Rejectomancy

I like personals, because they help me get a better feel for the markets that send them.

I don't always change a story based on a personal, unless the comment really hits the mark with me, because the next market might have different preferences. (Though occasionally, I've found something really helpful in a personal - which is great.)

If not a personal, then one of those forms that's specific to the reason for rejection is great, whether it's 'not the right fit', 'didn't grab me', 'didn't hold me' and so on.

I like evil slush reader comments now, so long as they're sufficiently rude or ludicrous, because they're entertaining later on.

But, perfectly happy with a polite form, especially if it speeds up submission response time.

Personals. All the compliments and encouraging notes from my favorite pro publications, and the shortlistings, have made the Rs less overwhelming. One editor pointed out a problem in the opening. It meant a lot that he took the time to do that.

I don't think I've ever had a rude response to a fiction submission, including when I was in college. NF editors come across as abrupt at times, yet that's just human for someone having to plow through a lot of copy to make the bills. I've had 81 responses to genre short stories since last may. I only wish more of them had been acceptances.

The only rejection I've gotten that seriously annoyed me was from ASIM years ago. They provide personals that have comments from the different readers, and one of the comments was really rude. Whereas I appreciate feedback (heck, I went through Clarion, I've got thick skin!), I think that it should always be polite.

The closest thing I've gotten to a personal is when they start out, "Dear Mr. Knighton".

I guess I'm the odd man out here

I've only submitted a couple times to Shimmer, last time was personal after making it up the ladder and helpful, which was nice. Worked on it. The next place it went got a personal 'the story is doing what it's meant to do, but it isn't what I want' (paraphrasedish). NOw it's been at the next for a longer than normal time. . .

I don't find the Shimmer rejection particularly annoying. It indicates that the reader thought the story wasn't as good a fit for the market as the author did. That's perfectly OK -- doesn't mean it's a bad story, just not the right fit in the opinion of the slush reader.

As an editor, I often wonder if the submitting writer has ever read any of the UFO stories before submitting, because their story is really, really, *really* far off the mark. But, I'm sure, in many cases they might have, and believe the story might be a fit even if I do not, and that's OK. If I don't like it, I just send it back and they can try another market.

I much prefer personal rejections. Some markets do all forms or all personals, but in most cases a personal rejection means the story has gotten a little bit further in the process. At UFO that's almost always (but not always) the case -- it depends on who the first readers were, etc... but if I like something about the story I try to let the author know. Likewise, if there is a specific reason it didn't work for me, I try to let them know, too.

A form rejection could simply mean I wasn't a first reader for the story, but it could also mean there were numerous things wrong with the story and we didn't need to read all the way to the end in order to say no.

Personal from Asimov's. Sheila said it was "cute." Second please-send-more I've gotten from them lately.

I used to get pumped about almosts from really good markets, but at this point it's just really frustrating because it's almost after almost. I start off optimistic thinking that it just needs to find the right market, and then start to wonder if it's just short of good enough. >.< I'm sure you guys understand!

madgirl said:

Personal from Asimov's. Sheila said it was "cute." Second please-send-more I've gotten from them lately.

I used to get pumped about almosts from really good markets, but at this point it's just really frustrating because it's almost after almost. I start off optimistic thinking that it just needs to find the right market, and then start to wonder if it's just short of good enough. >.< I'm sure you guys understand!

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Sorry Madgirl. I've had some stories like that.

As for the rejections, I definitely prefer personal. Actually, I'd prefer "you just missed the cut", like the one I got from Allegory earlier this year or that one time I made the second round at DSF. Those are a big confidence boost. Really, I don't think I've ever gotten a bad personal.

madgirl - that's something I TOTALLY understand. Where at first I think it's 'just not the right editor' then I get the same 'sooo close, but no' from multiple editors and wonder what spark the story is missing.

I have such a huge fear of failure that I almost never submit anything. I'd say I'm not cut out to be a writer, except for that whole thing where I need to be a writer. This thread helps, because I get to see that part of being a published writer is taking your lumps and getting rejected a few times. (For most people)

Anyways, 12-hour form from UFO today. Surprisingly, I feel good. I think it's because I did what I'm supposed to: wrote a story as well as I could and submitted it. Not once did I go into a rage and try to delete the whole bleeping thing from my hard drive, or from my head via alcohol or home lobotomy. I actually like the story enough I might try a couple less competitive markets with it.

Think I'm making progress.

Justin SR said:

getting rejected a few times. (For most people)

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"getting rejected many, many times. (For all people)"

Fixed that for you hahaha.

You are definitely making progress! Honestly just having that realization is great progress - that just because you get a rejection doesn't mean it's not good. Many successful writers wear their rejection counts like a badge of honor. (One of my most successful friends has over 1000.)

Justin SR said:

I have such a huge fear of failure that I almost never submit anything. I'd say I'm not cut out to be a writer, except for that whole thing where I need to be a writer. This thread helps, because I get to see that part of being a published writer is taking your lumps and getting rejected a few times. (For most people)

Anyways, 12-hour form from UFO today. Surprisingly, I feel good. I think it's because I did what I'm supposed to: wrote a story as well as I could and submitted it. Not once did I go into a rage and try to delete the whole bleeping thing from my hard drive, or from my head via alcohol or home lobotomy. I actually like the story enough I might try a couple less competitive markets with it.

Think I'm making progress.

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Definitely resubmit it. I won't say it doesn't hurt when you get a rejection for a story you believe it, but the key thing to do is just move on. It sounds like you're working toward that, and that's fantastic. A lot of writers never cross that line. Submitting it again and again puts you in the top 3-5% of all writers, since most won't even make it to that point.

(Please note, most percentages issued out on the internet without attribution are made up. Mine is based on something else, but is about as scientific as if I had pulled out out of...well...some body part or another.)

I do have a story I only submitted, I think, to one or two places, and I was thinking of sending it out again-- but, of course, the internet is down at my apartment. Sigh.

Justin SR said:

I have such a huge fear of failure that I almost never submit anything. I'd say I'm not cut out to be a writer, except for that whole thing where I need to be a writer. This thread helps, because I get to see that part of being a published writer is taking your lumps and getting rejected a few times. (For most people)

Anyways, 12-hour form from UFO today. Surprisingly, I feel good. I think it's because I did what I'm supposed to: wrote a story as well as I could and submitted it. Not once did I go into a rage and try to delete the whole bleeping thing from my hard drive, or from my head via alcohol or home lobotomy. I actually like the story enough I might try a couple less competitive markets with it.

Think I'm making progress.

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Congratulations, Justin. Definitely progress.

Please excuse the following rant - but I'm passionate about this.

I think many of us are conditioned into a fear of failing, and this holds us back in life. Doesn't matter if it's writing or anything else. Getting over that fear, refusing to feel ashamed, is so vital to a life we are happy with!

If we don't fail, we haven't tried. I read about a woman whose father used to ask her every day, 'how many times have you failed today?" Rather than praising her only when she succeeded, he praised her for failure that showed she'd tried. So she was never afraid to try new things.

Failure just shows you're willing to risk trying, and you've got a far better shot at success than someone who does not.

EDIT: I love how in weight training, you train to failure. If you don't, you don't improve. I think writing is the same. (Off to lift some weights right now!)

I guess the thing with writing is that, if you get rejected, what have you really lost? I do not think any of us, or at least a huge majority of us, make a living off of writing and submitting to these short story publications. By submitting, so, somebody didn't like your story. Big deal. You've still got your friends and your family and your work. It's not actually much of a risk to fail at something like this. I mean, I've never heard of people submitting to these magazines and being told "please don't ever write to us again" because of poor quality writing. Just keep going. Have at.

Fihr's lovely rant reminded me of a great Ted talk I saw a few years ago by Kathryn Schulz. Please enjoy if you haven't seen it before: On being wrong.

Twofer day!

9 day form from Shimmer, 21 day from Asimov's. Two different stories, both back out.

Thank you for all the support. Of course I know intellectually that success comes in steps and you have to take them, sometimes it's just hard to get past yourself on the way.

I'm not going anywhere, so I'll just have to conquer any fear of failure I have.

Thanks again.

Tom, you only haven't had a more personal one yet. Not sure how many subs I did back when before detailed personal ones started coming, only that it took some time.

Madgirl -- Yeah, I had my stuck-at-almost time lately. You are not alone. Encouraging from Asimov's. Yeah, an acceptance would be a lot better, I know. Keep at it.

Justin -- Good going. Getting in the habit of sending the work out helps. I always pick the next markets ahead -- I keep a running list for each story in my fiction plan, running from the top down of the places that are the best fit. That way there's no lost time when a story comes back. You've made huge progress already. I have major rejection-aversion, so I can relate.

Fihr -- Good one.

Alex -- <snip> "in most cases a personal rejection means the story has gotten a little bit further in the process." Yes. That's why I find them so heartening.

Batspan said:

Tom, you only haven't had a more personal one yet. Not sure how many subs I did back when before detailed personal ones started coming, only that it took some time.

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True, but I "live in the now, man!"

Seriously, theoretically, I may never get a personal. Might just be forms or sales. As long as I get some sales, I'm good

Drabblecast is still going? I thought they shut down in like August 2013.