Discussion: Q4 Volume 35

[KristyEmber]

I’m still waiting ... are many other people still in the same boat?

[preston]

Condolences to those who received an "R." Don't give up! And congrats to all who rcvd an HM or SHM, whether it's your first or your tenth--it's always nice to be mentioned honorably. And for those still ***twitch*** waiting, fingers crossed that there are results yet to go out. Judging from the fact that there are some here who have not reported in and almost twenty on the grinder--and with no peep about semi-finalists and finalists, I'm speculating that the judging is still in progress. Maybe he's done with all the rejections and is now winnowing down his favorites. I sure hope so!

[KristyEmber]

Yes, fingers crossed! Although I take the submissions grinder results with a pinch of salt, because it also claims there are two acceptances, which just isn’t possible at this point in the competition. It all depends on how users are managing their data.

[Beth Powers]

I'm back on the HM train this quarter...not sure where it's headed, but I am on it! Next stop is Don't-Write-Next-Quarter's-Story-On-The-Last-Day (again)

[aidanka]

You definitely should include HMs to your author's bio and market your work. I'm sure it will land you some publications. Don't you think so?

Yes, fingers crossed! Although I take the submissions grinder results with a pinch of salt, because it also claims there are two acceptances, which just isn’t possible at this point in the competition. It all depends on how users are managing their data.

[MiloMinderbinder]

I’m still waiting ... are many other people still in the same boat?

Still waiting here.

[RSchibler]

You definitely should include HMs to your author's bio and market your work. I'm sure it will land you some publications. Don't you think so?

The standing advice around these parts is that an Honorable Mention is essentially still a rejection. It's a good rejection, and shows ability and progress, but it's not a publishing credit. I do not include my HMs in query letters or cover letters. I would only mention the contest if I made Semi-Finalist.

[vsutherland01]

Yeah just look at how long the hm list is when results come out.

[vjalrik]

R for me. On to the next.

[jficke13]

You definitely should include HMs to your author's bio and market your work. I'm sure it will land you some publications. Don't you think so?

The standing advice around these parts is that an Honorable Mention is essentially still a rejection. It's a good rejection, and shows ability and progress, but it's not a publishing credit. I do not include my HMs in query letters or cover letters. I would only mention the contest if I made Semi-Finalist.

I don't think that mentioning bump notices from the markets that provide them (e.g. Fireside) in a query letter makes sense, and I'm not sure that the wider world would feel differently about anything that isn't Published Finalist or 1, 2, or 3 here. In effect, you're pointing out a market that has rejected you.

Besides, barring a set of circumstances that defy reason, the only thing that will get you published is the story you submit. Under no circumstances will a story that doesn't make the cut end up published because of a credit in a cover letter. If you poke around enough you'll see plenty of mentions of very successful people talking about how they get rejected. (IIRC Dan Wells tweeted something like "I'm a NYT Bestseller and I got rejected... 10 times... this year.")

[LDWriter2]

I am totally out. I thought it would not get far because of the type of story it is but I was hoping for a HM. Nothing though, so another failure.

[LDWriter2]

Congrats to those who received HMs, SHMs and higher

[Wulf Moon]

I am totally out. I thought it would not get far because of the type of story it is but I was hoping for a HM. Nothing though, so another failure.

It's never a failure when you send out a story to a market. It's an accomplishment.

Send this one to another market, and go write your next. : )

~Moon~

[Wulf Moon]

"It's awfully quiet around here." He lances a few with a probing Bene Gesserit stare and projects...The Voice.

"Do you have something you wish to share, my child?"

[KristyEmber]

Still nothing but crickets in this corner. Maybe Joni is sick. (or maybe I should chill ac because it is still the weekend in the states.)

[KristyEmber]

Just got my results - semi finalist. I know intellectually it is a great result, but I’m still really disappointed. I was beginning to think I might actually be a finalist.

[Eagerink]

Hi, I'm new here! I got an Honorable Mention this quarter (my second) so thought I'd join.

I have a question - what is the longest word count that usually wins? One of my stories was nearly 17,000, and then I heard that stories that long don't usually win, so I was wondering on average about how long are the longest winning stories? Does anyone know? (Without having to count, ha...)

[vsutherland01]

Just got my results - semi finalist. I know intellectually it is a great result, but I’m still really disappointed. I was beginning to think I might actually be a finalist.

Sorry it's not what you were hoping for. I am sure you will land a finalist spot soon, now that you know you can get a semi. Also don't you get a critique from dave for a semi?

[Wulf Moon]

Just got my results - semi finalist. I know intellectually it is a great result, but I’m still really disappointed. I was beginning to think I might actually be a finalist.

Congratulations, Kristy! Condolences, Kristy!

Yeah, that's what it's like. Happy/sad moment, because we all want this so badly, and many have been working to win this for years. Some, for decades.

So we lick our wounds and go back to focusing on the positive: You placed somewhere within the top 16 stories among what is likely two thousand entries from around the world.

That *is* an accomplishment to be fiercely proud of. And the people here know it. Well done.

Fortune favor the brave,

Moon

[Wulf Moon]

Hi, I'm new here! I got an Honorable Mention this quarter (my second) so thought I'd join.

I have a question - what is the longest word count that usually wins? One of my stories was nearly 17,000, and then I heard that stories that long don't usually win, so I was wondering on average about how long are the longest winning stories? Does anyone know? (Without having to count, ha...)

Congrats on your second HM, Eagerink!

Actually, Dave weighed in on this, and there's a topic further down that addresses your question partially. GOODBYE PUBLISHER'S WORD COUNT.

Stories do get published at 17,000, but it's a lot harder to win at that length. Some of the judges have explained why, including Dave. Too short is not easy to win with either, such as flash, also discussed further down. Dave talks a little about this in the intro to Volume 34, so do take a look at that.

I still say a story should be exactly as long as the story needs to be. And then go back and cut ten percent.

Cheers!

~Moon~

[RSchibler]

Congratulations KristyEmber. That's a great accomplishment. It's hard not to want that shiny shiny finalist, but a semi-finalist is JUST off the mark as I'm sure you know. You'll certainly sell the story elsewhere AND you get a personal critique from Dave. Pretty shiny.

I wonder if that means the finalist notifications have gone out.

[MiloMinderbinder]

Just got my results - semi finalist. I know intellectually it is a great result, but I’m still really disappointed. I was beginning to think I might actually be a finalist.

I felt the same way. I received my semi-finalist email last night.

[Wulf Moon]

Just got my results - semi finalist. I know intellectually it is a great result, but I’m still really disappointed. I was beginning to think I might actually be a finalist.

I felt the same way. I received my semi-finalist email last night.

And dancing conga rats to you as well, MiloMinderbinder! There was an e-card I used to send to our Eugene Professional Writers Workshop (Wordos) members when they had a sale, some, when they won this very contest! It had dancing rats with Chiquita banana hats and grass skirts on in a conga line, and it would dance across the page when they opened it. So cute! So when I say conga rats, I'm referring to this tradition I was known for that made people laugh. For me, it symbolized both respect and my sharing in their joy.

Semifinalist IS something to celebrate. When we hit that, we are in that final pile, and we're forcing Dave to make tough calls that are mostly about personal preference and what he's already picked up from other quarters for the volume. We can't forget, he's not just a judge, he's also an editor, trying to fill out a balanced anthology for the year in totality, choosing stories that will represent several genres and subgenres.

You wrote a good story. Semfinalists have a high probability of selling somewhere else. Just ask some of the people around here.

Never give up! Never surrender!

Believe.

And now, for some reason, I am really hungry for a Philly cheesesteak.

~Moon~

[SCAFontaine]

Just got my results - semi finalist. I know intellectually it is a great result, but I’m still really disappointed. I was beginning to think I might actually be a finalist.

Congrats Kristy, even though it's not what you were hoping for. Either way, it's a really nice stepping stone. And to you too MiloMinderbinder. You got ranked really high amongst so many submissions.

Congrats also to all those who placed and condolences to those in the same band wagon as I. Onto next quarter!

[WiseSerpent]

Got my first Honorable Mention!

[LDWriter2]

It's never a failure when you send out a story to a market. It's an accomplishment.

Send this one to another market, and go write your next. : )

~Moon~

Hmm, second time typing this one out. First never showed.

Anyway, been sending them in too long for me to count sending it in as much. Last quarter I skipped but I think that was the first one for three to four years. I did send this one out before I sent it to WotF. And I will send it out again. Need send out some others too. But history shows that if Dave doesn't get past the first page no one else will either. Of course it is possible he got further than that but I have no reason to think he did, which means a total reject. There have been those here who have gone on to sell Dave rejects and even HMs. I have not. Even ones I have tidied up a bit first.

[GruffbaneJoe]

My fourth HM on this one. Really happy because this was a re-entry that had previously been rejected. I changed the opening, which some said was problematic. Getting the HM confirmed that I fixed it correctly. I didn't expect it to win because the story has grown and I had to give it a truncated ending to fit the word count, but at least I know the first 17000 words are at a publishable level.

[Wulf Moon]

It's gotten awfully quiet in here. Who hasn't reported in yet? We need some detectives. Look for guilty faces. Hunt down those that suddenly go silent, that's a dead giveaway. Bring out the RACK! Make them SQUAWK!

[thegirlintheglasses]

It's gotten awfully quiet in here. Who hasn't reported in yet? We need some detectives. Look for guilty faces. Hunt down those that suddenly go silent, that's a dead giveaway. Bring out the RACK! Make them SQUAWK!

Since you pulled out the rack... Lol. I made FINALIST!!!!
Joni said I could put that on my (once-empty) writing resume!

Thanks for all the encouragement to submit even though I was overdue and having a baby. I feel pretty dang good about that Hail Mary entry! Now... Onto quarter one!!!

[Wulf Moon]

CONGRATULATIONS, BRITTANY! WELL DONE!

Now go click on that extra smiley button and put up your I MADE FINALIST smiley! You earned it!

That's quite an accomplishment! Tops out of what's probably close to two thousand entries from around the world! Many at that level are professionally published, but haven't pro'd out yet. Be proud.

And write your next! Every. Single. Quarter.

Until you win!

Cheers!

~Moon~