Penumbra Submissions

Got an email from Penumbra today saying my gaslight fantasy story didn't make it to the finals.

Crazy thing about that is I didn't submit one for that category, I submitted one for Family Tradition.

I sent a reply asking them to read my story again.

I'm hoping they haven't deleted it yet.

Well my family traditions just got a rejection, without any word in response to either of my queries or any word of what happened to my gaslight story that had no acknowledgement at all. The first of my queries was not dissimilar to the one mentioned above and was sent in in August, so please don't hold your breath whilst waiting for a reply!

I'm also out of the running for Family Traditions. They liked it, but not enough to push to the next round.

I do have some winter stories, but I've got to finish the novel first.

I made it to the final round with my Family Traditions story, but it wasn't selected for the issue.

I made it to the final round with my Family Traditions story, but it wasn't selected for the issue.

Suppose I should have inserted these smilies:

There. I feel better now.

Kitty escaped from her cage now, too! Noooooooo.....! Not the marshmallow shoot--Agggghhh

I made it to the final round with my Family Traditions story, but it wasn't selected for the issue.

Suppose I should have inserted these smilies:

There. I feel better now.

Kitty escaped from her cage now, too! Noooooooo.....! Not the marshmallow shoot--Agggghhh

Congratulations...er...I mean...my condolences. Straight rejects hurt less than final round rejects, but they don't feel nearly as good. You'll get 'em next time!
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I made it to the final round with my Family Traditions story, but it wasn't selected for the issue.

Suppose I should have inserted these smilies:

There. I feel better now.

Kitty escaped from her cage now, too! Noooooooo.....! Not the marshmallow shoot--Agggghhh

Congratulations...er...I mean...my condolences. Straight rejects hurt less than final round rejects, but they don't feel nearly as good. You'll get 'em next time!
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Yeah. I will keep submitting...if I have something for another of their themed issues (don't usually write to themes). They didn't list any reason for rejecting, just that she enjoyed it and send something else.

Writing to a prompt is great practice, though. I'll see if I can coax a story from any of the other themes. I have a world idea for Winter, but it's not really a story yet.

And your recent rejection from them was really nice, Preston!

We will all make it. Just gotta keep running. Just keep running.

Got an email from Penumbra today saying my gaslight fantasy story didn't make it to the finals.

Crazy thing about that is I didn't submit one for that category, I submitted one for Family Tradition.

I sent a reply asking them to read my story again.

I'm hoping they haven't deleted it yet.

Well my family traditions just got a rejection, without any word in response to either of my queries or any word of what happened to my gaslight story that had no acknowledgement at all. The first of my queries was not dissimilar to the one mentioned above and was sent in in August, so please don't hold your breath whilst waiting for a reply!

If I had to make a guess about my Penumbra rejection it was meant to be for my Family Tradition story.
Very entertaining Morshana

"I have an idea forming in my head."

Hm. I might have something for Winter.

That's a bummer, Ishmael, that they never responded about your Gaslight story. Or to your query about their lack of response.

Well, the strange thing was that the rejection of my family traditions story came in to the original email address, from which the gaslight story and the first query went in. I still have no response to the second query, sent from my brand new email address created specially for this purpose.

I debated with myself whether I had contrived to send in the gaslight story outside the call period and thus disqualified myself, but 30 July should have been right in the middle, unless I've made a reading error (not impossible.) Another thought was that it somehow got tangled in the last rush of Hitchcocks or perhaps someone thought that with two submissions in the same month I was submitting twice for the same theme.

Anyway I decided to put the whole thing down to experience and send in my winter story also from the original email address. I still have no idea what I can do with my Hitchcock near miss. And I suppose I now have to start looking for alternative markets for gaslight and family traditions. Fortunately neither of those two shriek 'Penumbra Reject' quite as loudly as the Hitchcock does.

Well, the strange thing was that the rejection of my family traditions story came in to the original email address, from which the gaslight story and the first query went in. I still have no response to the second query, sent from my brand new email address created specially for this purpose.

I debated with myself whether I had contrived to send in the gaslight story outside the call period and thus disqualified myself, but 30 July should have been right in the middle, unless I've made a reading error (not impossible.) Another thought was that it somehow got tangled in the last rush of Hitchcocks or perhaps someone thought that with two submissions in the same month I was submitting twice for the same theme.

Anyway I decided to put the whole thing down to experience and send in my winter story also from the original email address. I still have no idea what I can do with my Hitchcock near miss. And I suppose I now have to start looking for alternative markets for gaslight and family traditions. Fortunately neither of those two shriek 'Penumbra Reject' quite as loudly as the Hitchcock does.

There is a magazine called Gaslight. I would send in mine but they want No zombies and I have some. But I could change them to some type of organic robot--I would use the other term but I can't think of it at the moment--and take out the blood. There wasn't that much anyway.

Completed a story for the Winter issue. Who else is planning to submit for this issue? Interested in swapping?

Completed a story for the Winter issue. Who else is planning to submit for this issue? Interested in swapping?

Just sent my Winter story to Penumbra. I'll try to email it to you morshana so you can give me your input.

Completed a story for the Winter issue. Who else is planning to submit for this issue? Interested in swapping?

Which premise is that I forget?

I'm in for the Winter issue as well. Good luck to everyone.

I'm in too! Right under the wire.
Good luck!

After failing miserably at writing something new for the Winter issue, I just discovered that I have a piece I hadn't considered since, while it is set in winter, it isn't about winter per se. Close enough, I decided. Submitted one minute ago with just over three hours before midnight.

Woo-hoo! Good luck everyone!

Egyptian mythology? That's even harder than Japanese mythology! Of course it's only 3500 words. How hard can that be? I guess the trick is getting a unique trope, an interesting setting, beautiful prose, believable characters, snappy dialogue, a strong hook, a satisfying ending, a recognizable theme, emotions and suspense, three try-fail cycles...(did I miss anything?)...all in under 3500 words. Easy, right? Right?

I think Egyptian Mythology might take a bit more research than I have time for atm. I know a little on the subject, but not that much. Then again, I said something similar about winter...

One of the cool things about being a writer is you get to surf the web and call it research.

I've studied so much Egyptian mythology and history lately while coming up with a story for the Penumbra theme of the month that if acquiring knowledge made your head swell up mine would be as big as a hot air balloon.

It worked though. I have a story I feel good about. Cue the belly dancers please.

I just finished my story for the Egyptian theme issue. Wrote it yesterday. =)

I'm going to let it set before looking at it again, but is anyone interested in a swap a little closer to the deadline? If so, feel free to PM me!

Same here. I should have the story ready by this weekend if anyone wants to swap.

Has anyone heard anything about the Winter edition, positive or negative? Nothing here yet.

Has anyone heard anything about the Winter edition, positive or negative? Nothing here yet.

A whole lot of nothing here.

No, negative, nada. Still waiting and hoping.

Haven't had any message from them. Still hoping to hear from them though.
My first message delayed posting so I sent another.
Live and learn.

Nothing on the winter issue for me, either.

Winter rejection reporting in!

My Winter rejection arrived too.