Almost Success - The "Mixed Feelings" Thread

Got my second personal from FFO.

The only problem with getting so many comments with a rejection is that now I need to decide whether it's worth the effort of revising or if I should trust the initial story and just send it out again.

Yay! (Which one is FFO? So hard to keep track of all these acronyms...)

Got my second personal from FFO.

The only problem with getting so many comments with a rejection is that now I need to decide whether it's worth the effort of revising or if I should trust the initial story and just send it out again.

Yay! (Which one is FFO? So hard to keep track of all these acronyms...)

Flash Fiction Online

I heard back from Penumbra today. My Zombie story made it to "a later round." Yeah!!! Not sure what that means. How many rounds are there? Unfortunately, I got edged out. No!!! Oh, well, maybe next issue. Space Opera...hmm...
Preston Dennett
(HM x 4)

Dantzel, are you still in the running? Last I heard you were second-rounding.

Got my second personal from FFO.

The only problem with getting so many comments with a rejection is that now I need to decide whether it's worth the effort of revising or if I should trust the initial story and just send it out again.

Not surprisingly you are doing better than I but as to what to do. Trust your instincts and just send it out again. I don't know how many times you have already revised but it could be you are close to too many. You can mess up your voice with too many.

I heard back from Penumbra today. My Zombie story made it to "a later round." Yeah!!! Not sure what that means. How many rounds are there? Unfortunately, I got edged out. No!!! Oh, well, maybe next issue. Space Opera...hmm...
Preston Dennett
(HM x 4)

Dantzel, are you still in the running? Last I heard you were second-rounding.

No matter what you know you did something right.

This was haunting and darkly addictive, but I fear the fragments didn't serve to build any greater meaning in my mind by the time I read the last word. We love literary work, and your voice is definitely what we search for, but this one didn't coalesce into a strong enough plot for Shimmer. I was most enchanted with the second part, because I felt like I knew what was happening, so I could relax and enjoy your delightful prose.

That's good, right? Right?

This was haunting and darkly addictive, but I fear the fragments didn't serve to build any greater meaning in my mind by the time I read the last word. We love literary work, and your voice is definitely what we search for, but this one didn't coalesce into a strong enough plot for Shimmer. I was most enchanted with the second part, because I felt like I knew what was happening, so I could relax and enjoy your delightful prose.

That's good, right? Right?

Good for Clarkesworld, probably.

I tend to get criticisms complaining of lack of plot too. My latest from Shimmer on what was practically a flash piece:

I would have enjoyed the story more with greater agency--that is specific actions on the part of your protagonist to drive the story toward resolution as part of a broader character arc. I has some memorable images, especially the ending, and I hope you find a good home for it soon.

This was haunting and darkly addictive, but I fear the fragments didn't serve to build any greater meaning in my mind by the time I read the last word. We love literary work, and your voice is definitely what we search for, but this one didn't coalesce into a strong enough plot for Shimmer. I was most enchanted with the second part, because I felt like I knew what was happening, so I could relax and enjoy your delightful prose.

That's good, right? Right?

That's great!

This was haunting and darkly addictive, but I fear the fragments didn't serve to build any greater meaning in my mind by the time I read the last word. We love literary work, and your voice is definitely what we search for, but this one didn't coalesce into a strong enough plot for Shimmer. I was most enchanted with the second part, because I felt like I knew what was happening, so I could relax and enjoy your delightful prose.

That's good, right? Right?

That's good! My last rejection from them said it was a good story, but it wanted to be a novel.

Given that the research I did for the story was supposed to be for my NaNo novel, they may well have a point.

This was haunting and darkly addictive, but I fear the fragments didn't serve to build any greater meaning in my mind by the time I read the last word. We love literary work, and your voice is definitely what we search for, but this one didn't coalesce into a strong enough plot for Shimmer. I was most enchanted with the second part, because I felt like I knew what was happening, so I could relax and enjoy your delightful prose.

That's good, right? Right?

As been said by others I think it sounds good.

Keep sending to them.

Mine was flash too, Elinor--and episodic to boot.

My first rejection, courtesy Penumbra's Space Opera call. But my story did make it to the final round, so I'm kind of tickled since it's my first submission to any magazine, ever. (My Q1 WoTF sub is technically my first submission to anything, anywhere.)

Hmmm...

Penumbra doesn't just say that to all the guys/gals, do they?

Still, final round on my first try? I shall now perform the dance of my people.

Which consists of sitting back and having a belt of sweet brandy.

Penumbra doesn't just say that to all the guys/gals, do they?

Nope. I just got a rejection too and they specifically said it did not make it through to the final round. So, congratulations on making it that far, at least!

My first rejection, courtesy Penumbra's Space Opera call. But my story did make it to the final round, so I'm kind of tickled since it's my first submission to any magazine, ever. (My Q1 WoTF sub is technically my first submission to anything, anywhere.)

Hmmm...

Penumbra doesn't just say that to all the guys/gals, do they?

Still, final round on my first try? I shall now perform the dance of my people.

Which consists of sitting back and having a belt of sweet brandy.

That's great! Keep puttin' em out there

Got a rejection letter from F&SF signed by Gordon Van Gelder.

Should I read anything into that or not?

Got a rejection letter from F&SF signed by Gordon Van Gelder.

Should I read anything into that or not?

All I know is that it's on my writing bucket list. Congratulations!

Can I ask how long the response time was?

Got a rejection letter from F&SF signed by Gordon Van Gelder.

Should I read anything into that or not?

All I know is that it's on my writing bucket list. Congratulations!

Can I ask how long the response time was?

It was 15 days.

Exciting bummer!

Got a rejection letter from F&SF signed by Gordon Van Gelder.

Should I read anything into that or not?

Gator has turned suddenly very green, greener than usual that is. I think she's envious. As am I, I've never got one of those.

Got a rejection letter from F&SF signed by Gordon Van Gelder.

Should I read anything into that or not?

Gator has turned suddenly very green, greener than usual that is. I think she's envious. As am I, I've never got one of those.

I have....of course that was way back before JJA started working with him.
Gordon was the reader at that time.

Even though I think I did get one after JJA started reading for him. The wording on the rejection was exactly the same as JJA's so I figured it was fluke.

I received a rejection from Asimov's today, and when I saw it in my inbox I said to my friend Megan (who I'm visiting in Canada for a week) "Oh okay, just got another rejection... oh! It's a personal!"

This was my rejected Q4, the longest short story I've ever written, about 9400 words. (My other 2 rejections from Asimov's were forms.) Sheila said it's 'nicely done, but not quite right' for her. So I need to get something else out, and soon, to make sure I catch her eye. I don't have anything ready to go, though, and the one I thought to send next is still at IGMS.

So regardless, woot!

I received a rejection from Asimov's today, and when I saw it in my inbox I said to my friend Megan (who I'm visiting in Canada for a week) "Oh okay, just got another rejection... oh! It's a personal!"

This was my rejected Q4, the longest short story I've ever written, about 9400 words. (My other 2 rejections from Asimov's were forms.) Sheila said it's 'nicely done, but not quite right' for her. So I need to get something else out, and soon, to make sure I catch her eye. I don't have anything ready to go, though, and the one I thought to send next is still at IGMS.

So regardless, woot!

A personal from Asimov's nothing to shake a stick at. How many days, if you don't mind me asking?

I never mind sharing. 47 days. Which is interesting, because remember how I made a mistake and accidentally submitted two stories really close to each other at Asimov's? The other story is at 61 days with no word yet. Odd, eh?

I'll say (though no one may care!) that the one that just got the personal is a better story, with characters that are definitely more fleshed out. The other story is a little piece of flash about a couple of feral cats, the descendants of space-faring cats who are trying to escape our world and get back to the stars. Fun, weird story, but it's kind of a hard sell. So despite nice words from Elise Tobler at Shimmer and Schubert at IGMS, I don't have high hopes.

I never mind sharing. 47 days. Which is interesting, because remember how I made a mistake and accidentally submitted two stories really close to each other at Asimov's? The other story is at 61 days with no word yet. Odd, eh?

I'd check your status on the 61 day one. The response to my last Asimov's sub must have gotten lost in the ether. I never got an email about it, but when I checked through their submission system, it was marked as rejected.

Good thought. I checked and it said Under Review, so it looks like I'm still good.

I received a rejection from Asimov's today, and when I saw it in my inbox I said to my friend Megan (who I'm visiting in Canada for a week) "Oh okay, just got another rejection... oh! It's a personal!"

This was my rejected Q4, the longest short story I've ever written, about 9400 words. (My other 2 rejections from Asimov's were forms.) Sheila said it's 'nicely done, but not quite right' for her. So I need to get something else out, and soon, to make sure I catch her eye. I don't have anything ready to go, though, and the one I thought to send next is still at IGMS.

So regardless, woot!

Very nice. It gives me hope that it was a WotF rejection too!

My own personal from Sheila is so old now it's growing swamp mould.

Great news Hazlett and Dantzel!

And the Penumbra Near Miss is now a Clarke'sworld Near Miss. Still, knowing that my first submission anywhere ever (outside the pending WoTF submission) is some quality work does wonders for me. Knowing the story hit the top 6% of their current crop sweetens the brew considerably. It's nice to know I'm on the write...er, right track at least.

That's awesome, jkenton!

And the Penumbra Near Miss is now a Clarke'sworld Near Miss. Still, knowing that my first submission anywhere ever (outside the pending WoTF submission) is some quality work does wonders for me. Knowing the story hit the top 6% of their current crop sweetens the brew considerably. It's nice to know I'm on the write...er, right track at least.

Congrats!