Discussion: Q4 Volume 42

I completed draft 4 yesterday and sent it out to another venue (they should get back to me in 2-3 days, so it shouldn’t be a problem). So I’m basically functioning on pure caffeine and spite and I have my driving classes today after work .

On a more “positive” note, after a few days of 4 hour sleep, now I at least know how mangakas feel. 

Well...I had a plan. I have a short piece ready that I planned to submit for Q4, if Q3 didn't go as well as hoped. But after the Q3 results, I'm second guessing it. RWC helped the first time I got one, because I could cross off all of the common reasons stories don't do better, except for one. This time...there's two or three possibilities. Or four, just not the right market. I'll submit something, just wrestling with whether to go with what I have ready, or try to finish my Q1 early and bring it forward... 

Posted by: @mgamblesee

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Well...I had a plan. I have a short piece ready that I planned to submit for Q4, if Q3 didn't go as well as hoped. But after the Q3 results, I'm second guessing it. RWC helped the first time I got one, because I could cross off all of the common reasons stories don't do better, except for one. This time...there's two or three possibilities. Or four, just not the right market. I'll submit something, just wrestling with whether to go with what I have ready, or try to finish my Q1 early and bring it forward... 

Take what you have ready and have the computer read it out loud to you. That has been a huge help with finding awkward sentences/words for me (or even misspelled words).  Make sure your opening is tight, MC has a clear heart's desire, and gets moving along quickly. Your MC needs to be on their way to solving their issue (finding or keeping their heart's desire) by page 5.  Then make sure the ending solves the promise you made to the reader in the opening.

Sounds easy, but I know from many try/fails it isn't.

Hang in there.

I just got a form rejection from Clarkesworld (I’m a firm believer in aiming high, lol 😀 ). Honestly, I hoped for personal rejection as I’m nowhere near the level of their stories plus the story I wrote is more for other markets (namely here and Beneath Ceaseless Skies). But I’m not going to lie, I thought the story I sent is the best one I’ve written so far and the form rejection shook my faith in it a bit.

Let form rejections shake your faith in market match, not the story itself. 😉 

Even here, I've seen several stories over the years get a straight R here then sell pro-level without changing a word. 

Maybe a story isn't a fit for any market. Or at the time (timing) it was submitted (this happens all the dang time, again, even here). Some stories end up in the trunk, but that doesn't mean they're "bad". It might, haha, but might not, especially if you feel a connection to a particular one. 

Posted by: @haganenoedward

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I just got a form rejection from Clarkesworld (I’m a firm believer in aiming high, lol 😀 ). Honestly, I hoped for personal rejection as I’m nowhere near the level of their stories plus the story I wrote is more for other markets (namely here and Beneath Ceaseless Skies). But I’m not going to lie, I thought the story I sent is the best one I’ve written so far and the form rejection shook my faith in it a bit.

Ah, I took the story I was writing for this quarter and submitted it to (and got a form rejection from) Clarkesworld a couple weeks ago. Often, it's just not a fit for the market -- even the best stories may not match with what an editor's looking for. In my case, I got more beta reader feedback, took some hard looks at what was working and what wasn't, and yes, read it out loud. Still got a few more edits to do before I'm fully happy, but definitely a much stronger story than before.

Posted by: @chs

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Ah, I took the story I was writing for this quarter and submitted it to (and got a form rejection from) Clarkesworld a couple weeks ago. Often, it's just not a fit for the market -- even the best stories may not match with what an editor's looking for. In my case, I got more beta reader feedback, took some hard looks at what was working and what wasn't, and yes, read it out loud. Still got a few more edits to do before I'm fully happy, but definitely a much stronger story than before.

Clarkesworld is a tough market to break into. I've tried with my Semi-Finalist and Finalist achievement and no luck.  

Submitted!  

@toddjones you can't be impatient already! we havent even got to the deadline 🤣 🤣

Also in for Q4. 

Posted by: @gideonpsmith

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@toddjones you can't be impatient already! we havent even got to the deadline 🤣 🤣

In for Q4 as well.  

I'm in as well. I've been sitting on the story for weeks now and I have finally had some inspiration for how to act on the edits that people recommended. I think it's a better story for it. Even if it doesn't do well, I had a lot of fun writing it.

I'm in.  This one's a little different, but at least my wife was amused by it.

Posted by: @haganenoedward

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I just got a form rejection from Clarkesworld (I’m a firm believer in aiming high, lol 😀 ). Honestly, I hoped for personal rejection as I’m nowhere near the level of their stories plus the story I wrote is more for other markets (namely here and Beneath Ceaseless Skies). But I’m not going to lie, I thought the story I sent is the best one I’ve written so far and the form rejection shook my faith in it a bit.

Oh, yes. I remember that first form rejection. My first submission was to Analog and I got a personal note. Hoo-ha! Floated on Cloud Nine. Then the next submission was a form. And the next. And the next.

Turns out the magazines can only publish something like ONE PERCENT of the stories they receive. That's the equivalent of getting a Semi-Finalist in WotF.

Now, years later, my count of form rejections is somewhere in excess of 180. But I keep submitting, because I do get encouraged by the few that work.

And talking about submitting, I'm in to Q4 for the 17th straight quarter. Spent a lot of time and effort on this story, but I think hope has mostly been beaten out of me. I'll just wait for a few months, and then find out.

Regardless of the results, *I* know my writing is getting better.

Posted by: @ehonour

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Regardless of the results, *I* know my writing is getting better.

And that's the best we can get from all this - I am right there with you celebrate the wins, even in the losses

Posted by: @ehonour

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Turns out the magazines can only publish something like ONE PERCENT of the stories they receive.

 

even worse than that tbh.

At Diabolical plots I think we get 1700-1800 a submission period, which would suggest we're accepting 18 stories whereas its 1/2 that. Similar for flash fiction online. Similar for Cosmic roots and Eldritch shores (I have slushed at all 3).

If you look at the stats on submission grinder you get fooled as theats usually 1/3 to 1/5 of the total subs, and the acceptance rate is inflated as its more likely an experienced writer is using sub grider than a new one, so the stats all get inflated

Still, they have to accept *someone* and the only way to know if it will be you with your story, is to send it. 

Posted by: @ehonour

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And talking about submitting, I'm in to Q4 for the 17th straight quarter. Spent a lot of time and effort on this story, but I think hope has mostly been beaten out of me. I'll just wait for a few months, and then find out.

Regardless of the results, *I* know my writing is getting better.

4th quarter is the fastest response time, I think around 6 weeks to find out. Other quarters are closer to 10 weeks.  

Good luck.

I submitted and, with my luck, realised I had made a typo on page 2 🤣 🤣 🤣 

But I like this novelette much more than a short story I submitted last time (one took me 2 weeks, the other like 6 months 😂), so I have high hopes. 

I'm in... Now, a day to decompress...then back to work on Q1  

Today's the day!

Q4 story submitted. Pshew! On to Q1 and Volume 43. Good luck to all who have submitted. 

[puts out a fresh batch of scones for those still toiling away]

[you can do this!]

Posted by: @mgamblesee

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I'm in... Now, a day to decompress...then back to work on Q1  

I always need a couple days to decompress.  Good job and completing your tale and submitting.

Posted by: @physa

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Q4 story submitted. Pshew! On to Q1 and Volume 43. Good luck to all who have submitted. 

[puts out a fresh batch of scones for those still toiling away]

[you can do this!]

Congrats on submission.

Submitted! Congratulations to everyone who submitted a story for this quarter!

Best part for me is that I can finally stop obsessing about every single word and phrasing choice.  

Now to start obsessing about the next one...

I'm in as well. Shout out to everyone who submitted...

Aaaand back to working on Q1. 

Posted by: @physa

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Q4 story submitted. Pshew! On to Q1 and Volume 43. Good luck to all who have submitted. 

[puts out a fresh batch of scones for those still toiling away]

[you can do this!]

[starts setting up the twitching tent right next to scones]

Got my Q4 all ready to go and the portal gave me an error lol. Time to take a deep breath. Will try again in 5. EDIT: Okay, confirmation email received, I'm in! Whew!

Posted by: @laselby

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Got my Q4 all ready to go and the portal gave me an error lol. Time to take a deep breath. Will try again in 5. EDIT: Okay, confirmation email received, I'm in! Whew!