Jibber Jabber - Q1 - 29

(Trust me, I'm antsy as can be. Being a non-published finalist just makes you think that every single quarter is a victory waiting to explode.)

Me too!

However, I will say that if/when I get a rejection, I'd much prefer it not be Q1 because this is my first entry after my finalist. An R would hurt whenever, but it would hurt most this time.

"Hey, you're great!"

"Not."

Remember, Caesar, thou art mortal.

And if you forget, the universe shall arrange to remind you.

(Trust me, I'm antsy as can be. Being a non-published finalist just makes you think that every single quarter is a victory waiting to explode.)

Me too!

However, I will say that if/when I get a rejection, I'd much prefer it not be Q1 because this is my first entry after my finalist. An R would hurt whenever, but it would hurt most this time.

"Hey, you're great!"

"Not."

You cannot look at it that way, just because one thing you produce is great doesn't mean it is all genius. Bands do this all the time. They produce a great first record, their second one fails and the third is bigger than the first. It is all part of the learning process, though I do hope that you do just as well this Quarter. Best.

Being a non-published finalist just makes you think that every single quarter is a victory waiting to explode.)

I will say that if/when I get a rejection, I'd much prefer it not be Q1 because this is my first entry after my finalist. An R would hurt whenever, but it would hurt most this time.

"A victory waiting to explode" could apply in both cases, couldn't it? I certainly understand the fear, not that I'm in that position, of course. It seems like it is essentially an amplification of that fear we all probably feel when we look back at a successful story and can't for the life of us figure out how to do it again. But we slog in again anyway and try to hack a story out of the boulder of idea/inspiration (a bit of a broken metaphor, I know).

Good luck!

that fear we all probably feel when we look back at a successful story and can't for the life of us figure out how to do it again.

This very fear paralyzed me for weeks after my news.
My Q1 is the story I wrote when I first unfroze, so...

No news is no news. (or am I starting that too early?)

D

that fear we all probably feel when we look back at a successful story and can't for the life of us figure out how to do it again.

This very fear paralyzed me for weeks after my news.
My Q1 is the story I wrote when I first unfroze, so...

No news is no news. (or am I starting that too early?)

D

As much as I love that expression, I'm feeling particularly perverse today.

No news is theoretically (yes, that kind of theoretically) good news and bad news at the same time. It doesn't resolve into good or bad until news happens.

Ommm.

Hm. Maybe I need a instead there.

Schroedinger's News, eh?

In fact, one might say that until you open it, the email itself, when it arrives, could contain either good or bad news (unless it gives a hint from the subject line). So...there is nothing either good or bad, but clicking makes it so.

The logical side of me asks, “Is the news either good or bad just because you haven’t read it?” I believe it is either good or bad the moment you hit the “SUBMIT” button. That is the point where you’re personal control over the outcome has ended. From there, otherworldly forces will determine if the news of your results will come in the form of a polite e-mail or a phone call. After you SUBMIT, you can no longer have an inspiration that will lift your story to the top of the others or doom your story with an ill advised edit. From SUBMIT foreword, your news will come in whatever form it was going to come no matter what you do in the mean time.

I take “no news is no news” as equivalent to a tree falling in the woods and making a sound, no matter if someone was there to hear it or not. You don’t know and likely can’t know if your personal news will be good or bad by the same degree from the moment you hit SUBMIT, until the moment you get your news. So trying to glean your success from the length of time, or the number of other responses will not change your results, so until you do get your news, there is no news.

Of course the emotional side of me says that the dreams and fears will continue as long as the news has not arrived, despite how hard I try to keep a logical focus. But isn’t that what helps separate me from the box I’m using to type this with?

that fear we all probably feel when we look back at a successful story and can't for the life of us figure out how to do it again.

This very fear paralyzed me for weeks after my news.
My Q1 is the story I wrote when I first unfroze, so...

No news is no news. (or am I starting that too early?)

D

As much as I love that expression, I'm feeling particularly perverse today.

No news is theoretically (yes, that kind of theoretically) good news and bad news at the same time. It doesn't resolve into good or bad until news happens.

Ommm.

Hm. Maybe I need a instead there.

Schrodingers Outlaw

I've been waiting for weeks for someone to make a Schrodinger's Cat joke so I could work this into the conversation.

That is a great story!
I reviewed it on Diabolical Plots. (December not posted yet.)

I'm currently shopping my own Schrodinger story around.
Well, I will be as soon as I submit it somewhere, but I've written it!

D

that fear we all probably feel when we look back at a successful story and can't for the life of us figure out how to do it again.

This very fear paralyzed me for weeks after my news.
My Q1 is the story I wrote when I first unfroze, so...

No news is no news. (or am I starting that too early?)

D

As much as I love that expression, I'm feeling particularly perverse today.

No news is theoretically (yes, that kind of theoretically) good news and bad news at the same time. It doesn't resolve into good or bad until news happens.

Ommm.

Hm. Maybe I need a instead there.

So our results are the cat in the box? Is it dead or alive? Both, until we open it.

Edit: I should have read the whole list before I replied (see Kary's response). AND another edit...perhaps I should just delete my response. Too late to this conversation. That's what I get for trying to spell words for my daughter while I read this thread and type up a response. bleh

A friend from my writing group just got a rejection, so they are flying fast and furious today.

Just another thought I had today:

In Duotrope we have 31 reported rejections out of probably around 100 listed submissions (c.31%)
In the forum we have 4 reported rejections out of probably not less than 50 submissions (c. 8%)

So, either a lot of people in the forum have received rejections and aren't in a mood to talk about it just yet (which is perfectly understandable, of course), or we are going to have an out of proportion amount of semi and finalists.
I really favor the latter explanation, of course.

WRITE! WRITE! WRITE! WRITE! WRITE!

SUBMIT! SUBMIT! SUBMIT! SUBMIT! SUBMIT!

REPEAT! REPEAT! REPEAT! REPEAT! REPEAT!

Patience... Patience... Patience... Patience... Patience...

That is all.

CHOMP CHOMP CHOMP, Martin!

Is it my imagination or haven't there been any personal rejections (ie. most likely Honourable Mentions) yet?
I thought the last quarter rejections and HMs came together.

CHOMP CHOMP CHOMP, Martin!

Is it my imagination or haven't there been any personal rejections (ie. most likely Honourable Mentions) yet?
I thought the last quarter rejections and HMs came together.

Because there are no formal standards, an HM might be reported as Rejection, Form Rejection, Personal Rejection... But I'm unaware of any HMs yet.

Apropos to the discussion of outliers on Duotrope, I'm sure folks noticed that the most recent outlier for WOTF was posted as having come in on the 9th when it was only the 8th. I'm assuming that the date being wrong/impossible made the system discount that entry from the analysis.

Apropos to the discussion of outliers on Duotrope, I'm sure folks noticed that the most recent outlier for WOTF was posted as having come in on the 9th when it was only the 8th. I'm assuming that the date being wrong/impossible made the system discount that entry from the analysis.

Could it have been the 9th though in Australia or someplace on that side of the world?

Apropos to the discussion of outliers on Duotrope, I'm sure folks noticed that the most recent outlier for WOTF was posted as having come in on the 9th when it was only the 8th. I'm assuming that the date being wrong/impossible made the system discount that entry from the analysis.

Could it have been the 9th though in Australia or someplace on that side of the world?

That's what I assumed. It might be different for those fantasy authors; but for us SF authors, the world is round.

(Well, OK, to be precise, it's an oblate spheroid with irregularities...)

Could it have been the 9th though in Australia or someplace on that side of the world?

Certainly possible, though I wonder if Duotrope accounts for that. Not that it really matters, in the grand scheme.

Still waiting for news. Do the rejections always come by email (as opposed to SASE) and does the "good news" always come by a personal phone call? I went to Duotrope once. To retain my sanity, I refuse to go back!

My semi-finalist submission was via email and I got the response via email.
The only bad thing about getting higher than an HM is the wait...

Still waiting for news. Do the rejections always come by email (as opposed to SASE) and does the "good news" always come by a personal phone call? I went to Duotrope once. To retain my sanity, I refuse to go back!

I suppose submissions sent in by post with an SASE will receive negative results (probably including an HM) that way. Semis and Silver HMs, I have no idea, though I suspect that mail (or e-mail) would be the norm. But finalists do get a call, I am almost certain.

What I've always wondered about is whether finalists (or even semifinalists) find out while they are still in the running for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place spots, or do they get notified that they are a finalist (or semi) only after the winners have been chosen? That is, is there a period of heightened tension in which you know you've made it to the finalist stage, but don't know if you won or placed? Just curious.

Still waiting for news. Do the rejections always come by email (as opposed to SASE) and does the "good news" always come by a personal phone call? I went to Duotrope once. To retain my sanity, I refuse to go back!

Finalists get phone calls. Everyone else gets email. I don't think anyone gets postal mail, but maybe postal subs do.

And a very wise sanity move on your part!

What I've always wondered about is whether finalists (or even semifinalists) find out while they are still in the running for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place spots, or do they get notified that they are a finalist (or semi) only after the winners have been chosen? That is, is there a period of heightened tension in which you know you've made it to the finalist stage, but don't know if you won or placed? Just curious.

Semis get notified near the end, followed by Finalists. And yes, there is a long, agonizing stretch of heightened tension when Finalists can't even tell anyone (because the Contest wants to make the formal announcement) followed by a long, agonizing stretch of heightened tension waiting for the winner announcement.

What I've always wondered about is whether finalists (or even semifinalists) find out while they are still in the running for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place spots, or do they get notified that they are a finalist (or semi) only after the winners have been chosen? That is, is there a period of heightened tension in which you know you've made it to the finalist stage, but don't know if you won or placed? Just curious.

Semis get notified near the end, followed by Finalists. And yes, there is a long, agonizing stretch of heightened tension when Finalists can't even tell anyone (because the Contest wants to make the formal announcement) followed by a long, agonizing stretch of heightened tension waiting for the winner announcement.

Ok.. I have to ask... aghhhhh... how close are we to the end? Weeks? Days? Hours? I'm being silly. Of course, not hours. Right?

When I got my semi, believe there were still HM and rejections going out. These might have been delayed reports or via mail. I semi's are notified en-mass right before finalists since we are allowed to crow about it then.

My theory is:

1) there is a quick sniff test. First couple of paragraphs and last couple of paragraphs. Does the story end well, does it show extraordinary writing or a sci-fi/ fantasy element in the beginning. This is when you hear the first round of rejections.
2) The ones passing #1 then are read. Does the story flow, does it have what it takes to be more than just readable. If it doesn't stand out in writing or concept or isn't completely readable, it gets a rejection. If it stands out, it gets an HM if it shines it gets put in another pile.
3) once everything has made it to #2, the "shining" stories are judged against each other. The top 8 become finalists, the rests semi.

Just my working theory.

Just my working theory.

I think that theory makes a lot of sense, and it doesn't contradict anything I've read from K.D. If it's not accurate, it's probably close.

Could it have been the 9th though in Australia or someplace on that side of the world?

Certainly possible, though I wonder if Duotrope accounts for that. Not that it really matters, in the grand scheme.

I suppose people report rejections (or acceptances, for that matter) depending on the calendar day when they receive the letter and not when it was posted - Duotrope doesn't care about this one way or the other. I think outliers are characterized due to any number of reasons - one of them might be that they report an unusually high proportion of acceptances, for instance (I remember reading in the FAQ that Stephen King would be considered an outlier).

Ok.. I have to ask... aghhhhh... how close are we to the end? Weeks? Days? Hours? I'm being silly. Of course, not hours. Right?

No one can know for sure. It depends on how many entries they received and how busy K.D. is and how efficient their processing is.

If -- HUGE if -- this quarter is like last quarter, we're somewhere between a few days and a couple weeks.

Until then...

WRITE! WRITE! WRITE! WRITE! WRITE!

SUBMIT! SUBMIT! SUBMIT! SUBMIT! SUBMIT!

REPEAT! REPEAT! REPEAT! REPEAT! REPEAT!

Patience... Patience... Patience... Patience... Patience...