pulling my hair out

[dmytryp]

Damn. I got not one but two "almost" rejections of stories today. I am really really sick and tired of this. This had gone far beyond frustrating.

 

[Cranky]

BTDT too, and I don't like the tee shirt, either. It do truly stink, dmytryp.

 

[Shoeless]

Condolences. I can see how that would be frustrating beyond belief.

 

[Mumut]

Time to look at your query. If the agents/publishers are rejecting your work, why? Are you hitting the correct market? Is your query the best possible? Look at te sample chapters. Do they have gramatical errors (said bookisms, dialogue tag adverbs, shifting POV)? Look for anything an agent or publisher will consider wrong (by industry standards). Smarten it up, try again and best of luck.

 

[dmytryp]

Time to look at your query. If the agents/publishers are rejecting your work, why? Are you hitting the correct market? Is your query the best possible? Look at te sample chapters. Do they have gramatical errors (said bookisms, dialogue tag adverbs, shifting POV)? Look for anything an agent or publisher will consider wrong (by industry standards). Smarten it up, try again and best of luck.

We are talking short stories, not a query

 

[Ken]

... ordinarily I'd just give you a pat on the back and say chin up and whatnot. But since I'd like to see you succeed DMY I will be blunt. Quit the belly aching. You're behaving disgracefully. The thing to do when getting a rejection is to work that much harder at improving so that next time you will receive an acceptance.

So get to work. And if you planned on doing 2 hours of writing, today, do 3 and take the same policy throughout the months to follow. It's fine to be angry, but channel that anger productively, instead of spilling it out on this forum in such pitiable displays as this.

Stay strong and triumph.
Ken

 

[dmytryp]

Lol, Ken
Thanks for the pep talk
I don't actually despair. It takes me about half a day to get over any rejection I recieve. The actual frustrating thing for me is that I keep recieving personal rejections wih encouragement etc. They all basically say "close but no cigar". And the downsides listed usually are subjective and not necessaily the same between the different editors. Which means i just have to find the suitable market for the story.
Thanks again.

 

[Ken]

... ahh, just 'half a day.' That's different. So seems like you're going about it okay, and that the negative part of my pep talk was a bit out of place. Sorry. I meant well ;-)

Yep, research the markets more before sub'ing. Definitely helps a lot to read the pubs, too, which really gives one a sence of what the publications are looking for. I should take this advise, myself; lol.

Good Luck!

 

[IHeartWriting]

I know it can be frustrating, but keep in mind that you're getting close...which is a hell of a lot better than "not in a million years". Stick with it! You're obviously doing something right.

 

[NicoleMD]

I know how you feel. I've had three or four stories lately that got to the final round of reading before getting the big reject. That just means we're getting closer, right? Right?

Nicole

 

[dmytryp]

Thank you, everyone. Having people understanding what you are going through is really helpful. People should start paying AW as a group therapy service

An update: I resend the two stories yesterday to different markets.

 

[arkady]

I've been getting "almost" rejections on my novel, too, and I can agree with you that it's no fun. But it is at least better than anonymous forms.

That's what I keep telling myself, at least.

 

[Laura Lond]

Hang on guys, you are good writers and you know it. It's just the editors who haven't realized it yet, but the day is coming when it will change!