Dare I get excited about another story passed up to the editor? Eeeeeeek! I've really worked hard on the stories I've done this year. My lover says the one that was just passed up for the final round of consideration is my best story. It's a new one and I wasn't feeling all that confident, but this is a publication they I have been trying for years and always sending my best work to. I don't think I've made it this far with them. I usually don't make it this far with most places. I want this one so bad!!! Man, it's crazy because I'm close at a few places right now. I hate those "almost" rejections. Come on, little stories. Find your homes.
Woke up to a 32-day personal rejection in my inbox this morning. It sounds like I made it to the last round of the selection process, and it was just different enough from the other stories they'd accepted that they decided to reject it. I hate these sort of close rejections. It's worse because, being a very political story for a very political anthology, there won't be many--if any--other markets this story might fit.
how long does a story stay on "in-progress" before you officially count it as "rejected" or would you count a long stay in the "in-progress" status as a good thing....?
If you can check the status through a submission manager and it still says something like "in-progress," then it's still being considered. In my experience, quick responses are usually quick rejections. My short stories acceptances have all taken several months. The longer the wait, the more likely it is to receive some feedback from editors. Though this is rare still, if a piece makes it far an editor might have a few words for you. And personal rejections feel great for a moment. The it's like Damn! So close. You can and should send a followup email if you're approaching or waited more than a year. However, I must warn you that sometimes checking in leads to a quick rejection. I try to just wait, but sometimes I do check in by email. Some places only respond if interested like The Atlantic. But most places do respond. How long can this take? My longest wait was 604 days, and all I got was a form rejection. Still, a story held that long... Who knows? If you want to message me or list here the name of the publication, I can look up on duotrope to see where they are in terms of response times. It should give you a better idea where you stand in the process.
With just under two months of the year left, I'm already up to 116 rejections for the year. This includes pieces that were sent in 2018, but I didn't get a response back until 2019. A lot of the time it really feels like I shouldn't have to try as hard as I to. I have 48 submissions pending. The literary journal and magazine world is maddening.
Dribbling in Granta/M Review in progress status, for now. The exquisite high-buzz. 'til tomorrow/next week/year.
So, just three states then: received, in progress, and either the guillotine or the kings table. May your head forever roll...or to quote the diary of an aspiring writer, 'Oi, come back, that's my head!'.
Hello, all. I've been going on a submission spree recently and should be hearing back about a national writing contest next week. I have three or four pieces currently doing the rounds, as as well as a few poems. I want to increase the amount of submissions I am sending out, however. Could someone recommend me some of the mid-to-top tier journals that DO NOT, I repeat DO NOT charge submission fees? I've covered all of the usuals like The New Yorker and The Atlantic, etc.
This is so impressive, like damn deadrats haha Seriously though, why don't you consider submitting to a literary agency in the hopes of being taken up? With your output, you could literally takeover the market if you were being billed under solicited submissions.
I don't think I'm at the stage where an agent would have mush interest. And with the little money I make on a yearly basis, I don't really want anyone taking a cut. I have however had work solicited. It doesn't always work out, but sometimes it does. I am at the stage where I think I'm being taken more seriously. I also already have a potential publisher for a novel I've been writing. It's a small press, but a good one. It probably wouldn't be for enough money for an agent to really be interested. I imagine at some point I will want or need an agent. I've worked with agents before and nothing came of it. As for agents or us submitting short stories. Sure, an agented submission goes right to the editor for a read most likely, but I've come to believe that good stories can rise to the top as well. Our story has to be better than the solicited and agented submissions. But why not our stories? Hey, it happens. When I was a slush reader, I felt like I was searching for good submissions. I wanted to find something worth an editorial meeting. Most of what was published was solicited, but I still remember the story I found in the slush that we ended up publishing. All my submissions but two right now were sent right into those slush piles. And I have faith that I will sell a story again for a submission I'm sending on my own. Thanks for the compliment. Don't feel like you need an agent to publish big in the literary journals and magazines. And good luck on all the stuff you have out there.
Here are a few publications that I like and are free to submit to. I only included places that are open now, but some of them will close to submissions soon. Read what you can online at least before you submit. The places on this list are not easy to get into and you really want your submission to be a good fit. It's great that you have a few stories. This will allow you to read their stuff online at least and then decided which story is best to submit where. And this is not a full list or anything, but I think these places are important to be aware of for short story writers. Hope it helps. Blackbird One Story Ninth Letter The Sun Magazine The Masters Review: New Voices The Arkansas International Copper Nickel AGNI The Cincinnati Review
