I'm not familiar at all with this publication or how they work, but it sort of sounds like they hadn't read the submission yet. I also wonder if this means they put all their submissions up on their website and then select a few or whatever for their chapbook. You would probably know better than me. Does that seem to be the case? I'm also wondering if there was anything you came across in the submission process where you granted them first rights just by submitting. However, it seems they will be getting those rights moving forward even if that wasn't stated. It's also a little weird that they are going to notify the people they are putting in this chapbook by their newsletter. Even if you were going to announce the authors you would be publishing this way, you would surely be in contact with these writer before then, I would think. I'm also wondering why this is being called a chapbook rather than an issue or volume. They do then call it an issues this because they are stapling it together or something? I'm saying this because that's how I've always come across that sort of chapbook. And I've never seen a chapbook by multiple authors. I mean chapbooks really aren't that long as well. I've read several that are a single story by a single author. And in terms of poetry, as well, I haven't come across chapbooks containing works from different poets compiled into a single chapbook. They do then call it an issue, but that's where they seem to clearly state that they haven't made a decision in their process at this time. And then to find out if they are publishing you in the chapbook you have to subscribe and read their newsletter? I don't think it really matters what Duotrope says an acceptance rate is if it's a publication you like and want to see your work in. And some people might be a little confused by this sort of email what exactly they were saying so that could potentially be throwing this number way off for this place. In general, I never really even notice what the acceptance rate is for anyplace. I know my acceptance rate is at 1% for the last 12 months because that's what Duotrope tells me that when I log in. But even the places I've published I couldn't tell you what their acceptance rate is without looking it up. Maybe knowing that you're in the majority when a place rejects us has some comfort to it. I know when a place has a 0% acceptance rate rejects me and everyone else with a form, it can soften the blow a bit, perhaps. Duotrope also lists how many users are submitting to each publication, where else they have published, and where else those users have also sent the same piece. Those sort of stats can also tell you something, though, it really is all about where YOU want to publish and are submitting your work. I mean it wouldn't matter to me it Duotrope said 99% of their submissions if it was a place I wanted to get into.
This seems like a strange system, IMO. You are supposed to give them a contacts list? For them to solicit paying readers out of your family and friends? Just wondering if and how much this place is paying its writers. I totally admit to knowing nothing about this publication personally. I'm just going on what you guys are saying.
The publication is called Written Tales. They publish both a magazine and a chapbook- I thought I was submitting to the latter (which I chose at the theme was something I already had a story written and ready on) but maybe submitting to one is submitting to both? The Duotrope entry for the magazine says 75% of submissions are accepted- if I click onto the website, it says ‘selected submissions are published on our website’. So I guess mine must be an acceptance? Not that it seems that hard to get one!
@Woodstock Writer -- This is from their website. You did give them first rights by submitting. "By submitting to Written Tales, you are granting us first publication and non-exclusive rights, but you, the writer, still own your work. The copyright always remains with the author. First publication rights grant us a 30-day period wherein the work is not published elsewhere. Non-Exclusive rights allow us to publish your wonderful work on our online platforms, social media channels, audio, digital, and/or print publications, promotional materials (audio, digital, and/or print), and archives to help further promote your work and the Written Tales writers. We ask you to give credit to Written Tales Magazine as the source of first publication." It also seems a a little off to me that when they are talking about not paying their writers they use the word "submission." "The magazine is self-funded with the goal of, one day, paying all our writers for their submissions. Currently, we do not pay for submissions. Any author we select for publication is offered a coupon for 20% off our subscriptions." IMO, the 20% coupon they are offering is a little ridiculous. I mean, seriously, they could give the writers they are publishing something like that for free. This is just my person thought in general, but I hate it when anywhere says something like their goal is to some day pay its writers. I know not there are plenty of publications that don't pay, but it's when they act like that's something likely to change just bothers me. I rather a place not say that at all even if that's something they hope to do in the future, but maybe that's just me.
So they’re basically just publishing everything? Duotrope does list some rejections. Looks like I should have read everything more closely before I submitted… not sure whether to list this as an acceptance or not.
Genuinely, I'm not savvy enough to properly explain but I'll give it a try. There's a thing called Substack. I don't know quite what it is but I now have an account. To that account, I can post my stories/musings/rants etc. There's guidance on how I can bring my instagram followers over to it, so they receive notifications for whenever I add to it (I don't have instagram). I can also send a link to people I know that will bring them to my posts on my Substack, with a recommendation to allow followers develop before introducing a payment option. There's also mechanisms for discussion groups between the account holders. Sounds a bit like wf mixed with self-pub and a sprinkle of social media. I'll dabble in on some of the notifications they're sending me and maybe update or reconfigure this whole message.
I’ve now had another email saying they have chosen my story for the chapbook! So I guess they publish everything on their website and then only some in the chapbook? They have also given me some interview questions about my story which they demand I must answer by Friday!
An absolutely heartbreaking 129-day personal rejection from Nobilis Erotica: “This is a fine story and well written. It meets all of our criteria. But we only publish twelve stories a year, and there were too many quality stories to accept all of them. So unfortunately we have to reject a few, and yours is one of them.”
After many, many rejections over many months and many, many hours of writing, editing, and submitting, I have sold my first story. And also my second! I received another acceptance just 2.5 hours after the first one. These two publishers are located on opposite ends of the Earth from one another. Maybe the strangest thing is that I submitted to both of them on Sept. 5. Absolutely bizarre. But I guess it's spooky season. The first acceptance was on my 3rd attempt to sell it. The second was my 13th attempt. I am over the moon ! Spoiler HOLY SHIT HOLY SHIT OH MY GOD I SOLD TWO STORIES OH MY GOD WHAT IS EVEN GOING ON RIGHT NOW
This publication I was accepted for with their interview questions is strange. I answered questions 2-4 but the first one was worded like it was about me and asked me about my past in a band and my daughter. I replied saying I was confused as I have neither of those things and the editor replied ‘sorry, I thought it was non-fiction. You can revise the questions accordingly’. But this makes no sense as the other questions were asking about my character as if it was fiction (which is is). And the character has a different name to me anyway…. Also why make me revise the question and not give me the revised question himself?
Well having spent 40 mins answering the questions I’ve now been sent 4 new ones to answer which are apparently much more appropriate…
Not quite a rejection, but the anthology one of my flash fics was accepted into earlier this year won’t be moving forward On the upside, I guess this story has a chance to be my first and second pro-rate sale.
I've been just horrible sending submissions out this fall. Seriously, I've only made a handful of submissions when normally I probably would have sent out dozens by this time. I've just been struggling with life that trickles its way down to everything. I have been writing, and I've got a few newer pieces that I feel good about, but I just don't want to send anything out too soon. Today I made my first submission since the beginning of September. I feel pretty satisfied with the piece, and, honestly, it just wasn't ready to send out sooner even if it has been "done" for a while. I'm thinking this could affect me getting 100 rejection in 2023. I only need 10 more, and if I had submitted the way I planned, surely, I would have hit the mark. We'll see what happens. I am still going to try for 10 more before the year is up. This challenge has made me submit to all my dream markets with the idea that they would probably all reject whatever I sent. But because of this I have landed in some dream publications. Overall, I think there is something to be said for aiming to get 100 rejections within a calendar year. If it weren't for this challenge, I don't think I would have sold anything. And now, instead, I'm quite pleased with the results. Even if I had sold nothing, I think it has been good to push myself. Okay, I'm still going to try and get 10 more. The only problem might be how long it takes these places to respond. @Set2Stun -- I know you passed the 100 mark. And I know you recently sold two pieces. What are your thoughts on the 100 rejection challenge? And for others, has this idea made you try tougher markets and submit more? I think that's the whole idea behind it.
I thought this was a good idea to insert a little extra motivation into the submitting process. It's one of those things where you're not only holding yourself accountable, we're also helping to keep each other in the submission game. The vast majority of my writing time for the past three months has been spent on my current novel, yet I still felt I needed to put in the time to write a few shorts here and there and continue submitting. Your call for fall subs pushed me into doing a little submission spree on Sept. 5 where I sent out 15 queries (and sold those 2!). Counting the rejections is a reminder that you're still trying. And that's the only way you're going to get anything published - submitting over and over and having probably 97-99% of everything be rejected. The challenge was a helpful tool for me this year, and so I'll want to do the same going into 2024. Maybe I will see if I can hit 150 next year
A 43-day rejection from Copper Nickel and a 55-day rejection from The Offing, both for poetry, both forms. That brings me to 34 for the year. 100 ain't gonna happen, but maybe I can get 40?
Mentioned a while back I’d got an offer. Well I did better than that- I got a deal for 2 books, so I’ve got a year to write a sequel! Scary but this is what I’ve wanted for so many years and I’m hoping it’ll give me another step forward with future projects. https://x.com/northodoxpress/status/1719618098955788522?s=46&t=mELtGsbzQ3IcPRA2apezCQ The publishers are lovely- keen and growing rapidly.
