Five Minute Rant

[Ishmael]

Hello Alice. Welcome to the Forum.

I think the general rule is, if you don't have high hopes for a story you wouldn't be submitting it. I have just pulled three consecutive forms with a story that cost a lot of hard labour and that I like a lot. All this proves is I sent it to the wrong place three times. Probably I couldn't send it to the right place because they have one of my stories already. So in due course the story will arrive at the right place, where its superb qualities will be properly appreciated. At which point everybody else will wish they'd published it.

And I'm sure your story is the same.

[amoskalik]

It may be wishful thinking on my part, but I like to imagine that rejections, while disappointing, still have positive value, especially for those of us starting out.

How is that? Well, if you have zero name recognition and zero sales you have to get your foot in the door somehow. If publishers are looking for the next great writer and want to be able to say the equivalent of "I published Stephen King's first story." then they have to take a chance on somebody. But who? Should they go completely by the quality of the writing? Perhaps not, because what if that writer ever only produces that one story. No, they need to see quality AND quantity.

So when I get that form rejection that says, please send us your next story, I take it at face value. They didn't buy that story, but perhaps after they've seen the fifth or tenth one, they'll think, "Hey, this guy's here to stay."

Or maybe they don't remember any of them .. who can say for sure. But I prefer to think that each rejection is opening another door just a little bit more. And if that is the case, then it is better not to send a story to the place you know will publish it right away (OK, that place doesn't exist, but you get the point). Instead, let it do some work first racking up some R's at the places you really want to get published someday.

[E.CaimanSands]

I had high hopes for this story, I even [dare I say it] liked the voice - somewhat experimental [almost run-on sentence train of thought], but readable. It might have not fit Strange Horizons since it's a kind of retelling, but, damn, I thought I'd at least get a comment, at least get through to the second round or something. But, I woke up to a form. A simple form, and since a different story is being held at a different market, this SH rejection felt like I was leveling-down instead of up.
Oh, well. I'll just send it elsewhere.

I wouldn't worry too much, Alice. I've had personal rejections or near misses from most of the top SFWA qualifying markets apart from a handful who stubbornly form reject me every time despite the fact I write everything from literary hard sf to humorous fantasy. One of those puzzling markets is Strange Horizons. I've sent them everything! But never, not once, have I received the merest whiff of interest. Clearly I just don't write what they want. I might well stop sending them stories as it seems like wasted time and effort.

[AliceBrook]

Thanks, Ishmael and E.CaimanSands
I'm so glad I found this forum, finally a place to vent to people who actually understand what I'm talking about! Blank stares and "oh, that's nice"s don't...well, they don't do anything.
I might give up on Strange Horizons too - at this point, I have no clue what they want and their rejections exhaust me.

[Brydar]

Thanks, Ishmael and E.CaimanSands
I'm so glad I found this forum, finally a place to vent to people who actually understand what I'm talking about! Blank stares and "oh, that's nice"s don't...well, they don't do anything.
I might give up on Strange Horizons too - at this point, I have no clue what they want and their rejections exhaust me.

Since tastes vary with people, we have to all remember that judges, editors, and publishers are people as well. You are bound to find those who think what you have written is a waste of paper and others who believe you will be the next JRR Tolkein or Issac Asimov. I typically go with the three strikes rule in life but I obviously do not apply the same rule to trying to become a published author due to varying tastes and interests. I am sure being as prolific a writer as it seems you are (reading between the lines) that you will succeed so long as you remain tenacious and do not focus on one rejection or even multiple rejections.

[bobsandiego]

I've got to vent so everyone can skip this if they wish....

So March 2 the reader and co-owner of the literary agency when I sent my book passed the full manuscript on to his agents with a recommendation that that rep me and the book. However the final call rests in their hands.
Weeks of tension passed. I worked on short stories. I worked and produced a new entry for the contest. I sat on panels at local cons. I tried to live my life ignoring the sword hanging over my head.
Yesterday I got an email from the agency -- requesting a synopsis.
?? They have the entire book why do they have to have a synopsis?
More than any other communications and quite mysteriously this sent all apprehension into overdrive. My heart started racing....
I spent about 4 hours tweeting the synopsis I had on hand.
This morning my wife is proofing it.
... and 24 hours later my heart is literally still racing. My adrenal gland has declared open rebellion.
I can't sleep.
I'm stressed.
(scream)

my tension goes on -- the rant will stop here though.

[Ishmael]

They have the entire book why do they have to have a synopsis?

Because they have several readers specialising in different sub-genres and they don't know which one to give it to. Relax. We all know your stuff is good!

[bobsandiego]

They have the entire book why do they have to have a synopsis?

Because they have several readers specialising in different sub-genres and they don't know which one to give it to. Relax. We all know your stuff is good!

Thank you for you kind words.
I added to my anxiety levels by going to the dentist. see I'm bright.
The Synopsis is off and running, now I think I'll play lots of Call of Duty MW 3 while I wait....

[LDWriter2]

Thank you for you kind words.
I added to my anxiety levels by going to the dentist. see I'm bright.
The Synopsis is off and running, now I think I'll play lots of Call of Duty MW 3 while I wait....

First of all agree with Ishmael about you writing that is. My feelings would be the same for a synopses like that or worse since I hate doing them. But two things. Most editors and agents want one anyway; two, Dean Wesley Smith showed us how to do one that was easy. If I could find my notes I wouldn't worry about it.


But second your anxiety with the dentist: that would depend on what they will be doing an dhow many bad experiences you have had with the dentist. My anxiety levels usually aren't that high for a check up.


As to the game you play. Try Bloodborne from what I hear your anxiety--and frustration--levels will be so high you were be thinking of that synopses or the book at all.

[bobsandiego]

Thank you for you kind words.
I added to my anxiety levels by going to the dentist. see I'm bright.
The Synopsis is off and running, now I think I'll play lots of Call of Duty MW 3 while I wait....

First of all agree with Ishmael about you writing that is. My feelings would be the same for a synopses like that or worse since I hate doing them. But two things. Most editors and agents want one anyway; two, Dean Wesley Smith showed us how to do one that was easy. If I could find my notes I wouldn't worry about it.


But second your anxiety with the dentist: that would depend on what they will be doing an dhow many bad experiences you have had with the dentist. My anxiety levels usually aren't that high for a check up.



As to the game you play. Try Bloodborne from what I hear your anxiety--and frustration--levels will be so high you were be thinking of that synopses or the book at all.

Today the dental visit was cleaning and planning the next phase. (I have lots of work to be done. Seems when I was picking out jawbones I got the wrong size.)
CoD works best for my as a stress reducer. I can play it for 20 min, get beaten horribly, but still have fun.
To make my evening totally weird thought my wife and I finished watching Mulholland Drive tonight...
umm what's this film about?

[Ishmael]

CoD works best for my as a stress reducer. I can play it for 20 min, get beaten horribly, but still have fun.

I play chess against my computer. And cheat. And more often than not I still lose!

[bobsandiego]

CoD works best for my as a stress reducer. I can play it for 20 min, get beaten horribly, but still have fun.

I play chess against my computer. And cheat. And more often than not I still lose!

I play chess, but I am a poor to very mediocre player.
FPS games are better for stress relief.

[Muri McCage]

This rant is at myself and Murphy's Law. I joined the forum to finally take part after lurking for ages because of an impossible internet connection, but have been reduced by Murphy's Law to all but lurking still as a member. I've been sick twice, adding up to five weeks total, since I joined. There's been car trouble, heating trouble (x2), ice storms (x2) that
caused roof leaks, and writing trouble that's almost humorous. My new fantasy novella finally finished itself to my satisfaction, only to become a proofreading quagmire...because I forgot to run spell check first! Forget one little thing.... No matter what intentions I start out with, things uncontrollable and uncontrolled get in the way. I can't fight Murphy's Law, but I can reboot my intentions and at least remind myself that spell check is there to zap typo storms as the proofreading begins. Grrr. And arrgh.

[Ishmael]

Expand this post and you have a heroine, try / fail cycles, ineluctable fate and a winning story!

[Muri McCage]

Somehow, I'm not at all surprised that I've become my own try/fail cycles!

[preston]

FROM THE EDITOR:
This is a perfectly good story, but it doesn't quite have the feel I want for [redacted.] Try it on another market.

So close I could smell it!

[LDWriter2]

Somehow, I'm not at all surprised that I've become my own try/fail cycles!

Know the feeling.



But at the same time I need to send out more stories so I can come here and rant.

[Ishmael]

FROM THE EDITOR:
This is a perfectly good story, but it doesn't quite have the feel I want for [redacted.] Try it on another market.

So close I could smell it!

Hah! How about:
It’s quite compelling—and your voice is richly present and self-assured—but doesn’t resonate with the tone of our magazine. We’re mostly publishing ....

[amoskalik]

I just had my first four rejection day. A perverse part of me wants to try to top that ...

[Martin L. Shoemaker]

FROM THE EDITOR:
This is a perfectly good story, but it doesn't quite have the feel I want for [redacted.] Try it on another market.

So close I could smell it!

Hah! How about:
It’s quite compelling—and your voice is richly present and self-assured—but doesn’t resonate with the tone of our magazine. We’re mostly publishing ....

Or (paraphrased), "Yeah, we know, that's exactly what we ask for; but we don't have enough readers, so we're trying to broaden our range, and we've published too many like this."

(It failed, by the way. They're closed now.)

[Elen Tel'Ithil]

I just had my first four rejection day. A perverse part of me wants to try to top that ...

::grin:: Go for it!!

[george nik.]

FROM THE EDITOR:
This is a perfectly good story, but it doesn't quite have the feel I want for [redacted.] Try it on another market.

So close I could smell it!

Sorry to have to break the news, Preston, but that's actually a form rejection. I had the exact same email (three times so far.) First time I'd also thought it was a personal.

[george nik.]

I just had my first four rejection day. A perverse part of me wants to try to top that ...

I've had four in a day. And nine in a week. I wouldn't mind twenty rejections in a day, if they were sprinkled with a few acceptances.

[preston]

FROM THE EDITOR:
This is a perfectly good story, but it doesn't quite have the feel I want for [redacted.] Try it on another market.

So close I could smell it!

Sorry to have to break the news, Preston, but that's actually a form rejection. I had the exact same email (three times so far.) First time I'd also thought it was a personal.

Yes, another forumite has so informed me.

[bobsandiego]

Allow me a small rant not connected to the contest.
I hate waiting!!
This is an industry in which there is a lot of waiting and I know that going in, but I hate the waiting.
Current stressor on that front is my potential agent.

Nov 2014 request for full from one of the agency's owners.. (yay!)
Dec 19 requested revisions
Feb 24 submitted revisions. (would have been quicker but Oct thru jan is the busy period at the day job when we all pull down lots of OT working 6 days a week)
March 2 informed revised manuscript had been passed to agency with recommendation for serious consideration. (more yay!)
March 30 request for Synopsis -- irrationally induced panic. Synopsis sent.
April 3 informed should have feedback within a week...
May 11 informed senior agent is reviewing that very day...

I'm checking my email like every twenty minutes during the day and I am going to go full tilt buggy soon.
It all looks so good, and until there's a real answer the dreaded R is always the possibility.

end of rant

[Ishmael]

Form rejection from TGDSB in less than 30 minutes. Considering TGD published me in February, I am underwhelmed. Did anyone read my story? I suspect the somewhat old fashioned language of the first paragraph may have put off a reader before he / she got far enough to realise the narrator died a few millennia ago.

[LDWriter2]

Allow me a small rant not connected to the contest.
I hate waiting!!
This is an industry in which there is a lot of waiting and I know that going in, but I hate the waiting.
Current stressor on that front is my potential agent.

Nov 2014 request for full from one of the agency's owners.. (yay!)
Dec 19 requested revisions
Feb 24 submitted revisions. (would have been quicker but Oct thru jan is the busy period at the day job when we all pull down lots of OT working 6 days a week)
March 2 informed revised manuscript had been passed to agency with recommendation for serious consideration. (more yay!)
March 30 request for Synopsis -- irrationally induced panic. Synopsis sent.
April 3 informed should have feedback within a week...
May 11 informed senior agent is reviewing that very day...

I'm checking my email like every twenty minutes during the day and I am going to go full tilt buggy soon.
It all looks so good, and until there's a real answer the dreaded R is always the possibility.

end of rant

Actually this rant is relevant to this contest--we have to wait here too. Some who get beyond the first level have to wait for months. Which I haven't with Dave yet.


But this thread is for more than the contest anyway.

[LDWriter2]

FROM THE EDITOR:
This is a perfectly good story, but it doesn't quite have the feel I want for [redacted.] Try it on another market.

So close I could smell it!

Sorry to have to break the news, Preston, but that's actually a form rejection. I had the exact same email (three times so far.) First time I'd also thought it was a personal.

Yes, another forumite has so informed me.

I know the feeling. Not sure if I have received that one but there has been two others that I thought meant I at least got closer if not vey close but I got the same exact wording twice more. Which means the rejections are the usual fare for me.

[LDWriter2]

Form rejection from TGDSB in less than 30 minutes. Considering TGD published me in February, I am underwhelmed. Did anyone read my story? I suspect the somewhat old fashioned language of the first paragraph may have put off a reader before he / she got far enough to realise the narrator died a few millennia ago.

Too many letters. Which one is that? I probably know it but....

[amoskalik]

Form rejection from TGDSB in less than 30 minutes. Considering TGD published me in February, I am underwhelmed. Did anyone read my story? I suspect the somewhat old fashioned language of the first paragraph may have put off a reader before he / she got far enough to realise the narrator died a few millennia ago.

Too many letters. Which one is that? I probably know it but....

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