Rejectomancy

alexshvartsman

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What about Dreams & Nightmares?

Stupefying Stories might also be an option. They don't have a hard lower limit and while the guidelines suggest that flash can be a hard sell for them, the one of mine which they're presumably seriously considering is 250 words or so it's apparently not a total deal-breaker.

Thanks for the suggestions, Mike!

D&N's stated print run is 200 copies, as per their guidelines. I don't know about anyone else but that makes me completely disinterested in submitting to them. I'd much rather submit to Every Day Fiction where I won't get any money but it'll be read by thousands of people. In fact, they're a strong possibility for this story.

Stupefying is also a possibility, but I already have 2 stories in their queue.
 

victoriajakes

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Form Rs from Shock Totem and Apex. Sad about the Apex one cause I made it to the second round, but so it goes. I know this story will sell somewhere.
 

victoriajakes

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And another from Brain Harvest. Man, they are just cranking through stuff out there before the holidays.
 

victoriajakes

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At least, I think I made it past the slush reader. Their system isn't super clear. It was a form rejection, no tier or anything. It was for Penderecki's, the story you read, which I have a lot of faith in. Sent it back out to LORE. Everything has been sent back out :)
 

Marzioli

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Rejection from Neon on the 23rd. Other than that, an eerie silence.
 

ElsaM

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I'm not officially starting the challenge until next week, but I just got a couple of rejections from Flash Fiction Online for stories I wrote late last year. One form rejection and one personalised almost-but-not-quite rejection. They said my writing was strong, so I'm feeling motivated.

ETA: alexshvartsman, I think we got similar rejections :)
 
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Sai

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I also got a rejection from FFO, this one saying that well several of the staff liked it, it did not receive enough votes to go on to the next round. I like this kind of rejection, as it's nice to know that at least someone read and liked my story. I have some more flash to sub, so maybe I'll have more luck this time around.
 

defcon6000

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Got a long awaited R from Wily Writers the other day. Don't think I'll sub to them again.

Still have one story with FFO, out of the three I originally sent. 20 days is when it makes it to round two, right?

Oh, and I'm still waiting for my Pedestal R. *mutters unpleasant things*
 
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KitCat

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*hugs for everyone that got R's*

I've got one out at Wily's still, crickets here
 

Lillie

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((((Hugs)))) for all the rejections :(
And good luck to everyone still waiting.

Oh, and I'm still waiting for my Pedestal R. *mutters unpleasant things*

*mutter mutter mutter*
It's annoying, isn't it?
I know they didn't accept it, but I can't send them anything for the next issue until I get the formal R.
 

defcon6000

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*mutter mutter mutter*
It's annoying, isn't it?
I know they didn't accept it, but I can't send them anything for the next issue until I get the formal R.
I think they do it on purpose, this is my conspiracy side talking. :tongue So they don't have to deal with a flood of submissions on the first day. There's another part of me that says they don't read all the submissions, only publish the first few stories that catch their eye. Because I'd assume if they had read all of them, there would be a steady stream of R's like in other zines.

Either way, I don't like it. If it weren't for the fact that they're a pro-paying market, I would skip them entirely.
 

Marzioli

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Yeah, still waiting for my Pedestal R too. When I subbed to them I knew they did this based on posts to this very thread, so I'm not totally surprised or upset by it.

DID get a 68-day R from AGNI. Wasn't expecting much from this. I submitted it in my earlier writing days when I was too excited about finishing a story and subbed it immediately, only to notice the very next week it was hardly ready. :/
 

alexshvartsman

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I think they do it on purpose, this is my conspiracy side talking. :tongue So they don't have to deal with a flood of submissions on the first day. There's another part of me that says they don't read all the submissions, only publish the first few stories that catch their eye. Because I'd assume if they had read all of them, there would be a steady stream of R's like in other zines.

Either way, I don't like it. If it weren't for the fact that they're a pro-paying market, I would skip them entirely.

FWIW I've had a very positive experience with The Pedestal. No acceptances, but a couple of "very close" R's, only one form R, and all responses within a couple of weeks. My first "very close" R from them was also my first submission to them - from before I had much stuff published elsewhere, so it's not like they pulled me out of the slush based on my name or accomplishments.
 

defcon6000

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FWIW I've had a very positive experience with The Pedestal. No acceptances, but a couple of "very close" R's, only one form R, and all responses within a couple of weeks. My first "very close" R from them was also my first submission to them - from before I had much stuff published elsewhere, so it's not like they pulled me out of the slush based on my name or accomplishments.
It's possible that they could've recognized your name from elsewhere. They don't exactly strip the name from the submission the way FFO does. I'm just sayin'. Leave no hypothesis untouched.

There were a 100+ pending responses (as reported on duotropes) when that last issue went live, and that is what concerns me. It wasn't like a few of us got left behind.
 

Aggy B.

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Regarding Pedestal: They've changed the way the guidelines are worded now, but PREVIOUSLY they had a statement to the effect that some stories are held for consideration over several issues. Doesn't meant that a large chunk won't still be rejected, just that they used to have a rolling submissions policy (even though they wouldn't accept material during certain weeks). Dunno if they still do that or not.

I've gotten both a very nice personal R (from a guest editor) and a few form Rs from them. Don't know if they came before or after the issue went live though.
 

defcon6000

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I don't believe Pedestal does the roll-over thing anymore because each issue has a specific theme. Like last issue was upward of 2,000-word spec fic only. The latest issue allows upward of 5,000-word submissions, and after that is submissions that contain a character named 'Mark Nipple'.
 

alexshvartsman

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91 day personal R from Bards & Sages. She didn't seem to like this particular story very much at all :) Fair is fair, will have to find something different to send there in January.
 

zanzjan

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Time to start the clock ticking down the minutes 'til my next form rejection from F&SF. I bet: next Wednesday.

Meanwhile, still crickets on the two other subs I've got out. Have been holding top spot on duotrope for one of 'em for a couple of months now.