Well I sent the same story out to four different magazines, so I will wait until I hear back from all four. After that I either give up on that one or try a few other Literary ones or send it to a Sci-Fi or Fantasy mag, since it is slighty fantasy anyway. I'm working on others, all Sci-Fi, so I'll be sending there when I'm ready.
Well, talking about the other places I submitted Ploughshares weren't too keen either. All very nice and uninterested.
Thanks for the link, I think that I got my story format correct, from what I remember. I'm good with it all really, not terribly disappointed to be rejected. I'm not in the same position as some of you guys I think, I'm not looking to make money here just to get something published if I can. This is more of an interest than anything else, probably just as well as I'm a slow writer. If something does happen I guess that will be a bonus.
Competitions is the other game. Bridport Bristol Exeter Bath Manchester [insert Writers' Prize] ...all spring to mind. plus - Wasafiri & FISH
Ok, that's interesting, I'll have a look at those, thanks. I have entered one competition as mentioned before, with Glimmer Train. Are the competitions held in those towns?
If you get really fed up with it, a dead end, buy one of those glossy granny mags from WHSmith - 'Writing' or similar, there's often a couple of interesting adverts. It's worth it for the queue in the shop, the elevated snout and the magazine quickly hidden away among your carrots and potatoes.
Well, if I get really cheesed off, and absolutely no one wants to publish my stories, I could always try the digital route, put some shorts together for a small book. Long way down the river though that one and not everyone might agree that that's a good idea.
well...it just helps with your spread. Send away to the big titles but it's fun targeting 'Sussex Guild of Poetry Annual Sci-Fi Haiku' and such for the 250 quid.
Ha, that would be an interesting submission. Yeah, lots a roads to travel down, only just started, and as long as it remains interesting and fun then I'm good. If it gets stressful then things might change, my spare time should be enjoyable.
One story has different levels of rejection. If you got a higher rejection, it means they saw something in your writing. Send them something else and if they said anything like they hope to see more from you, that's worth mention in a cover letter with your next submission to them.
If you sent the story I read, I thought it could fit. But you have to remember these are super hard markets, the top of the top. I think you are for sure good enough, but it is really hard. Timing probably has a lot to do with everything, and that's not something we can control. But don't give up on One Story. They've published some interesting stuff outside the box of typically literary works. They once published a graphic novel short story. If you read it straight front to back and in you read it backwards back to front, they were two different stories. It was really cool. So they are willing do consider works that maybe other literary journals wouldn't.
You can't give up after four rejections. You can't even give up after 20. Well, you can, but I don't recommend it. I would try both types of publications. You've probably got a few stories you can send to places. I'm happy to read for you if you want an extra set of eyes before you submit something. But I do think you're work is going to pick up. But you've got to give a piece more than four tries to be fair to yourself.
Damn. I thought they would dig that story. It's a good story and someone will buy it. I do think your writing style is very much like the stuff they publish. I think they might be worth trying again with a different story when you have something.
It seems like only the genre magazines care too much about that. Name on each page. Pages numbered. I think that's good enough. But one of the genre magazine told me I should learn to format my submission. Whoops.
Sheesh, that's a little harsh isn't it? That's the problem really, I don't really have much in that department, got a few to revise that are Sci-Fi or Fantasy before that. I'm not giving up, I promise, just being realistic about getting something that in truth was leaning in the Fantasy direction published in a literary mag. It may be that switching Funnel to a Fantasy based mag - if nothing comes of my current submissions - might be the smart play. I'll think about that after November. How do you tell what's higher or lower, by that I mean what are the guidelines? Or is it just a play-it-by-ear thing?
Some of those highers were pretty minor differences but they were there, the standard ones were more pronounced. Appreciate the link. I think I've had a standard and higher tier so far.
@matwoolf - Have you ever tried the UK literary magazines? Just curious as I came across a google list the other day. @deadrats - What are Zoetrope like? I know they aren't accepting submissions at the moment. Or American Chordata?
Grant is out of the UK I believe and they are really great. They're closed to submissions for now with no word on when they will open again, but it's worth keeping them on your radar. I'm a fan of Zoetrope. It's the literary journal owned by Francis Ford Coppola. I took a writing course they offered a few years back. It was in partnership with Gotham Writers Workshop and wasn't cheap, but it was worth every penny. You can read some of the magazine stories online. They're not open to submissions again until next June. But I think they're another one worth keeping in mind.
