Rejectomancy

Marzioli

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Nope. It means they were going to buy the story until they Googled you at the last second and learned about what you did to those kittens back in the early 90s.
Any man would have saved those kittens if they were in my shoes. And any man would have subsequently eaten them if they were caught in that stranding snowfall like I was. I regret nothing!
 

O'Dandelo

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Any man would have saved those kittens if they were in my shoes. And any man would have subsequently eaten them if they were caught in that stranding snowfall like I was. I regret nothing!

Well played.

Sorry about the Rs, everyone. I'm nurturing my few crickets myself.

And gettingby, listen to the great advice shared above. No writer emerges fully formed from the ether. It's an uphill climb, learning, learning, learning. And then learning some more, in regards to all the countless steps from opening paragraphs to choosing the right markets. Persevere!
 

Aggy B.

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Dangit. My first 0 day rejection. From Drabblecast for "Insomnia".

Aggy, still has a ways to go before she's up there with the true rejection masters
 

Eliza C

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I just did a duotrope tally. I have 166 rejections since September of last year, and that doesn't count 100+ rejections for two unsold YA novels I completed.

166! Wow, I feel like a slacker. That totally beats my Duotrope count of 49 rejections in almost two years. If I add in my query rejections from agents for my two novels, though, I may be gaining on you. (Good for you for getting your work out there that much!)
 

Marzioli

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166! Wow, I feel like a slacker. That totally beats my Duotrope count of 49 rejections in almost two years. If I add in my query rejections from agents for my two novels, though, I may be gaining on you. (Good for you for getting your work out there that much!)
Thanks! I've trunked a lot of stories since then, but I try to keep at least 10-15 out at a time.
 

Eliza C

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166! Wow, I feel like a slacker. That totally beats my Duotrope count of 49 rejections in almost two years. If I add in my query rejections from agents for my two novels, though, I may be gaining on you. (Good for you for getting your work out there that much!)

Oops - make that an even 50 rejections. Just got one from Daily Science Fiction.
 

Marzioli

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Oops - make that an even 50 rejections. Just got one from Daily Science Fiction.
Ouch, sorry to hear it. I'm at 12 days, so it's possible I'll be getting mine in the next few days. :p
 

Eliza C

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Ha! I think I brought some kind of karmic attention to myself posting about my rejections - I ended up getting two in one day today! DSF and Wiley Writers. Oh, well. Back they go on the merry-go-round - sending them out again to new markets.
Yes, the pro markets are very tough to crack.
 

alexshvartsman

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Got one today from Wily Writers. 41 day form. But it was for a reprint story I didn't care all that much about, so strangely it didn't sting at all. I've got stories I love a lot more out on sub, so I'm saving my karma and my concern for them :)
 

sarahthegrey

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44-day R from Wily Writers.

In the meanwhile, I think I've lost faith in this story. It's only the third rejection, but now I'm reading it over and thinking, wow, this is really...mediocre.

I never know what to do when that happens. I'd like to believe it means I've improved since I wrote it, but it may just mean I'm being overly critical.

Oh well. It's off to a new market, either way.
 

mhaynes

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Were the WW rejections for a specific theme issue?

I have one at about 50 days there, myself, but it's for a theme that hasn't closed yet...
 

alexshvartsman

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Mine was for the yetis and abominable snowmen and such... don't remember the exact name for it.

ETA: It was the Cryptofiction prompt.
 
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Eliza C

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My WW reject was for the warrior theme also - long closed to subs.
 

Eliza C

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Yeah, 274 is rough - especially if your end result was a rejection. There are some markets I just won't sub to because of their response times.

I got a 129-day reject last month from ASIM and I had been cautiously optimistic about that sub as I was short-listed, the piece was humor (rare for me) which they prefer, and they've accepted a story from me before. (It's the same story that just came back from DSF - oh well.) This may be the wrong forum to ask this, but does anyone know a good pro or semi pro market for a humorous spec fic (mythology themed) 1100-word sub?
 

zanzjan

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This may be the wrong forum to ask this, but does anyone know a good pro or semi pro market for a humorous spec fic (mythology themed) 1100-word sub?

Heh. I can't even write sentences that short. :) Have you tried looking on duotrope?