Five Minute Rant

[Strycher]

My story at IGMS is at 51 days. Over the last 50 days, responses to submissions on Duotrope keep popping up for stories that were submitted one day before I submitted my story.

They're just screwing with me.

[LDWriter2]

My story at IGMS is at 51 days. Over the last 50 days, responses to submissions on Duotrope keep popping up for stories that were submitted one day before I submitted my story.

They're just screwing with me.

Mine has been there a while. It always is but I'm not sure if it's usually that long though.

[Strycher]

Mine has been there a while. It always is but I'm not sure if it's usually that long though.

More Ranting:

IGMS has this weird fasttrack submission option--where if you've been to the Orson Scott Card Boot Camp Workshop, you go into a different queue and your story is read faster. Most rejections on Duotrope are in the 32-36 day ball park, but occasionally there's a response at 5-9 days. The short responses are likely coming from the special queue.

So, there being responses to submissions one day older than my submissions that were sent before my submission pasted the 40-day mark didn't bother me so much. Now, I'm like:

"Gawd, why is there a rewrite request for a story submitted the day before mine? I know someone's read it by now--just send me the rejection so I can get on with my life."

I don't like the hope-if-you-dare limbo. Rejection letters? No problem. The faster the better. But they don't have a confirmation system, so now I don' know if my story is in the second round or lost in the internet ether. Which is why I don't submit to TOR.com despite the amazing pay-rate/prestige.

[LDWriter2]

Mine has been there a while. It always is but I'm not sure if it's usually that long though.

More Ranting:

IGMS has this weird fasttrack submission option--where if you've been to the Orson Scott Card Boot Camp Workshop, you go into a different queue and your story is read faster. Most rejections on Duotrope are in the 32-36 day ball park, but occasionally there's a response at 5-9 days. The short responses are likely coming from the special queue.

So, there being responses to submissions one day older than my submissions that were sent before my submission pasted the 40-day mark didn't bother me so much. Now, I'm like:

"Gawd, why is there a rewrite request for a story submitted the day before mine? I know someone's read it by now--just send me the rejection so I can get on with my life."

I don't like the hope-if-you-dare limbo. Rejection letters? No problem. The faster the better. But they don't have a confirmation system, so now I don' know if my story is in the second round or lost in the internet ether. Which is why I don't submit to TOR.com despite the amazing pay-rate/prestige.

Feel the same way about them taking so long...how long does it take to read 13 lines anyway? So far it's only about 27 days this time. So I probably have another month to wait at least.

But should be hearing from OnThePremises mini contest soon. 50 words. And I have a longer version that takes about 200 words.

But I don't send anything to Tor because evidently they are more picky than even the usual pro markets. If the pros and semi-pros don't like my writing Tor won't.

[Strycher]

If the pros and semi-pros don't like my writing Tor won't.

I have to disagree here. You never know what an editor wants.

[dantzel]

If the pros and semi-pros don't like my writing Tor won't.

I have to disagree here. You never know what an editor wants.

I agree with Strycher. Ken Liu said the same thing a week or two before WorldCon, and this is the guy that's making sales left and right lately.

[LDWriter2]

I know what all editors want: well written stories.



But speaking of taking their time BCS seems to be taking longer than usual this time. Hopefully it's for a good reason but I've said that before and it never is.

BCS is another one that takes a while. Medium level I believe.


Zoetroupe is another one, it's been a while.

Maybe Crossed Genres but since I haven't sent anything to them before I don't know how long they usually take. But so far it's been longer than around half the markets.

[dantzel]

You can always check out Duotrope to see estimates for when yours might come in.

I'm using Duotrope badly this week - and after months of being so good! But I have a flash at Shimmer that's at 20 days... And few to none of the recent responses have hit 20 days. Time to get the bat out and beat my hope into a bloody pulp... Teach it a lesson...

[LDWriter2]

You can always check out Duotrope to see estimates for when yours might come in.

I'm using Duotrope badly this week - and after months of being so good! But I have a flash at Shimmer that's at 20 days... And few to none of the recent responses have hit 20 days. Time to get the bat out and beat my hope into a bloody pulp... Teach it a lesson...

I have the same problem, evil thing keeps raising its head when some market takes longer than usual. It grows the longer it takes until it gets deflated by one pen.


Oh, BCS isn't taking longer than usual after all...and their comments were shorter than usual.

[dantzel]

So I came into work this morning and the owner told me that she's terminating another instructor's contract, so I need to take over her Tuesday 6AM class, plus a noon MW class. She wants me to make it my own, but it's still more of a personal training group class- not Pilates, not yoga, not any type of the dance classes I teach. And I teach until 9:30PM on Mondays at another studio, AND I already have classes and office hours scheduled from 8:15AM until 8:30PM on Tuesdays. Even if I take a couple hours off in the middle of the day, they'll be wasted. So now I'll totally be exhausted Monday AND Tuesday. Sweet.

Shoot me. Shoot me. Shoot me now.

[AMcCarter]

So I came into work this morning and the owner told me that she's terminating another instructor's contract, so I need to take over her Tuesday 6AM class, plus a noon MW class. She wants me to make it my own, but it's still more of a personal training group class- not Pilates, not yoga, not any type of the dance classes I teach. And I teach until 9:30PM on Mondays at another studio, AND I already have classes and office hours scheduled from 8:15AM until 8:30PM on Tuesdays. Even if I take a couple hours off in the middle of the day, they'll be wasted. So now I'll totally be exhausted Monday AND Tuesday. Sweet.

Shoot me. Shoot me. Shoot me now.

BANG!

[E.CaimanSands]

So I came into work this morning and the owner told me that she's terminating another instructor's contract, so I need to take over her Tuesday 6AM class, plus a noon MW class. She wants me to make it my own, but it's still more of a personal training group class- not Pilates, not yoga, not any type of the dance classes I teach. And I teach until 9:30PM on Mondays at another studio, AND I already have classes and office hours scheduled from 8:15AM until 8:30PM on Tuesdays. Even if I take a couple hours off in the middle of the day, they'll be wasted. So now I'll totally be exhausted Monday AND Tuesday. Sweet.

Shoot me. Shoot me. Shoot me now.

CHOMP?

Gator dear, no...

[katsincommand]

This is what happened to me when my new boss took over a few years ago, but the changes were more corporate projects and all office work, but work that I was now required to TAKE HOME WITH ME. Which meant, giving up writing time to do the day job. It sucked for about a year to a year and a half. My writing became "quality" time instead of "quantity". I had to make what I worked on count. Exhaustion can be dealt with. You actually get used to it.

I've been able to turn away some new work people have wanted to pass to me, but because I did a fantastic job for my boss and she now knows how spectacular I can be - but I've told her where my line is. "I was able to focus on X because I deprioritized Y. It isn't where it needs to be - and I'm working on it next, but for future planning, I can't overload the projects again". I earned her respect and she was willing to listen.

I don't know if any of this helps you, but sometimes sucky things happen and we just have to make the best. Things change all the time. On the other side of the coin, at least you still have a job. Some don't. I'm of the opinion it's better to h ave a rough time at work than no work at all.

You're smart and tough and you speak well. Make your plan of attack and carry it out with a big freakin smile on your face.

And, hugs, because this does stink.

[Kevin Ikenberry]

Ugh. 239 days waiting for Tor and my HM from last year gets rejected again with a "Thanks for your patience."

I'm not going to waste my time with them until all other markets have been tried and exhausted.

Looks like I'll be working to publish it outside of the pro markets after a couple of almosts. Oh well.

[Alex Kane]

Answered the first phone call of the day at work, on the first ring, and some deranged Ukrainian-American tooth-and-gum doctor begins shouting about some twenty-dollar charge on he and his daughter's joint checking account. "She's under psychiatric care right now," he says. "I want details about this charge!"

I tell him, "Hey, it's your daughter's debit card, sir. Privacy laws oblige me to speak only to her regarding the debit card. Sorry."

His wife snatches the phone out of his hand. "Listen, seriously? Are we going to have to drive all the way down there, and find out what the hell's going on?"

"You'll have to ask your daughter for any details regarding the transaction she authorized, I'm sorry."

The husband, Doctor Tooth-and-Gums, takes back the phone: "My daughter is in no place--has no emotional capacity--to process this sort of information right now. Am I going to have to call the police?"

"No, sir, you'll have to call your daughter . . ."

[Dustin Adams]

Oh my GOD - I sooooo miss my customer service days.




Not.

[LDWriter2]

I was kinda hoping for some so long comment from Schmidt--I have no idea if he would do anything like that-but since I haven't received anything back yet I assume he didn't read the last story I sent in.


So instead of the last Schmidt buy maybe it will be one of the new guy's first buys.



Well, that would be nice if it happened.

[Martin L. Shoemaker]

I was kinda hoping for some so long comment from Schmidt--I have no idea if he would do anything like that-but since I haven't received anything back yet I assume he didn't read the last story I sent in.


So instead of the last Schmidt buy maybe it will be one of the new guy's first buys.



Well, that would be nice if it happened.

Yep, there's a new sheriff in town now. Stan warned Trevor he was leaving a larger than usual backlog, so expect some adjustment period.

[LDWriter2]

Yep, there's a new sheriff in town now. Stan warned Trevor he was leaving a larger than usual backlog, so expect some adjustment period.

Be nice if he said a liked it and that Stan told him about me.

Never said it but I wondered if Stan would send a personal note because after at least five years of reading my stuff I assume that, even if he only read the first 13 of the vast majority of my stories, he would know my name and would be kinda used to seeing it. oh well.

[LDWriter2]

But speaking of rants. This was the second maybe third time I received the IGMS rejection very close to one month after I sent it in. This time either on the nose or half a week over. They have speeded up.



Same old wording of course. Be nice if there was something different at least but that's a bit much to expect.

[Nick_T]

IGMS has this weird fasttrack submission option--where if you've been to the Orson Scott Card Boot Camp Workshop, you go into a different queue and your story is read faster. Most rejections on Duotrope are in the 32-36 day ball park, but occasionally there's a response at 5-9 days. The short responses are likely coming from the special queue.

LD,

That's not quite true as far as I know. My understanding was that the Bootcamp (or codex membership) means you skip the first round (the general slush, where I believe the quicker decisions tend to be made). Once you're in the second round, whether through being passed on or skipping the first round, things tend to move slower. You can still get a form rejection though. My understanding is from listening to Eric James Stone while being ridiculously tired and having a few beers, so take it with a grain of salt.

Nick

[greenroom]

IGMS has this weird fasttrack submission option--where if you've been to the Orson Scott Card Boot Camp Workshop, you go into a different queue and your story is read faster. Most rejections on Duotrope are in the 32-36 day ball park, but occasionally there's a response at 5-9 days. The short responses are likely coming from the special queue.

LD,

That's not quite true as far as I know. My understanding was that the Bootcamp (or codex membership) means you skip the first round (the general slush, where I believe the quicker decisions tend to be made). Once you're in the second round, whether through being passed on or skipping the first round, things tend to move slower. You can still get a form rejection though. My understanding is from listening to Eric James Stone while being ridiculously tired and having a few beers, so take it with a grain of salt.

Nick

If you don't go the bootcamper method (and aren't pulled out of the regular slush pile for some reason -- I've heard that occasionally people that have other pro-publication credits will get pulled out), then you have to pass the first slush reader. That process runs basically like clockwork at between 32-38 or so days, and its pretty easy to track where in that range the responses are coming based on duotrope recent responses. That range has been consistent for at least the last year and half that I've been watching it.

[dantzel]

I'm going to wring my hands here for a moment and declare how much I hate thinking about submissions! Out of all my current subs, I can't stop thinking about the story I have at Shimmer right now, which is going on 28 days now - apparently you usually hear by 21 days for the first read through, and most rejections happen in the first two weeks, according to my extensive Duotropery.

I hate waiting to query, because there's always that small chance that yours went astray somehow and no one actually read it until you queried!

But the 30 days will be here soon, and I can finally make sure they actually got it.

[E.CaimanSands]

Grumble grumble.

1. 11-day form rejection from Strange Horizons on September 18.
2. 12-day form rejection from Strange Horizons on September 18.
3. 20-day form rejection from Strange Horizons on September 18.
4. 0-day form rejection from Strange Horizons on September 17.
5. 15-day form rejection from Strange Horizons on September 15.
6. 15-day form rejection from Strange Horizons on September 15.
7. 15-day form rejection from Strange Horizons on September 15.
8. 16-day form rejection from Strange Horizons on September 15.
9. 18-day acceptance from Strange Horizons on September 15. Congratulations, Anaea Lay! *
10. 11-day form rejection from Strange Horizons on September 14.
11. 12-day form rejection from Strange Horizons on September 14.
12. 12-day form rejection from Strange Horizons on September 14.
13. 13-day form rejection from Strange Horizons on September 14.
14. 14-day rejection from Strange Horizons on September 14.
15. 15-day form rejection from Strange Horizons on September 14.
16. 17-day personal rejection from Strange Horizons on September 14.
17. 17-day form rejection from Strange Horizons on September 14.
18. 17-day form rejection from Strange Horizons on September 13.
19. 17-day form rejection from Strange Horizons on September 13.
20. 17-day personal rejection from Strange Horizons on September 13.
21. 16-day form rejection from Strange Horizons on September 12.
22. 17-day form rejection from Strange Horizons on September 12.
23. 17-day form rejection from Strange Horizons on September 12.
24. 17-day form rejection from Strange Horizons on September 12.
25. 21-day form rejection from Strange Horizons on September 11.
26. 10-day form rejection from Strange Horizons on September 10.
27. 14-day rejection from Strange Horizons on September 10.
28. 15-day form rejection from Strange Horizons on September 10.
29. 15-day form rejection from Strange Horizons on September 10.
30. 16-day acceptance from Strange Horizons on September 10. Congratulations! (outlier)
31. 17-day personal rejection from Strange Horizons on September 10.
32. 17-day personal rejection from Strange Horizons on September 10.
33. 19-day rejection from Strange Horizons on September 10.
34. 11-day form rejection from Strange Horizons on September 9.
35. 11-day form rejection from Strange Horizons on September 8.

Here's what Strange Horizons looks like on Duotrope lately. And I'm number 3 on the list, the 20 day form reject. For a day or two I was at least thinking I might get my first personal from them.

Nevertheless, on checking, my email did come from the senior editors, not the first reader as it's done in the past, so maybe there's some light at the bottom of the well of obscurity.

[Strycher]

I'm going to wring my hands here for a moment and declare how much I hate thinking about submissions! Out of all my current subs, I can't stop thinking about the story I have at Shimmer right now, which is going on 28 days now - apparently you usually hear by 21 days for the first read through, and most rejections happen in the first two weeks, according to my extensive Duotropery.

I hate waiting to query, because there's always that small chance that yours went astray somehow and no one actually read it until you queried!

But the 30 days will be here soon, and I can finally make sure they actually got it.

Good luck! In addition to being awesome, Shimmer pays pro rates now!

I would like to submit something to them, but my stories never seem to come out Shimmery enough.

[dantzel]

I know! My mind may explode if this turns out well.

[Dustin Adams]

I know there's another thread around saying a rejection is a rejection, personal or otherwise, but given the odds my story was probably held in consideration, why not just write an extra line in the e-mail saying so?
I'm the 113 day.

The final reject before the acceptance? The first loser (again)?

2. 116-day acceptance from Abyss & Apex on September 22. Congratulations!
3. 113-day form rejection from Abyss & Apex on September 21.
4. 116-day form rejection from Abyss & Apex on September 21.
5. 116-day form rejection from Abyss & Apex on September 20.
6. 116-day personal rejection from Abyss & Apex on September 20.
7. 116-day personal rejection from Abyss & Apex on September 20.
8. 117-day personal rejection from Abyss & Apex on September 20.
9. 117-day personal rejection from Abyss & Apex on September 20.
12. 134-day personal rejection from Abyss & Apex on September 18.
13. 109-day personal rejection from Abyss & Apex on September 17.
14. 119-day personal rejection from Abyss & Apex on September 17.

[dantzel]

Doh! Sorry to hear it, Dustin

[Kary English]

Commiserations, Dustin. My Apex experience was remarkably similar. My story went wayyy long, then the R came back and Duo showed two other Rs on the same day, both with similar waits and then one acceptance. So you just know they were giving 4 stories a hard look and only picked one.

But hey, you'll get 'em next time!

[E.CaimanSands]

I sympathise. I've still got a story at Abyss right now, at 117 days. No doubt that big fat R is on it's way even as I type. That 116 day acceptance two days ago is making the Gator cranky though!