Almost Success - The "Mixed Feelings" Thread

@angelslayah You have some green there :)?

Nope. Frozen at the crest of the wave.

Posted by: @pdblake

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New Myths have been holding one of my stories since July. They sent me a form rejection last night. 

Earlier this month got a hold notice from them. Guess I won't hold my breath yet :). But that story has been to all the higher paying markets that would fit it even slightly so, I'm not too worried if it takes them some time. Although it would be nice if it was at least a personal on the rejection if that ends up being the way it goes.

Posted by: @angelslayah

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Posted by: @ease

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angelslayah - thanks for the blow-by-blow, and interesting approach, for sure. But huge congratulations on the sale!

We got to share this stuff!

I'm thinkin, in the new year, to start a thread somewhere on the forum of venues that offer comment or critique with rejection. So fuckin rare, it's almost as if markets have given up on the notion of cultivating the writers they want to have.

Like @pdblake here. New Myths liked the work well enough to sit on it since summer, but not enough to givea hint how better to please them next time. It's a shit system and it tends toward a shit industry.

The way I see it, it's up to US to raise the tone! 

Keep in mind that some of the markets will be dealing with this issue http://neil-clarke.com/a-concerning-trend/ - this is likely to just make the slowness problem worse as markets are inundated with even more garbage submissions than in the past.

Posted by: @czing

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even more garbage submission

I'd lay money that the percentage of 'garbage' has never increased or decreased within 10% in the last 50 years. What you're saying is: the markets haven't kept up with the demand. Cause the self-publishing market is sucking them dry. 

The markets have one solution and that is to raise standards- cause God forbid they raise the rate! Haha!

Posted by: @czing

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Posted by: @angelslayah

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Posted by: @ease

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angelslayah - thanks for the blow-by-blow, and interesting approach, for sure. But huge congratulations on the sale!

We got to share this stuff!

I'm thinkin, in the new year, to start a thread somewhere on the forum of venues that offer comment or critique with rejection. So fuckin rare, it's almost as if markets have given up on the notion of cultivating the writers they want to have.

Like @pdblake here. New Myths liked the work well enough to sit on it since summer, but not enough to givea hint how better to please them next time. It's a shit system and it tends toward a shit industry.

The way I see it, it's up to US to raise the tone! 

 

Keep in mind that some of the markets will be dealing with this issue http://neil-clarke.com/a-concerning-trend/ - this is likely to just make the slowness problem worse as markets are inundated with even more garbage submissions than in the past.

 

Oh my, that was a truly saddening and terrifying read. How awful. I've been more pro-AI than most (new tech has always disrupted and short term pain has mostly turned into long term gain) but this is horrendous.

@czing mine ended up a form rejection. They are now holding another ?

@ease and Clarkesworld is one of the quicker responders. If it's slowing them down it explains why some of the others are so slow.

Posted by: @pdblake

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@czing mind ended up a form rejection. They are now holding another ?

I guess the good thing is that they like your stuff obviously!

@czing they like holding on to it that's for sure ?

@czing I had similar. They held one of my stories for over half a year, getting it to their final round of consideration, then rejected it. They did leave personal feedback when they did though, so they were nice about it. Nonetheless, waiting 8 months and being told several times that it has "advanced to the next stage" until getting a rejection was a little vexatious. But that's the name of the game. Keep writing.

Keep in mind that some of the markets will be dealing with this issue http://neil-clarke.com/a-concerning-trend/ - this is likely to just make the slowness problem worse as markets are inundated with even more garbage submissions than in the past.

@czing Thanks for sharing that, depressing as it is.

Posted by: @monicagh

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Keep in mind that some of the markets will be dealing with this issue http://neil-clarke.com/a-concerning-trend/ - this is likely to just make the slowness problem worse as markets are inundated with even more garbage submissions than in the past.

@czing Thanks for sharing that, depressing as it is.

Neil just closed submissions, after receiving fifty AI submissions in one day.

Yeah I just saw that too and was coming to post about it. I was never really worried about AI generated garbage competing with real writers but I hadn't considered this possibility. The world just got a lot harder for us emerging writers I suspect.

I gotta encouraging personal from Sheree Renée Thomas at F&SF the other day. She ended it stating the story will find a home. Having not sold any of my stories yet, that blew a nice gale in my writerly sails. Additionally, I'm still waiting on the consideration of a rewrite request from another pro mag. Almost a year counting, I'm twitching every day.

Just a matter of time, me thinks, me hopes.  

@jeschleicher That's awesome. Sheree is a great editor, and to get such encouragement is a promising sign for your story. Keep submitting!

I just got a “you’re in the top 10%, we couldn’t fit you in but it will find home for sure.” 
Does it count as personal?
It comes from respectably lookin anthology with some big names so I am kinda hyped. The only thing is… if i was in 10% than was i 3’rd under the bar or 100’th—i dunno 🙁

but to quote one of my most favourite Nobelist’s:
‘I felt as if a rose had come in through the open window’

I wonder how winning WOTF feels like…

Drat, I just had a story of mine convert from held to rejected. Disappointing, but I got individual feedback from the slush readers, and they all liked it. The first reader apparently loved it, with particular praise for the prose (which I tend to think is my weakest single point as a writer, so big fat woots for that!) -- they would have bought it, which is always lovely to hear. But the feedback from the other two is legitimate, and I think editing to correct their issues will only make the story stronger.

It will mean changing the story title, though, as it's inextricably linked to a detail that became superfluous through the edits. A shame, as I like the title for this story better than most of mine, but I do think they're right, as it's really just spec fluff at this point that adds nothing to the story--a cardinal sin for short-form spec fiction.

Thanks, @spencer_s! & many congrats on your win! I can't wait to read your story!

Posted by: @vrlass

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I just got a “you’re in the top 10%, we couldn’t fit you in but it will find home for sure.” 
Does it count as personal?
It comes from respectably lookin anthology with some big names so I am kinda hyped. The only thing is… if i was in 10% than was i 3’rd under the bar or 100’th—i dunno 🙁

but to quote one of my most favourite Nobelist’s:
‘I felt as if a rose had come in through the open window’

I wonder how winning WOTF feels like…

That absolutely counts as a personal. Take it as a win and shoot that story to the next market! I just got my second personal in a row on the same story, so I know it’s good. Just need to find a home for it. 

As Heinlein said, keep it out to market until sold. It doesn’t help anyone in a digital trunk. 

Posted by: @lost_bard

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I just got my second personal in a row on the same story,

Congrats!! I smell the sweet scent of a sale blowing your way. 

Posted by: @vrlass

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you’re in the top 10%, we couldn’t fit you in but it will find home for sure

Dude, awesome! Get that beaut out to another market!

Posted by: @lost_bard

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Posted by: @vrlass

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I just got a “you’re in the top 10%, we couldn’t fit you in but it will find home for sure.” 
Does it count as personal?
It comes from respectably lookin anthology with some big names so I am kinda hyped. The only thing is… if i was in 10% than was i 3’rd under the bar or 100’th—i dunno 🙁

but to quote one of my most favourite Nobelist’s:
‘I felt as if a rose had come in through the open window’

I wonder how winning WOTF feels like…

That absolutely counts as a personal. Take it as a win and shoot that story to the next market! I just got my second personal in a row on the same story, so I know it’s good. Just need to find a home for it. 

As Heinlein said, keep it out to market until sold. It doesn’t help anyone in a digital trunk. 

 

The funny thing is this was the most rushed (more than 300 word) story I have ever made (within a week), so I didn’t even have time to use beta readers or redo with fresh eyes. My betas told me (post submitting) already what issues to fix (and some of it are repeating in all reads so i guess they are solid), so I am gonna do fix the issues, and also… I will go experimental 😀
I know i might break a solid candidate and i am not sure if there would be a market for the new version but… Its like this story is calling me for a little move love…

I know I am acting against another Heinlein’s rule, but… 
I am not a pro yet… 

I go hot and cold with my writing. I was doing it for myself with the thought that someday I would like to publish something. Now, I’m hooked.

If it wasn't for David Farland giving me an HM for my Q4 2021 entry, I would have given up on writing. I dove into the forum and found some great suggestions which lead me to understand a story structure. I reached out to Wulf Moon and he was a huge help and the turning point for me. If it wasn’t for Wulf Moon, I would have thrown in the towel.

I’ve learned more in 2022 from WotF forum and those that contribute to it than from decades of writing on my own.

I still haven't sold anything yet, and my fingers are starting to hurt from crossing them so hard, but I'm optimistic for 2023.

I received a personalized rejection today.  It was a low paying market, and I had even forgotten about the submission, but the editor took time to tell me something alongs the line of "Sorry we kept it so long, we really liked it and wanted to find a way to make it fit so delayed this e-mail."  A nice piece of encouragement.

I received another personalized rejection, very short and to the point: Nice voice but not for us. 

More of these amongst the forms are popping up. 

Posted by: @jeschleicher

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More of these amongst the forms are popping up. 

That's an awesome sign!

@toddjones That's great. Keep writing!

@jeschleicher Yup, that's a common thing for me as well, though long wait times for sure - like 8-12 months at this point for rejections.

@aivanther and @jeschleicher both positive rejections, sounds like you will find a home for those stories - keep looking!

I had a personal rejection from my first ever submission, so assumed it was the norm. Many years and many form rejections later, I definitely know it is NOT the norm. I wonder how a personalized rejection translates on the WotF scale of HM>SHM>SF>F? Obviously will differ market to market, but it shows a really strong story.