Almost Success - The "Mixed Feelings" Thread

Typically, I'm not a fan of late night rejections just before I go to bed or when I wake up and have one waiting for me, like this morning, however:

I received a very personal rejection from Tor.com, indicating I was so close, and that it was hard for them to imagine another magazine not taking the story.

Anyway, rejection is rejection, but it's amazing when one like this actually motivates.

I was going to say that I'm not too much of a fan of them either, which is why I usually wait.

But whoa---

Niiice. Good going.

Still a rejection but I would whether have one like that than the ones I get.

Congratulations, Alistair!

Typically, I'm not a fan of late night rejections just before I go to bed or when I wake up and have one waiting for me, like this morning, however:

I received a very personal rejection from Tor.com, indicating I was so close, and that it was hard for them to imagine another magazine not taking the story.

Anyway, rejection is rejection, but it's amazing when one like this actually motivates.

Wahoo!

This isn't really almost success, but this year is meant to be my year for actually knuckling down and submitting things (my success rate previous to 2013 is 50 per cent... because I'd only ever submitted two things to magazines), so even a 'moved on to the next round of consideration' makes me very happy. Especially as it's for my Q1 rejection

This isn't really almost success, but this year is meant to be my year for actually knuckling down and submitting things (my success rate previous to 2013 is 50 per cent... because I'd only ever submitted two things to magazines), so even a 'moved on to the next round of consideration' makes me very happy. Especially as it's for my Q1 rejection
Sounds like an almost success to me.

What's the market?

Stewart C Baker - 1st place, Q2 V32
My contest history: Semi-finalist, R, HM, R, R, HM, HM, R, R, R, R, HM, R, R, R, R, Winner
My published fiction, poetry, &c.

 

I'm not counting it as almost success yet as it still has a chance to be success
(Oh, Penumbra, almost forgot that bit!)

I'm not counting it as almost success yet as it still has a chance to be success
(Oh, Penumbra, almost forgot that bit!)

True enough!

This isn't really almost success, but this year is meant to be my year for actually knuckling down and submitting things (my success rate previous to 2013 is 50 per cent... because I'd only ever submitted two things to magazines), so even a 'moved on to the next round of consideration' makes me very happy. Especially as it's for my Q1 rejection

That is a good percentage especially for a beginner.....now if you can keep it up.

Working on turning Lead into Gold.
Four HMs From WotF
The latest was Q1'12
HM-quarter 4 Volume 32
One HM for another contest
published in Strange New Worlds Ten.
Another HM http://onthepremises.com/minis/mini_18.html

 

I'm not sure whether this counts as an 'almost success' or not. However, after the publication of my tiny piece in AE Micro, I naturally assumed that everything I sent in would be successful, (as you do, if you're an incurable optimist and also an idiot.)

So I became quite excited when Unstuck, who say on their site that if you don't hear from them within a week of submission it likely means that your piece has been held over for further discussion, took over a month with the piece I'd sent them. Sadly, the rejection finally arrived today.

Hey ho. Onward and upward.

I'm not sure whether this counts as an 'almost success' or not. However, after the publication of my tiny piece in AE Micro, I naturally assumed that everything I sent in would be successful, (as you do, if you're an incurable optimist and also an idiot.)

So I became quite excited when Unstuck, who say on their site that if you don't hear from them within a week of submission it likely means that your piece has been held over for further discussion, took over a month with the piece I'd sent them. Sadly, the rejection finally arrived today.

Hey ho. Onward and upward.

I know the feeling. Both ways.

F&SF has done the same thing to me three times. Once it took three months for them to get a story back to me, just with an ordinary rejection too.

A strongly worded rewrite suggestion from Analog is almost success, I hope! Trevor didn't make any promises, of course, but he said he'd definitely be willing to take another look if I tightened up the ending.

A strongly worded rewrite suggestion from Analog is almost success, I hope! Trevor didn't make any promises, of course, but he said he'd definitely be willing to take another look if I tightened up the ending.

Well, they know your work there so I think a congrats is in order.

I should say so! Wouldn't this be your third there?

I shall be very lucky if Analog don't conclude that I'm a dimwit. I polished up a story beautifully to send to them, then I misspelled my own email address during the submission process, then sent a correction email chasing after it but mistyped the reference number. So now I've had to send a correction after the correction.

This, it is humbly suggested, provides them with a good benchmark.

I should say so! Wouldn't this be your third there?

Should I be so fortunate, yes, this would be a third. And he made another strong rewrite suggestion on a fourth, making me not just sadglad but sadgladglad: it would be sad to pro out and miss a chance at the WotF workshop, but glad to make the pro sales, and ecstatically glad to Analog out! But I'm not going to count unhatched chickens, I'm just going to keep writing.

I shall be very lucky if Analog don't conclude that I'm a dimwit. I polished up a story beautifully to send to them, then I misspelled my own email address during the submission process, then sent a correction email chasing after it but mistyped the reference number. So now I've had to send a correction after the correction.

This, it is humbly suggested, provides them with a good benchmark.

I have it on good authority that editors are human. What's more, I hear tell that they understand that authors are human, too. (At least until the robot takeover.) So they expect a degree of imperfection from us.

(I say this with the most fervent of hopes that it is true. In my last submission to Asimov's, I copied and pasted a cover letter from an earlier submission of the same story; and though I remembered to change the editor's name, I forgot to change the magazine! So I dearly hope Sheila is in an understanding mood that day...)

Should I be so fortunate, yes, this would be a third. And he made another strong rewrite suggestion on a fourth, making me not just sadglad but sadgladglad: it would be sad to pro out and miss a chance at the WotF workshop, but glad to make the pro sales, and ecstatically glad to Analog out! But I'm not going to count unhatched chickens, I'm just going to keep writing.

Well, of course. But eventually you could have your own Analog anthology, Of course you would have to call it something different.

I have it on good authority that editors are human. What's more, I hear tell that they understand that authors are human, too. (At least until the robot takeover.) So they expect a degree of imperfection from us.

(I say this with the most fervent of hopes that it is true. In my last submission to Asimov's, I copied and pasted a cover letter from an earlier submission of the same story; and though I remembered to change the editor's name, I forgot to change the magazine! So I dearly hope Sheila is in an understanding mood that day...)

I've done that type of thing a time or three. One smaller ezine even sent me a note asking if I sent it to the right place. The larger markets ignore it. Of course with my writing it probably didn't matter.

I should say so! Wouldn't this be your third there?

I shall be very lucky if Analog don't conclude that I'm a dimwit. I polished up a story beautifully to send to them, then I misspelled my own email address during the submission process, then sent a correction email chasing after it but mistyped the reference number. So now I've had to send a correction after the correction.

This, it is humbly suggested, provides them with a good benchmark.

I too wonder what certain editors think of me because of mistakes along those lines.

Well, on this occasion they sent me a very nice note saying the best thing would be if they deleted it and I tried again!

56-day personal rejection from Gordon Van Gelder at F&SF. Yay?

56-day personal rejection from Gordon Van Gelder at F&SF. Yay?

It finally came! hooray...sort of. Would be better if it was an acceptance, but still, it's nice.

56-day personal rejection from Gordon Van Gelder at F&SF. Yay?

I'd give it an Ay (almost a Yay). Send him another one ASAP! He has noticed you.

I take rejection harder than I used to, and I'm not sure why. Possibly, it's hope. See, a year ago, I never thought I'd sell anything. Then I had some close calls, and I started to think "Hey, this could happen."

So maybe fear isn't the mind killer. Hope is.

I take rejection harder than I used to, and I'm not sure why. Possibly, it's hope. See, a year ago, I never thought I'd sell anything. Then I had some close calls, and I started to think "Hey, this could happen."

So maybe fear isn't the mind killer. Hope is.

Without hope, there is no disappointment, but no triumph. Choose.

56-day personal rejection from Gordon Van Gelder at F&SF. Yay?

Ah...yes! Yay! No doubt about it. Yay!

I take rejection harder than I used to, and I'm not sure why. Possibly, it's hope. See, a year ago, I never thought I'd sell anything. Then I had some close calls, and I started to think "Hey, this could happen."

So maybe fear isn't the mind killer. Hope is.

Without hope, there is no disappointment, but no triumph. Choose.

I'm not Kary obviously but I say Yes sir Yoga Master

or would that be Yoda Martin?

56-day personal rejection from Gordon Van Gelder at F&SF. Yay?

Nice, wouldn't mind one myself even if not as good as what we want.

At the moment all I'm hoping for is a more positive comment from Scott P--in contrast to the not so positive comment he gave me three stories ago-- on the story I have there now.

56-day personal rejection from Gordon Van Gelder at F&SF. Yay?

Sounds like positive momentum to me!

Yay, Kary!

Yes, Acceptances would be better, but it's the next best thing!

Thought of this today,

Depending on what he said it could be more than just a step before buying it. As in did he say anything that would help the story or your writing?

Which would make it better yet.

Oh, hey, I forgot to post about this. My story I submitted for Penumbra's Ocean issue didn't quite get accepted, but it made it to the final round and Celina chose it for May's Rising Talent thingy. They published it on their website along with a brief essay I wrote and I received a token payment of sorts. I went ahead and agreed to the offer since I hadn't had a lot of luck with the piece but I do really want to find a home for it. In the meantime, this works.

That also means it's available for everyone to read for free. Feel free to check it out and lemme know your thoughts:

http://penumbra.musapublishing.com/laurahardgrave.php

Oh, hey, I forgot to post about this. My story I submitted for Penumbra's Ocean issue didn't quite get accepted, but it made it to the final round and Celina chose it for May's Rising Talent thingy. They published it on their website along with a brief essay I wrote and I received a token payment of sorts. I went ahead and agreed to the offer since I hadn't had a lot of luck with the piece but I do really want to find a home for it. In the meantime, this works.

That also means it's available for everyone to read for free. Feel free to check it out and lemme know your thoughts:

http://penumbra.musapublishing.com/laurahardgrave.php

Nice, Laura!