Rejectomancy

J.W. Alden

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Sorry to hear, Kristi. Those close ones are always the toughest to swallow, and the better the market the sharper the sting.

Hang in there, though!
 

O'Dandelo

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Very sorry to hear that, kd! I remember my closest-call Shmmr sub and how much the rejection burned. But I sold the story to an awesome pro market the next time out! So onward, ma'am. Your story has a bright future, I'd say.
 

alexshvartsman

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Alex, if that's so then the senior editor must do slush too because I've gotten rejections from her as well without notification of bump.

Yes, senior editors at Shimmer definitely read some of the slush. I got some very nice/encouraging rejections from E. Catherine Tobler when I was starting out.
 

Marzioli

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Alex, then I suppose we're in the same boat! No bumps from me for that market either. I've read several issues and I guess I just can't put my finger on that Shimmer pulse.

KD, that's terrible news, and yet it should be terribly uplifting to know you made it so far where others haven't. Condolences for the bad and kudos for the good!
 

fihr

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117 day personal R from ASIM, with a couple of nice reader comments.

I'd like to make the intro para a little smoother, so hopefully now it's been gone a while, I'll have a better feel for it.
 

Eliza C

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Sorry for all the recent R's everyone... especially those long waits and close calls.
 

J.W. Alden

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63-day form from TM, and 13-day personal from 3LBE. At least I think it's personal—it has a "well written" bit in it, but I suppose that could just be a higher tier form. I'm counting it, damn it!

Do you see what happens when we tempt the rejectonomicon, Sai? Misery and pain all around!
 

kd1984

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Thanks for the commiserations, everyone. Trying to take the good with the bad. It's always a plus when the senior editor mentions that she hopes you will send another story when they reopen in January!

And big hugs to everyone else. I blame Sai for the rejectolanche. ;)
 

Aggy B.

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247 day R from McSweeney's Quarterly Concern for "Mother". Now I have to find another literary type market. >_<

ETA: In addition to the rejection from Scovil, Galen & Ghosh last week, I've had six other agent rejections.

Caitlin Blasdell and Judith Engracia (Liza Dawson Associates)
Lucienne Diver (Knight Agency)
Suzie Townsend (New Leaf Lit)
Jason Yarn (Paradigm)
Sarah LaPolla (Curtis Brown)
 
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fihr

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Sorry for the R's everyone - esp that long one, Aggie. (Hope those partial requests go well.)

My R'd stories are now all back out looking for a home. Best thing is, I fixed up the stuff that bugged me in the one I got back from ASIM. (Including a bit in the climactic scene.) It was much easier after a longish absence. I think it's a better story now.
 

Eliza C

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Sorry for the R's everyone - esp that long one, Aggie. (Hope those partial requests go well.)

My R'd stories are now all back out looking for a home. Best thing is, I fixed up the stuff that bugged me in the one I got back from ASIM. (Including a bit in the climactic scene.) It was much easier after a longish absence. I think it's a better story now.

I know not everyone does this, but I almost always re-read my stories when they come back and usually do at least minor line edits. Glad it made you feel even more positive about the next sub - I know it usually does for me.
 

squeaky pram

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Sorry to hear about all the rejections, but nice to know we're kind of "in this together". Helps, somehow.

According to stats on dt I should be hearing about one of my submissions any day. But I'm beginning to think it may be a curse to have so much information. In the old days you just sent a story out into the dark and that was it. It was easier to forget about it when you had no way of knowing when a journal was actively sending R's to people who submitted two or ten days before/after you, or whatever. I'm starting to rethink my engagement with dt (for my own good and sanity, as well as the cost).

Anyway, good luck to all!
 

Niccolo

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Form Rs from both Daily Science Fiction and Absinthe Revival, and at 9:30 in the morning no less. My first time getting two rejections in one day so....celebration?
 

gettingby

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133-day personal rejection from Sycamore Review. It was the first time that story got sent out, and they said the liked it so that is encouraging. Still, it is a rejection, and I feel like I've gotten enough of those.
 

Marzioli

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Finally got my response from WotF. 154-day rejection, but I was chosen as a semi-finalist and get a free critique from David Farland. So that's kind of like a mixed rejection. Do I get to brag about this somehow in my cover letters, or only in the cover letters that accompany the story that made it to the semi-finals? Or do only finalists get to brag?
 
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akaSylvia

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Finally got my response from WotF. 154-day rejection, but I was chosen as a semi-finalist and get a free critique from David Farland. So that's kind of like a mixed rejection. Do I get to brag about this somehow in my cover letters, or only in the cover letters that accompany the story that made it to the semi-finals? Or do only finalists get to brag?

It's still effectively a rejection so personally, I wouldn't mention it. But you definitely get to brag in writerly circles. Well done!

16-day form reject from DSF with a PS note saying they rarely take anything over 5k. I guessed as much but it was worth a shot. This story (fantasy, just over 9k) is a tough sell.

Aggy, I've been rejected by almost exactly your agent list. I feel in good company now! ;)