has anyone ever used one of those? I wouldn't normally but someone in the know suggested it and I am curious as to what they would make of this book.
Would this be the same thing as developmental editing? I haven't had any experience using any of these pre-publication services, but I know that the really good ones often have long waiting lists. If you get any price quotes from consultants and editors, I'd be curious what they're asking, if you don't mind sharing.
Anyone ever send another story to a publisher who has a "one story at a time" rule? Sent a story to this place two months ago and I doubt it's going to get accepted considering it's been rejected from about eight other places. Seems good for my new story, but I can't send it... Or can I? I wonder if they'd really care. Spent the entire day looking for places to submit, but most are closed, not accepting simultaneous submissions or just aren't suitable. Where's that snail emote?
It’s possible the publisher would notice and reject the story unread, which would deter me. And who knows, the publisher might like the story that’s been rejected eight times—one journal accepted one of my stories after about twenty others said no.
Suppose so. It's just a shame. I spent ages trying to find a suitable magazine and then said, "Wait a minute, don't I recognise that name?" I checked my excel sheet for sub tracking and, yes, I'd sent to them before and still have a pending submission from a while ago. I won't risk it. That's great you got an acceptance after so many rejections. That does give me some hope. Shows it's really all about whether it fits or not at the time.
Pretty much all my stories get rejected before finding acceptance. (Some of them never find homes.) Usually it’s less than twenty. The shortest was maybe two rejections, but the average hovers around ten. It’s a slow process.
I've never sent a story more than ten times. In fact, the average for me is probably 5-6. I admire your tenacity.
A stupid question, but I'm going to ask it anyway. Is there any point sending to F&SF? I've done it before, but I wonder if it's not just a waste of time. Not only is it the best of the best, they seem to have a mainly SF aesthetic. The fantasy element seems subsidiary. I'm just going by the "top first" tier mentality, but this publication is probably well out of my league. Can anyone inform/advise?
