Rejectomancy

Lillie

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I'd like some cake, please.
I have had 7 rejections this month. Including my very first one.

So, big month for me. I might even get in a couple more, if the rejection gods decide to give me a kick in the next couple of days.
 

zanzjan

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Ooooh, cake! Me and my large cadre of crickets would love some (-:

-Suzanne
 

Smish

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At this point, I'd kind of welcome rejections. I'm hearing nothing but crickets.
 

Aggy B.

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Well, I just got a message telling me to either expect a rejection soon.

Or not.

Helpful. Thanks HeyPublisher!


That makes me laugh.

:Cake:

Have some cake.

*checks email box*

Nope. Still nothing. Think it's time for sleep.

Later, folks. :)
 

Nathaniel Katz

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I've got fourteen rejections so far for May, a rather dubious honor.
 

Aggy B.

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Still crickets this morning. Is it fair to assume that if stories submitted after mine are getting rejected that I at least made it through the slush pile?

Aggy, overanalyzing her Duotrope RSS feed
 

Izz

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I've got fourteen rejections so far for May, a rather dubious honor.
:Trophy:

Still crickets this morning. Is it fair to assume that if stories submitted after mine are getting rejected that I at least made it through the slush pile?

Aggy, overanalyzing her Duotrope RSS feed
I reckon that'd be a fair assumption to make. :)
 

alexshvartsman

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Crickets here... editors must all be celebrating Memorial Day weekend (even the ones in Australia apparently, no word on my recent ASIM submission for a few days now) :)

Sai: F&SF is *super* fast despite being mail-only. You'll likely get a reply in 1-2 weeks.
 

GreenRoom

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I had a rejection from Asimov's earlier this weekend, but turned around and sent the story back out again today (though to a market that prefers a much shorter word count than my submission). I'm expecting a quick R back on that one, then I'm contemplating sending it to F&SF (for another quick R) before using it as my Writer's of the Future story for the quarter ending June 30th.

I feel like having a lot of future markets planned out seems to help me (somewhat) with the sting of an R.
 

Aggy B.

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Still crickets. Probably be a flood of responses tomorrow with everyone back after the holiday. (Or not.)

Hugs to everyone who's been getting Rs.
 

shelleyo

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I feel like having a lot of future markets planned out seems to help me (somewhat) with the sting of an R.

I do this. In fact, I find it helps me if I send something out, pick the next market (from the list I probably made originally), and write the new cover letter, create a file in a new format for the story, if necessary, and have everything ready to go.

If the story is rejected, then I just glance over what I already prepared and send it out. I find it's much easier for me to create the new submission while the previous one is still out and I can still feel optimistic about its chances. Probably sounds the opposite of optimistic, but for me it's not. Removes quite a bit of the rejection doldrums for me, where I decide maybe there's something horrifically wrong with it and I should just look it over again later, and then procrastinate while it sits idle.

Shelley
 
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Sai

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Sai: F&SF is *super* fast despite being mail-only. You'll likely get a reply in 1-2 weeks.

I was wondering how they manage to be so fast. Do they have an army of literate monekys who, instead of working on typewriters and coming up with Shakespeare, read submissions? Do they have psychic powers that enable them to 'read' a story merely by holding the envelope up to their heads? Not that I'm complaining about their speediness, I just wonder how they manage it.
 

GreenRoom

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In fact, I find it helps me if I send something out, pick the next market (from the list I probably made originally), and write the new cover letter, create a file in a new format for the story, if necessary, and have everything ready to go.
I'm doing this right now. I plan to have my story ready to submit for F&SF (all printed out and just awaiting postage) so I can immediately head to a mailbox with it when my R comes.

I was wondering how they manage to be so fast. Do they have an army of literate monekys who, instead of working on typewriters and coming up with Shakespeare, read submissions? Do they have psychic powers that enable them to 'read' a story merely by holding the envelope up to their heads? Not that I'm complaining about their speediness, I just wonder how they manage it.

I'm not sure how they manage it, though I have a feeling if the first sentence doesn't grab the attention of the slush reader, that's it for the story -- on to the next one.

My first submission to f&sf took 6 days roundtrip (including sunday), and that went coast to coast. It was somewhat depressing. At least I know what to expect, timewise, with my second submission which I expect to be mailing off quite soon.
 

zanzjan

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R today from Nanoism, which is interesting in that I've sent them two things about two weeks apart, and this was the later (and, admittedly, weaker) of the two. So I guess maybe they're still thinking about the first one? I'm okay with that. (-:

My first submission to f&sf took 6 days roundtrip (including sunday), and that went coast to coast. It was somewhat depressing.

FWIW, my personal average with them is 7 days, which is very typical. Despite the title of this thread, I'd try not to read too much into their speed -- it may very well be that they're one of the few markets that's actually organized.

-Suzanne
 

Sagana

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I just got a rejection from Nanoism as well. And it's one of the best rejections I've gotten. It says "nice image" which is both a compliment and tells me what's wrong with it. Both! At the same time!!! And says "please do try me again" which sounds meaningful. The comments are longer than the story was :)
 

alexshvartsman

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R today from Nanoism, which is interesting in that I've sent them two things about two weeks apart, and this was the later (and, admittedly, weaker) of the two. So I guess maybe they're still thinking about the first one? I'm okay with that. (-:

I had the same thing happen recently. A 5-day rejection for a story, while another one has been sitting there for about 3 months now. I did somewhat of a faux pas and responded to the R asking about the fate of the previous sub. That was a couple of weeks back - no response.
 

Lillie

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In it comes, out it goes. :(
 

ShadowFox

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I've just got a quick form reject from Analog (15 days, not at all bad)... I haven't sent it back out yet because I want to send it to another market which I've already submitted to.
 

Aggy B.

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The acceptance from this morning has now been balanced out by a rejection this afternoon. Beneath Ceaseless Skies turned down The Collections Agent. Miss Marshall said "Since it seemed to be a routine assignment and there were no complications or challenges, the tale lacked a sense of change and movement for me."

Hmm. Trying to decide if I should tweak it again. (The "tweaks" I have in mind are more of an "adding more material".) Or just send it back out. Have to figure out where to send it first.
 

GreenRoom

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No rejections for me so far today, but I have two R's that I expect to be coming at any moment (hence why I cringe every time my phone hisses, notifying me of a new email).

Of course, my last two hisses were AW notifying me that Izz was posting. Stop scaring me, Izz!