Ever submit the same story to the same publication a year later?

No, I haven't. It's not a good idea to ignore guidelines on the basis that you might get away with it if you're lucky.

If there's been a change in editors, sometimes it's fine. If there hasn't been, I wouldn't. Many places these days keep records of what's been previously subbed, and many explicitly state in their guidelines that you shouldn't resubmit a revised piece.

I'd chalk it up to experience and worry about sending this new version to a new place--after all, you probably don't know why the other venue rejected it. If the basic premise just wasn't for them, it's unlikely that's changed.

I've never submitted my MS to the same publisher twice. I search for a new one. About resubmitting it, the two above me had good advice. There's always a chance though (unless they specifically state their disapproval of resubmission).

I'd be deeply cautious of this strategy. Most editors/slush readers/etc. are pretty aware of what they've seen/haven't seen. (Not to mention that a great many places log stories.) Most also will ask for a revision if they want to see one.

Probably the best bet would be to query a few, explain the situation, and ask whether they'd be open to it. Most will probably say no, but that still seems a better bet than convincing a publications that they'd rather not work with you.

Yes, under two conditions. 1. If something happens to make me rewrite a story completely, I'll often ask an editor if he's willing to take another look at it. This has resulted in sales. 2. If a magazine changes editors, I have no problem with submitting a story for a second time. Tastes differ, and this has resulted in sales, too.

Edited to add, never, ever try to sneak anything past an editor or an agent. It's just not smart, and it's completely unnecessary. Just ask. Honesty will take you far. Dishonesty will, sooner or later, bite you. And not mentioning something relevant is being dishonest.

I wouldn't unless....

You have done major rewriting and revisions - which you have - and I would certainly mention that fact in my cover letter. Be honest - tell them you submitted an earlier version but that you have reworked it.

Or unless they invited you to resub it at a later time for space considerations or such.

Or, as Jamesritchie mentioned, if there has been a change in editor. Editors are often like everyone else in that one editor's tastes may not be the same as the next.

Good luck!

Yes I did, and sold it the second time.

But I didn't know any better. I had written a story, sent it, got rejected. A few months later I sent a different story, sold it.

So I figured what the heck, and resent the first story, the one which got rejected. They bought it.

If I knew then what I know now, I would never have done that. But it is possible that story number one was read by a slush reader, or assistant, and the second one was sent on to the editor. In other words, the editor never saw that first story, the rejected one.

I got to know the editor years later and should have asked her about it, but never did. She has since passed away so I'll never know.

jaksen said:

Yes I did, and sold it the second time.

But I didn't know any better. I had written a story, sent it, got rejected. A few months later I sent a different story, sold it.

So I figured what the heck, and resent the first story, the one which got rejected. They bought it.

If I knew then what I know now, I would never have done that. But it is possible that story number one was read by a slush reader, or assistant, and the second one was sent on to the editor. In other words, the editor never saw that first story, the rejected one.

I got to know the editor years later and should have asked her about it, but never did. She has since passed away so I'll never know.

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I think you're right about the slush reader. This happens often. Once you sell a story to a magazine, your next story probably won't go through a first reader.

I know a couple of magazines where the first reader is automatic, and even handles the world famous writers, but my experience is that most magazines don't do this. First readers handle slush, and the editor handles selling writers. Especially writers that have sold t that magazine.

But isn't it amazing how doing something wrong sometimes results in something good. I had some very good things happen when I first started writing, all because I did things I didn't know writers weren't supposed to do.

gettingby said:

Have any of you done this?

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I've only re-sent a revised story when I received a revise & resend request from the publication.

If editors changed, or if I did something like a complete redraft, I'd consider doing so (being up front about it). But I probably wouldn't bother.

Carradee said:

I've only re-sent a revised story when I received a revise & resend request from the publication.

If editors changed, or if I did something like a complete redraft, I'd consider doing so (being up front about it). But I probably wouldn't bother.

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It can be worth it. I've made some big sales on the second go round.

I've sent a story more than once (under a different title, after extensive revision), but I didn't mean to. My record keeping is better now than it once was. I'm just relieved I didn't get a personalized rejection cautioning me to stop sending the same story. /whew

Maybe if it was improved that could be done. Otherwise, it'd probably just be rejected twice.

maxitoutwriter said:

Maybe if it was improved that could be done. Otherwise, it'd probably just be rejected twice.

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If it's a different editor, it can sell. Different editors have different taste, and a different notion of what fits the magazine. If they didn't, it wouldn't do any good to send a story to a new magazine once the first one rejected it.

It depends on the editor, but it is definitely worth a try in my opinion, the worst thing that can happen is rejection at that point.

I've done it a couple times. Once was because of a mix up on my part due to my dodgy record keeping, and it wasn't really that big of a deal. I just got a form rejection. No dogs were sicced on me or nastygrams sent by the editors. Honestly, unless you make a habit of spamming them with the same stuff, I think most markets aren't even going to notice because they are so swamped with slush that's read by a bunch of different first readers.

The second time I did it, it was because the market's editor had changed so I figured it was worth another shot. The story got a lot farther along the second time than the first, but the end result was still a rejection.

Anyway, if the story has undergone major revisions and is significantly different than the original version, then yeah, it might be worth subbing it to the same market again.

Jamesaritchie said:

It can be worth it. I've made some big sales on the second go round.

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This.

I've been submitting a long time. I don't want to submit to tiny magazines, so I limit myself to about 40 of the top markets. My rule is not to resubmit until five years has passed. No one has ever noticed, and I made one sale on the third go-round.

michaeloppen said:

I've been submitting a long time. I don't want to submit to tiny magazines, so I limit myself to about 40 of the top markets. My rule is not to resubmit until five years has passed. No one has ever noticed, and I made one sale on the third go-round.

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hahaha

Good for you!

only if they told me to fix it and then resubmit, otherwise no.

michaeloppen said:

I've been submitting a long time. I don't want to submit to tiny magazines, so I limit myself to about 40 of the top markets. My rule is not to resubmit until five years has passed. No one has ever noticed, and I made one sale on the third go-round.

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If nothing has changed at the magazine, that's fine, but a change of editors is always a chance to resubmit. You say no one has ever noticed. You can't be sure of this. As an editor, I notice almost every time, unless the title has been changed because we keep a list of submitted stories.

But I never tell the writer I noticed. Why would I? That's just a way of starting an argument. I read the cover letter, and if it says the story has been changed radically, I'll almost certainly read it. If it mentions no changes, I reject it unread with a form rejection.