Rejectomancy

kd1984 · Dec 17, 2012

Heartbreaking 36 day final round personal R from Shimmer. Said some very nice things and mentioned that there was a lot to like, but still....

This one really hurts.

J.W. Alden · Dec 17, 2012

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!

fihr · Dec 17, 2012

Commiserations kd. Yes, that one would be really tough.

O'Dandelo · Dec 17, 2012

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 · Dec 17, 2012

Marzioli said:
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.

williemeikle · Dec 17, 2012

66 day form R from TM Publishing.

Marzioli · Dec 17, 2012

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 · Dec 17, 2012

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 · Dec 17, 2012

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

Marzioli · Dec 17, 2012

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

Oh no! Terrible news.

J.W. Alden · Dec 18, 2012

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!

Sai · Dec 18, 2012

J.W. Alden said:
Do you see what happens when we tempt the rejectonomicon, Sai? Misery and pain all around!

hehehe....BWAHAHAHA!

kd1984 · Dec 18, 2012

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.

Sai · Dec 18, 2012

kd1984 said:
And big hugs to everyone else. I blame Sai for the rejectolanche.

If only I could use my powers for good...

Acceptancelanche! Come! You've been summoned!

Aggy B. · Dec 18, 2012

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)

fihr · Dec 18, 2012

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.

Brynn · Dec 18, 2012

Sorry for the R's, everybody.

fihr said:
My R'd stories are now all back out looking for a home.

Good for you, fihr!

Marzioli · Dec 18, 2012

fihr said:
I think it's a better story now.

Sweet! That'a way'ta be!

Eliza C · Dec 18, 2012

fihr said:
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 · Dec 19, 2012

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!

kd1984 · Dec 19, 2012

52 day form R from ST.

Awwww, nuts!

Niccolo · Dec 19, 2012

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 · Dec 19, 2012

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 · Dec 20, 2012

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?

akaSylvia · Dec 21, 2012

Marzioli said:
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!

Rejectomancy

kd1984

J.W. Alden

The King Who Bore the Sword

fihr

O'Dandelo

alexshvartsman

williemeikle

The force is strong in this one.

Marzioli

Could be worse!

fihr

Eliza C

We’ll see what happens from here…

Marzioli

Could be worse!

J.W. Alden

The King Who Bore the Sword

Sai

Book lover/Spy

kd1984

Sai

Book lover/Spy

Aggy B.

Not as sweet as you think

fihr

Brynn

Marzioli

Could be worse!

Eliza C

We’ll see what happens from here…

squeaky pram

oldie turned newbie

kd1984

Niccolo

gettingby

Marzioli

Could be worse!

akaSylvia

Doesn't Bite