Penumbra Submissions

Per Duotrope: Most recent response reported was received on 25 Nov 2013.

Per Submission Grinder: No responses reported in the past 30 days.

No recent data from anyone on Codex, either.

They sure seem to have hit some kind of snag...

They sure seem to have hit some kind of snag...

Their servers probably fell into a micro black hole, sending them to an alternate dimension where all emails are intercepted shortly after transmission and swallowed by a virtual polka dot lizard named Steve.

Hey, it could happen.

Their servers probably fell into a micro black hole, sending them to an alternate dimension where all emails are intercepted shortly after transmission and swallowed by a virtual polka dot lizard named Steve.

Sounds like an interpolated palimpsest to me. On the other hand we maybe shouldn't be messing with Amun-Ra.

Night at the Villa Diodati submitted. Hoping for something more than crickets this time. I've already got a good idea for Isaac itching to get out.

I'd forgotten about Penumbra (I suck at writing to a theme), but this issue sounds like fun, so I might try to write something and send it in before the year's end.
Out of curiosity, how many of you sent in period pieces set in early 19th century Europe? I'm interested to see if people are interpreting their theme summary the same way I am, or not.

A story to be read to those guys by candlelight might well be something different from a combination of 19th century elegance and 21st century imagination. I suspect that the interpretation is left to the author. On the other hand straightforward brutalism would seem to be excluded by the need for elegance.

Personally I went for George IV. I would not exclude going for George VII.

Wow, thanks for the heads up on the guidelines for Villa Diodati Stewart. Now I have to dress my natives in an elegant fashion while they terrorize the countryside.

I went back to their site and read the requirements for the theme so I'll dress my characters different.
Except for that slight adjustment the story will stay the same.

Wow, thanks for the heads up on the guidelines for Villa Diodati Stewart. Now I have to dress my natives in an elegant fashion while they terrorize the countryside.

I went back to their site and read the requirements for the theme so I'll dress my characters different.
Except for that slight adjustment the story will stay the same.

I'm not sure it's necessary. They don't explicitly ask for period pieces at all, just "stories that we could have told to these masters by candlelight."

Indeed, since they say they "want the 19th century elegance paired with the creation of new horror staples in the 21st century," that might even be an argument AGAINST 19th century stories? (Though I'm not sure what the new horror staples are, exactly... Obviously I don't write horror.)

Ah well, pastiche it is!

Wow, thanks for the heads up on the guidelines for Villa Diodati Stewart. Now I have to dress my natives in an elegant fashion while they terrorize the countryside.

I went back to their site and read the requirements for the theme so I'll dress my characters different.
Except for that slight adjustment the story will stay the same.

I'm not sure it's necessary. They don't explicitly ask for period pieces at all, just "stories that we could have told to these masters by candlelight."

Indeed, since they say they "want the 19th century elegance paired with the creation of new horror staples in the 21st century," that might even be an argument AGAINST 19th century stories? (Though I'm not sure what the new horror staples are, exactly... Obviously I don't write horror.)

Ah well, pastiche it is!

I have a story that is absolutely *not* 19th century, but if it comes back from the market it is at before the deadline, I'll go ahead and send it. Better than nothing.

I have a story that is absolutely *not* 19th century, but if it comes back from the market it is at before the deadline, I'll go ahead and send it. Better than nothing.

Verily!

I'm in for Villa Diodatti. Maybe I enjoy the pressure of last day subs.
Good luck to all who entered.

I received my R from penumbra today for the mythology story.

I really thought I had a chance that time.

Oh well, someday I'll get something different.

I received my R from penumbra today for the mythology story.

I really thought I had a chance that time.

Oh well, someday I'll get something different.

Sorry to hear that Storysinger. I too got my R today. "Did not make the final round."
Good luck to anyone else still in!

I got my rejection too. Still don't know what happened to my Winter submission, but I've moved on at this point, anyway.

Just got my Second Round rejection from Penumbra for the Egyptian Mythology issue. Oh, well.

Well I thought that I must have a chance with all these reported rejections but still nothing here. Unfortunately I just got a "your story, while entertaining, did not make it to the final round ".

Now they have never told me my story was entertaining before, but they have told me three times that I made the final round, so I doubt that I can rate this as progress.

The second R of the day too. I also collected one from Lightspeed.

At least it's a personal!

I got the same second round rejection: "your story, while entertaining, did not make it to the final round "

But at least it was second round!

I got the same second round rejection: "your story, while entertaining, did not make it to the final round "

But at least it was second round!

We were BOTH entertaining, weren't we? Actually the encouraging bit for me is "We hope to see more of your work at Penumbra in the future." I am still sufficiently credulous to believe that publishers don't actually say this unless they mean it. (Fingers crossed.)

For me the problem here was a subject so esoteric that widespread knowledge on the part of the reader could not be assumed, combined with a word limit that I found fairly tight. I know that I struggled to integrate the back story.

Unfortunately for Asimov month I'm struggling to avoid a Platonic dialogue. Asimov threw in lots of philosophical discussion, which I of course enjoyed, but once again I find it hard to work within the word limit and still have a story. I have a nasty feeling I'm going to have to junk my first effort and try again.

I have an Asimov edition themed 3500 story. I like it but I fear my taste is esoteric. Any swaps on offer?

Received a message from Penumbra today about my villa Diodati. Rejected.
Though entertaining it did not make it to the final round.

Received a message from Penumbra today about my villa Diodati. Rejected.
Though entertaining it did not make it to the final round.

Me too.

I'm in for Asimov. Not a thought in my head that might turn into a superhero story.

Fundamental problem: if you only have one superpower, how do you avoid writing a repetitive try / fail cycle? For example, it is no good writing a darts story where you only hit triple twenty at the third attempt, when as everyone knows really good darts players such as Bob (Supadart) Writer can hit the triple twenty with all three darts?

It's going to take some imagination to come up with an original take on a super hero.
What powers are left to be used in a story that haven't already been covered.
The person that can create such a character has a pretty good chance with this theme.
Good luck to all who enter.

Also got my Diodati rejection. I supposedly made it to the final round. Small comfort, considering the market for this story is going to be one magazine large, and that magazine just rejected it.

Whoops!

Oh well. At least I had fun writing it.

(Also, if anybody is still waiting to hear for this issue, I'd recommend a query. Acceptances have already been sent out.)

I have my superhero sgory drafted and it"s currently awaiting revisions. I also have Isolation written, a literary-style flash piece I'm fairly happy with, though this, too needs a second and third look.

Well the bad news is that I've heard nothing at all on my Diodati story. It seems to have joined my Gaslight story in limbo. Now after that case I sent a query and the query also disappeared into limbo.

A shame this time because I really liked my Diodati story, but then I really liked my Egyptian myth too. At least that one was actually rejected.

In for Asimov!

Aaaaaand I'm in.

Superhero issue.

And once again my communications seem to have passed into Penumbra shadow (pun intentional).

For the second time, no response to a submission (Diodati) has been followed by no response to a query about that submission. This time the query was actually sent to the editor, not to the regular submission address.

Now since my Egyptian story got one of their 'hope to see more' rejections, and they have acknowledged receipt of my Asimov, am I entitled to wonder (expletives deleted)?