Analog Submissions

[ThomasKCarpenter]

Preston,
That’s great to hear. If you’re going to be a cautionary story, this is the way you want it to turn out (i.e. not the one where Nick T insults all of speculative fiction royalty at the LA workshop).

Nick

Hehe. Did you?

[klaatu]

It could also be a cautionary tale to editors.

Sometimes an extra word in a personalised rejection might make all the difference....


Steve

[E.CaimanSands]

Wow, that's awesome, Preston. And a fascinating tale too. So editors do really notice us sometimes.

[Rebecca Birch]

That's amazing Preston. Even I have heard the Topanga Canyon story at one of the conventions I went to (can't remember which one). You're famous! And you're back!

[Martin L. Shoemaker]

I'll bet a whole bunch of Q2 fantasy league teams are being revised right now to put Preston at the top!

[gower21]

Topanga Canyon Revealed! So awesome that you are him Preston! He is you!!! This feels like an even more special place now.

[tkunit]

Wow.



This thread is truly inspiring. Thanks for sharing.

[preston]

Thanks guys! Yeah, I feel like I have a secret identity that even I didn't know about! All is good, though. Heck, my story inspired Brad Torgerson! That's kind of nifty. And I tell you, Dean Wesley Smith seemed more than a little surprised to hear from me. But he did remember me. Now, let's see if Mr. Stanley Schmidt remembers my name, right? This is so much fun!
Preston Dennett
(HM x 2)

[ThomasKCarpenter]

Thanks guys! Yeah, I feel like I have a secret identity that even I didn't know about! All is good, though. Heck, my story inspired Brad Torgerson! That's kind of nifty. And I tell you, Dean Wesley Smith seemed more than a little surprised to hear from me. But he did remember me. Now, let's see if Mr. Stanley Schmidt remembers my name, right? This is so much fun!
Preston Dennett
(HM x 2)

Honestly, the "Topanga Canyon" cautionary tale inspired me as well. The moral of Dean's story was "don't give up" and "the editors are rooting for you" and after I heard it, I really took it to heart. Every time I send a story to a market, I always imagine a little "level up" bar creeping towards the sale mark and knowing how close I could be at any moment, I've always been prepared to keep going, no matter how bleak it gets.

The nice thing is to hear that you haven't given up (you only took a break from this market) because it was always a little heartbreaking to hear how close you'd gotten. So I'm glad you're back, and honestly, it's a little surreal that the whole story came full circle.

[preston]

So surreal! That says it all. Thanks Thomas. I'll meet you at the awards, eh? You can have first place if you want. I'll take second! Third's still available, anybody?
Preston Dennett
(HM x 2)

[katsincommand]

If you're passing on first, I'll take it. Hee.

Going to be interesting how DWS retells the tale now...

[s_c_baker]

Preston,
That’s great to hear. If you’re going to be a cautionary story, this is the way you want it to turn out (i.e. not the one where Nick T insults all of speculative fiction royalty at the LA workshop).

Nick

That sounds like a pretty good cautionary story, too. (And I'm sure it wasn't *that* bad.)

[dantzel]

I feel like I was witnessed a piece of history here.

Thanks for identifying yourself, Preston. And way to go for being awesome enough to get noticed in the first place, then pick back up and get back in the game!

[Brad R. Torgersen]

OH MY HECK, TOPANGA CANYON LIVES!

[Brad R. Torgersen]

Seriously, Preston, you have no idea how quasi-legendary TOPANGA CANYON has become, thanks to Kris and Dean and some of the other editors from back in the day. Topanga Canyon is like Gordon Lightfoot's balladeering of the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald. A tragic story, and an inspiring story, to motivate and regale; about that mystery writer from a place with a unique name. The career that could have been...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9A4HRzHz5Y

(to the tune of "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald")

Topanga Canyon they say never did see the day,
When his manuscripts routinely saw printing.
He was close doncha know,
But it's a hard row to hoe,
And one day his stories stopped comin'!

Topanga it's said could have made a lot of bread,
If his stories he'd just kept a-sendin'.
All the editors talked,
Of the new talent that walked,
From that place in So-Californee!

He was gone without trace, that fresh new face,
A writer's career seemed abandoned.
Kris and Dean told the tale,
Did repeat and regale,
To those of us come for learnin'!

Keep your shoulder to the wheel, never make the Devil's deal,
Yah can't be an author through wishin'.
Topanga, we were told,
Was that example so cold,
Of a talent lost through attrition!

But nobody guessed he'd come back to the test,
The man whose name'd become legend.
Topanga Canyon lives on,
And for him a new dawn,
And now we know his name's Preston!

The lesson seems clear, never fret never fear,
It's never too late to keep dreamin'.
Of tall stories well told,
and great songs o' so bold,
For a true writer it's always tomorrow!

[LDWriter2]

If you're passing on first, I'll take it. Hee.

Going to be interesting how DWS retells the tale now...

So in that case.....



Who's on First???

[Strycher]

Who's on First???

Naturally.

[Rebecca Birch]

Who's on First???

Naturally.

I love you people.

[preston]

I feel like I was witnessed a piece of history here.

Thanks for identifying yourself, Preston. And way to go for being awesome enough to get noticed in the first place, then pick back up and get back in the game!

Thanks Dantzel. Yeah, I'm heading down that boulevard of broken dreams, lost hopes, spinning wheels and brick walls...and I couldn't be happier.
Preston Dennett
(HM x 2)

[preston]

Seriously, Preston, you have no idea how quasi-legendary TOPANGA CANYON has become, thanks to Kris and Dean and some of the other editors from back in the day. Topanga Canyon is like Gordon Lightfoot's balladeering of the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald. A tragic story, and an inspiring story, to motivate and regale; about that mystery writer from a place with a unique name. The career that could have been...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9A4HRzHz5Y

(to the tune of "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald")

Topanga Canyon they say never did see the day,
When his manuscripts routinely saw printing.
He was close doncha know,
But it's a hard row to hoe,
And one day his stories stopped comin'!

Topanga it's said could have made a lot of bread,
If his stories he'd just kept a-sendin'.
All the editors talked,
Of the new talent that walked,
From that place in So-Californee!

He was gone without trace, that fresh new face,
A writer's career seemed abandoned.
Kris and Dean told the tale,
Did repeat and regale,
To those of us come for learnin'!

Keep your shoulder to the wheel, never make the Devil's deal,
Yah can't be an author through wishin'.
Topanga, we were told,
Was that example so cold,
Of a talent lost through attrition!

But nobody guessed he'd come back to the test,
The man whose name'd become legend.
Topanga Canyon lives on,
And for him a new dawn,
And now we know his name's Preston!

The lesson seems clear, never fret never fear,
It's never too late to keep dreamin'.
Of tall stories well told,
and great songs o' so bold,
For a true writer it's always tomorrow!

Aw Shucks! Now you're making me cry! Thanks Brad. Hope you don't mind if I cut and paste this into my scrapbook. Might be worth something someday.
Preston Dennett
(HM x 2)

[WriteToLive]

Who's on First???

Naturally.

I love you people.

Evil Mike: Wait, what's thw guy's name on first base?

No, What's on second.

Evil Mike: I don't care who's on second.

Who's on first.

Evil Mike: I don't know

Both: Third base.

[LDWriter2]

Evil Mike: Wait, what's thw guy's name on first base?

No, What's on second.

Evil Mike: I don't care who's on second.

Who's on first.

Evil Mike: I don't know

Both: Third base.

Maybe I should change my name to What. I'll take a second place.


Who has been taken it looks like.

[Strycher]

Evil Mike: Wait, what's thw guy's name on first base?

No, What's on second.

Evil Mike: I don't care who's on second.

Who's on first.

Evil Mike: I don't know

Both: Third base.

Maybe I should change my name to What. I'll take a second place.

Ha!

Who has been taken it looks like.

Who has taken it?

[Beez]

Evil Mike: Wait, what's thw guy's name on first base?

No, What's on second.

Evil Mike: I don't care who's on second.

Who's on first.

Evil Mike: I don't know

Both: Third base.

Maybe I should change my name to What. I'll take a second place.

Ha!

Who has been taken it looks like.

Who has taken it?

...naturally?

[sardonsmagic]

60 days, queried.

Response was form?? letter stating my work was still in consideration, to please wait ... that they were making changing in the organization -- which I knew.

180 days total later ... form rejection of 3 poems and one short story. Gotta admit, I thought after they'd held my work for so long, I'd get a personal letter on at least one of them. I think the form response after waiting half a year was more disappointing than the rejection itself! Ah, well ... still trekkin' ... still learning ... on to the next!

[geoedwar]

60 days, queried.

Response was form?? letter stating my work was still in consideration, to please wait ... that they were making changing in the organization -- which I knew.

180 days total later ... form rejection of 3 poems and one short story. Gotta admit, I thought after they'd held my work for so long, I'd get a personal letter on at least one of them. I think the form response after waiting half a year was more disappointing than the rejection itself! Ah, well ... still trekkin' ... still learning ... on to the next!

That stinks. That's a lot of time to wait. I feel your pain (but can't yet empathize).

In any case, I read Trevor Quachri's "On the shoulder of Giants," in which he says that he plans on reading every submitted story himself as Stan Schmidt did. On days I don't work I generally read 2-4 short stories (lately... getting my mind in shape for writing short fiction). I'd estimate he probably gets about 12 submissions a day. That's rough to keep up with. It looks like he's at least 156 days out (according to submission grinder stats). That's a daunting task.

It's funny though... when I finish a short story I always think it's the best thing I've written. When I go back and read it a month later it seems lacking. I submitted one story to Daily Science Fiction about ten days ago and looking back, after reading a million "advice" columns, my beginning really needs work. In some of my stories I don't describe AT ALL the features and details of characters (sometimes the main character). When writing first person I find it hard to naturally insert that stuff.

In any case... I think I'm going to take Katherine Rusch's advice and just move on to new writing with these things in mind rather than endlessly revising. I'll revise, but not not dawdle in the past.

[ThomasKCarpenter]

In any case, I read Trevor Quachri's "On the shoulder of Giants," in which he says that he plans on reading every submitted story himself as Stan Schmidt did. On days I don't work I generally read 2-4 short stories (lately... getting my mind in shape for writing short fiction). I'd estimate he probably gets about 12 submissions a day. That's rough to keep up with. It looks like he's at least 156 days out (according to submission grinder stats). That's a daunting task.

Your estimate is WAY off. Places like Analog receive 1000+ submissions a month. He may "read" every story, but he doesn't finish them. Most of them he rejects within the first few pages, if you're good, he's actually read through your whole story, though probably he's guessed where the ending is going, turned to the last few pages to verify and if you haven't surprised him in a good way he'll reject right there.

[geoedwar]

I was using what I know about Clarkesworld and applying it to Analog. If he get's 1000 plus a month AND he doesn't have a first round of defense he's probably "reading" 30-40 a day. I guess that shows the importance of having a solid beginning. If that's the case, if he gets around 35 a day, and he's 156 days from the end of the queue, he has a pile of over 5,000 stories right now.

Tor.com is rejecting stories 50-60 days out (as is Asimov's). I guess it's time to send my best work there (or to Lightspeed when they open for submissions).

[s_c_baker]

The big magazines definitely have slush readers. You'd go crazy otherwise!

[LDWriter2]

Okay, finally got around to seeing how long they still take.

Sent out a story to them tonight.

While I was at it I sent one to Asimov's, BCS and my 300 word story to Daily SF.

Wednesday I might be sending one to F&SF but I already know how long they take.

This was my first one specifically sent to the new guy. It looks like he read the last one to Schmidt even though as I recall Schmidt had at least six weeks to read that one.