Sometimes rejections are a lucky escape. I was close with a start up indie press, a business who had big ambitions and a celeb in the background. They seemed nice people, and I was gutted with their rejection. They did however send me their editorial notes to show how close I’d got and tips for the future. However, since then a friend of a friend got accepted and their advance was laughably low. Even worse they then laid off half their staff. So one has to wonder about their longevity. maybe the rejection was meant to be?!
I think this can be true. Slightly different, but I once had a piece accepted for a journal and the editors never sent proofs for me to check before publication. Apparently this is a practice for some journals, although I didn’t know that at the time. Anyway, there was a typo in the first paragraph of my story. I should have caught the typo before sending off my draft, but then someone at the journal probably should have caught it as well. Made me a lot more careful in the future.
"Anyway, there was a typo in the first paragraph of my story. I should have caught the typo before sending off my draft, but then someone at the journal probably should have caught it as well. Made me a lot more careful in the future." I've had a situation where I painstakingly corrected proofs and still had a typo appear. Then when the story was anthologized, I corrected the typo from the literary journal, but the anthology added a new typo. I roll my eyes whenever an editor makes it sound like typos are a dealbreaker. A writer's ms shouldn't be riddled with them, but typos can happen at any stage of the process.
Lately I like to use the read aloud function in Word as part of my editing process. I think there’s an equivalent for Google docs, but I’m not sure. Certain things slip by—I’m definitely not catching a homophone—but it’s useful.
3 recent rejections, all of which were vaguely complimentary (I think). All seemed to come from real people, which was encouraging of itself. Couple of puzzlers, though. State of Matter referred to "very interesting prose, save for the break in the last paragraph." The piece didn't fit speculative so not suitable. That one was easy, googled speculative and it is a thing and I probably should have looked it up before submitting. I also got a rejection from Neon with "I thought that the story was written well at line level;..." but looking for things more overtly surreal and darker. Can someone with more experience in these things translate the bit I've put in quotations here? Not a phrase I can specifically decipher.
It sounds like they don't want realistic fiction and want stories with sinister, dark themes and/or voice. Just my take on it.
Thanks for the reply. I got that part (and sent them something else closer to those criteria). It's the "written well at line level" that seems like a standard phrase but not something I can discern fully. It's the "line level" bit that has me confused.
Gotcha. I've gotten that feedback before. It just means they liked your style and think you are a competent writer. The more macro issues like plot, characters, etc. didn't work for them.
Anyone else in the queue at F&SF? I just sent them a new story. Had forgotten about their system. It's kind of nice to know where you are in line. For now, it's pretty far back, but they tend to move fairly quick in my past experience.
I’ve been in there a few times. Occasionally I’ll write a piece and cycle it through the big sci-if markets, and they’re tough! Good luck to ya.
Received a form letter today from ECW to let me know that I am NOT a finalist in their Best New Speculative Novel Contest. Expected, but the part that stings was learning that there were only around 170 entries, so I actually had a legit shot at this one..
No, but once in my pretentious days I submitted a story that comes in mid-sentence. I decided against an explanation on the title page to let the story 'speak for itself', but then an article about the submissions by the contest (a very big one) they mentioned specifically about me submitting without the first pages, saying 'check your manuscript so this doesn't happen'. Sigh.
This happened several months ago - I was just reminded of it then going through my Submittable subs - but I got a 6 month response from Litro telling me that although I wouldn't appear in their print issue, I was among a handful of those being considered to feature in their online section. A month went by and they, unfortunately, responded with a rejection letter. But the worst part is that the letter ends halfway through a sentence. It looks kind of like a form letter that was going to be edited, but perhaps something went wrong. I don't know.
Sure. Here it is*: Dear [My Name], Thank you for sending us [Story] and apologies for the delay in getting back to you. We appreciate having the chance to read it, but unfortunately, this Thanks again, and don't hesitate to send us further submissions in the future. Best of luck with your writing. [Editor] Litro Magazine Editor *Sorry, should have worded by comment better. I guess it's only a part of it that ends halfway through a sentence, but I think it's the part that tends to be the body of responses, and where personal comments might be left. It's a bit of a head-scratcher.
Personally, I would email back and ask politely what they'd intended to say. citing how valuable their feedback would be to you. In my experience, industry professionals are pleasant and polite in general and will probably reply with an apology.
Don't know who needs to hear this, but here are my querying stats (roughly): For an Adult #OWN Spec Thriller, a novel. Query between Nov 2020 - Aug 2021 - 3 full requests - 1 form rejection on 1 full (agent) - 1 personalised rejection on 1 full (a very senior agent) - 1 R&R from a small press (queried Nov 2020. Request Dec 2020. R&R Feb 2020)- 2 referrals (both ended in form rejection) Total # of queries during this period: approx 60? I never did a proper count. Changes in response New draft as of July 2021. Changes made based on the R&R, which resonated with beta feedback. Change entire query package: 1. New query (wasn't happy with my request rate) 2. New opening (feedback by an agent's mentee) 3. New genre (feedback from 1-2 other writers & discussion with CPs) 4. New comps (discussion with other writers. At least 2 suggested the same book, which I ultimately replaced my old comp with) All this took place between Aug-Sep 2021 (don't remember specifically when the change happened as the feedback was on-going) I've not yet resubmitted to the publisher who gave me the R&R because a dev editor, from whom I won a 50-page critique, told me she thinks my book could be big, so hold out for an agent. She also helped smooth out some kinks (eg. Remove 2 POVs that only appear a handful of times & alter some aspects of the premise to make it more believable.) Query between Sep 2021 - presently (Dec 2021) - 5 full requests & 1 partial request (all still open) - 3 of these after an invitation to query via pitch events (however, it was not a full in the first instance. I first had to submit the standard 3 chapter sample before the full requests came through) - from 2 agents and 1 editor from Penguin - Request from agent - within 12 hours (#PitMad) - Request from another agent - 1.5 months (via #DVpit, not PitMad) - Request from Penguin editor - within 1 week (#PitMad)- 1 from cold query (agent - unintentional resubmission. She'd formerly given a form rejection when I queried back in Nov 2020. Request came in Sep 2021.) - Request came within 2 weeks- 1 from referral (agent I cold-queried forwarded my query to her colleague, who subsequently requested and who was otherwise closed to queries at the time) - Request came 2 days later- 1 partial via #PitMad, 100 pages in the first instance without query or sample (agent). Reason appears to be excitement over my comps. - Agent privately DM'd me on the same day asking for the partial after liking my pitch. Total # of queries during this period: approx 70? Again, never did a proper count. Overall Stats Total # of queries from start (Nov 2020) to present (Dec 2021): 146. # of CNR: 47 (anything after 3 months is assumed to be an CNR) # of form rejections: 63 (excluding 3 referrals) # of personalised rejections: 2 - 1 agent was looking for something more light-hearted than my book. She was pulled in by my strong narrative voice. Apparently it was one of the hardest rejections she's had to write. - 1 agent (vice-president) didn't like the way I mixed the genres (paranormal + police procedural) & asked for a resubmission if I changed that. Otherwise she said there was "a lot to like".# of referrals: 3 # of open cold queries: 22 (excluding the 5 fulls and 1 partial) # of requests: 9 (8 fulls & 1 partial - most of which came in from Sep 2021 at just over 1 request per month) In general, as of August 2021, I receive 2-3 form rejections weekly. Dec 2021 is no exception, despite what you might hear about agents closing. Other caveats Pitch War Mentor Programme: participated, zero response. (don't remember if I did this once or twice) Rogue Mentor: 2 personalised rejections from agented authors - 1 cited she didn't feel she was the right fit due to the animal violence in the book. Otherwise, solid prose, voice on point, dialogue flows well, strong narrative. (her words) - 1 cited he couldn't see any problems with anything he read, both the query and writing are excellent, and I probably don't need his help (his words).AMM: Due to the fulls I have out and the feedback I've received, also due to the fact that I've never once been selected by any mentor in any programme, I'm foregoing the upcoming one (next month, I think?) As an aside, I sent at least 1 query after being invited to do so (Dec 2021) because I tweeted at an agent asking for her submission guidelines. In my tweet, I specifically mentioned my comps, but nothing more beside the genre (spec thriller). A day after this, I found out this agent was actually closed to submissions. Therefore, I can't help but think perhaps my comps was the reason I received the invitation to bypass the closed period. I was also invited to query (which ended in a form rejection - Feb 2020 - before my massive revisions) during #PitMad because I tweeted at the agent, who was closed but participating in #PitMad, if she would look at my pitch. She never replied. The next day, I find she's liked my pitch. I don't know if mine tweeting at her was the cause. ETA: My maths is absolutely appalling and I did this at 2am. If my maths doesn't add up, let me know lol Conclusion I have no idea what these stats prove. My writing in the drafts between the first draft and the second draft (that dividing point in Aug-Sep 2021) hasn't drastically changed. My mediocre query before Sep clearly still got me requests, as did my weaker opening, but the rate of request was drastically lower (3 requests in the span of 9-10 months vs 6 requests within 4 months). I'm of the opinion that my changed comps piqued agents' interest much more than I anticipated. I began to query agents with my comps in the subject line. The comps were changed from Jade City x Altered Carbon to #own Rivers of London x Jade City I'm also of the opinion that knowing which category your book falls under is perhaps more paramount than the query package (assuming a certain level of quality as a baseline). The genre had changed from fantasy to speculative thriller, and the agents I queried, therefore, changed accordingly from Sep. This coincides with when my request rate shot up. I believe pitch events are invaluable. I wouldn't have had nearly as good of a request rate without those invitations to query via pitch events. Pitch stats say only a fraction of pitches ever get likes (2%? Don't quote me, but it was small). However, I've participated in pitch events numerous times and have always had 1-2 likes from agents, excluding another 1-2 from small presses occasionally. Luck is obviously involved, and getting onto other people's lists as well as participating in RTing others help with your own visibility (as etiquette is people RT you back). Having said that, I'd like to think my pitches are good as my result has been consistent. What changed the game for me re pitch events is the inclusion of comps. INCLUDE YOUR COMPS! People will often read your pitch based on them, I think. I began to include - as of this month, so time will tell if it has any impact - the number of fulls I have out, including a specific mention of the request from Penguin. My logic: At worst, it has no impact on whether the agent reads (neutral), and at best, it will pique their interest into at least taking it seriously enough to go for the sample (positive). It will also start me off on the right foot, so the agent may be more inclined to looking for what's right with my book as opposed to what's wrong. I have included both my first query that I used, as well as the one I'm currently using for comparison. I have also included a screenshot of just how many query drafts I've written (and these two I'm showing you now are not the only versions I have. My query has been ever-changing throughout the querying process until recently. Notice the scroll bar and how much more you can scroll - the screenshot has only captured maybe two thirds of all the drafts there lol). In fact, if anyone's interested, I've kept a number of query versions here, so you can see how it's evolved: https://www.writingforums.org/threads/when-the-mask-slips-uf-query.169990/ As you can see, the last time I updated that thread asking for feedback, it isn't even the query I'm using now. Bear in mind, I still have no agent yet I am still querying. Maybe someone will find this post helpful. Merry Christmas! Spoiler: Current Query British Chinese Detective Lynx Wu can wind back time with a touch. Restoring fractured arms and broken cars is simple. Restoring his missing brother is not. After his brother is kidnapped from a gambling ring, Lynx throws himself into the case. He discovers the Glitches, a group abducting the gamblers and returning them changed—frenzied and loping on all fours with a fresh bloodthirst. When Sutyu Lam, the Glitches’ expert thief, hears her employers have captured Lynx’s brother—who happens to be her friend—she’s furious. They offer her a deal: steal Lynx’s powerful magic to keep him from ruining their plans and her friend goes free. A deal she doesn’t hesitate to agree to. Soon, Lynx's world begins to fall apart. As his brother is incriminated and he's taken off the case, Sutyu steals into his life in the guise of a friend—but they never meant to fall for each other. When Lynx uncovers her true identity, honour demands he arrests her, but she's the only one who can strip the Glitches of their power and return his brother. It's his brother or his integrity, and Lynx must decide just what kind of officer he is. #OWN Rivers of London meets Jade City, WHEN THE MASK SLIPS is a genre-bending speculative thriller set in futuristic London, complete at 81,000 words. The full manuscript is currently being considered by five agents and one editor at Penguin Random House, Canada. I'm British Chinese, currently living in Prague. I teach English as a Second Language at a local primary school in a bilingual programme. I have done work-for-hire in fiction, sold poems on @Tinkelei on Instagram, and ghostwritten short stories for the gaming app True Choice. In my free time, I enjoy drawing and origami. Content warnings include animal violence, general violence, consensual sex and mild racism. Thank you. Yours, Spoiler: Query between Nov 2020-July/Aug 2021 Men possessed by ferocious animal spirits, dubbed the Jujus, are seeking revenge and everyone is guilty. When they burn down a gambling ring and his brother goes missing in the catastrophe, Detective Lynx Wu insists he takes the case. He can’t even remember the last time he talked with his brother, always because of work, and the guilt drives him deeper into the case. Enter Sutyu Lam, a girl who knows his brother with a secret of her own: she kills without hesitation; she keeps her address a secret; and she is too poor to be able to buy the numerous vials of stolen magic she has from the Magician in the black market. After she saves his life from the Jujus, Lynx lets his guard down even as alarm bells ring. But Sutyu has been working for the Jujus even as she starts having second thoughts and genuinely falling for Lynx. The truth, however, always catches up. But when Lynx discovers his brother has become a Juju, he must choose between going it alone or working with Sutyu, the traitor, if he hopes to save his brother at all.
This is interesting stuff, and you've had a lot of success with the current query, but I think the last (third) paragraph can still be improved.
Thank you for sharing your valuable experiences in your submission journey. This should be an article, or at least its own thread, so I can easily refer to it when I go through another round of edits and prepare my query. It sounds like you're on the verge of success, and after so much work on the submission process (nevermind the actual writing), you surely deserve it. I wish you the best.
@Bruce Johnson - happy to hear your feedback if you don't mind @Set2Stun - thank you! I'm glad it was helpful
