Rejectomancy

Sai

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118 day rejection from Dark Discoveries. At least I got some feedback on the story, which was encouraging.
 

JoBird

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These long wait times are hard to believe, especially considering how few markets accept simultaneous or multiple submissions. And definitely considering the rejection rate.

It seems like it could take years to get a story published, pushing it through different markets. A hundred days here, a hundred days there.
 

johemedel

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3 day form R from Clarkesworld, 8 day form R from Waylines. A few pieces out yet with overdue responses - feeling as though a rejectolanche may be rolling in my general direction.
 

V1c

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These long wait times are hard to believe, especially considering how few markets accept simultaneous or multiple submissions. And definitely considering the rejection rate.

It seems like it could take years to get a story published, pushing it through different markets. A hundred days here, a hundred days there.

It can take years, or days. I had one that took over a year to find a home, another took my first sub. Hard to guesstimate.

In genre, the simsub rule is sancrosanct. However, in literary, I've had head editors tell me to ignore it, it's a pipedream. And the wait times are generally longer for literary. Although, for my three over 120 days, two are genre markets so go figure. Which means I'm up for some rejectos to come in, as well. Or, hopefully, not.
 

fihr

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It seems like it could take years to get a story published, pushing it through different markets. A hundred days here, a hundred days there.

Yep. Two years could be four markets, and I tend to sub to genre... I prioritise markets for submission based on rejection times, not just pay rates. Even so, sometimes things happen. I've got one at over 150 days at a market that typically responds in 40.

9 day R from Read Short Fiction. (Nice and quick!)
 

Adlemons

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Well this was a really quick rejection. As in really quick. A 2 and a 1/2 hour rejection from The Colored Lens. Was personalised and is helpful though.

I guess the speed is because I'm in a very different time-zone to the readers/editors.
 

MichaelP

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A 9 day form R from Waylines. And a 71 day R from Nightfall -- very complimentary, and the editor attached a line edited copy of my story! Fantastic feedback.
 

DragonHeart

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I forgot to post this but earlier this month I finally got a response on a submission from January on literally the last day before the market said to query. That would make it...90 days. It was an R with some nice feedback, so I'm hoping they held onto it so long because they liked it. That's what I tell myself, anyway.

And yes, I should have sent it back out the same day, but I didn't. I sent it out again this morning after giving myself a 10 minute crash course in cover letters. We'll see what happens.
 

JessH

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Got a 47-day rejection from Mobius. He liked the concept, but it wasn't the right sort of story for the magazine. Pointed out some areas he thought I could work on, so I may take a hard look and revise.
 

Marzioli

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NightfaII rejection, 74 days. Editor said she enjoyed reading my story, but in the end it was too sunny to be true horror. (I thought sunny was allowed in dark fantasy?) In any case, she recommended I try it at C0njuring.
 
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J.W. Alden

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8-day form from F&SF. Was my first time submitting there, and my first real snail mail submission. It was kind of neat getting a rejection in the mail!
 

Aggy B.

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3 1/2 month(ish) R from Kaleidotrope. Brief personal note: In the end, it was a well imagined world, but the story just didn't quite work for me.

Sent it back out to Tor.com.
 

Marzioli

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14 days to an R from E1ectric Ve1ocipede. I'm starting to get the feeling this place doesn't like my work!
 

articshark

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So do y'all get all sad like I do when you get rejected?
 

alexshvartsman

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These long wait times are hard to believe, especially considering how few markets accept simultaneous or multiple submissions. And definitely considering the rejection rate.

It seems like it could take years to get a story published, pushing it through different markets. A hundred days here, a hundred days there.

You;re absolutely right. I don't submit to ANY markets where I don't reasonably expect a decision in under 90 days. There are plenty of pro-paying and semo-pro venues that get back to you faster than that -- Clarkesworld, Lightspeed, F&SF, Waylines, DSF are all very fast and consistent.

At UFO we've kept the response time down to a few days, and that's with three people reading each story. So it can be done.

Life is too short to submit to places that take forever to evaluate your work.
 

V1c

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What's the etiquette on mentioning specific pubs here? I see some do it and others sub letters or use acronyms. Dare I ask?

Basically, whatever you're comfortable doing. YMMV on superstitions about naming the full name, etc.
 

Marzioli

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I just do that because I want to be free to say what I want about the venue. I usually keep my comments professional, but sometimes ... sometimes ...
 

alexshvartsman

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What's the etiquette on mentioning specific pubs here? I see some do it and others sub letters or use acronyms. Dare I ask?

It is a commonly-known fact that if you complain about a rejection on this forum and state the name of the publication three times backward, the editor will be banished back into his or her home dimension.

Seriously though, my take on this is that misspelling market names to somehow avoid detection is silly. And saying anything you wouldn't want the editor of that market to read in this public forum would be sillier still.
 

Marzioli

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Silly? Yes. Sillier still? Yes. Cathartic? Sometimes. If an editor wants to read my comments about their magazine's rejection, I say more power to them. But they gots'ta work to find it!
 

fihr

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Commiserations on the recent R's everyone, especially what sounded like near misses--Aggy and Marzioli.

So do y'all get all sad like I do when you get rejected?

Always a tiny bit, but now I've been subbing short stories for a while it fades pretty fast. I guess I expect rejections to the point where opening an acceptance is a shock - I think, 'oh, here's my R from so and so', then have to read it twice for the acceptance to register. And then I make sure I take time to enjoy it!

I don't take them to heart, unless they've offered me a bit of advice which strikes a chord that I can use. Not only does a story need to be good, but the fit has to work, and I am an unknown writer whose name isn't going to sell a magazine, competing against stories by very good authors.

The times I find most disappointing are the near misses, when they've held onto it for ages and it's in the final round. The R's that can get me down are the rejectolanches - lots in a week. However, I find working on my next story keeps my mind off what my submissions are doing and makes me forget about any recent rejections.

Kudos to everyone here who subs though, because at a recent conference I went to, I was shocked to find, in response to a question from a panel, how many writers don't submit their work, or submit only one or two stories to one or two venues.
 
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LolaVelo

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Hi everyone.

Just got my R from Sword and Sorceress with a nice note saying it was a "perfectly good story," just not the right feel for what the editor's looking for for this volume, and I should try another market. Okay, I realize I know very little about markets for this stuff - can y'all give me some suggestions? My story is S&S with some dragons, too... Thanks!