posted
Maybe this has already been covered, and sorry if it has. I don't have a lot of experience with submissions or rejections (yet), and I'm not sure how to gauge this.
I received a rejection today from one of the big three. It was not a form letter. Rather, it was written by the editor and said things like, "Thanks for submitting ... but I'm afraid this one's not for me"; "I didn't connect, ... alas"; "Best of luck to you with this one."
I read this as a case in which the story was up to snuff but didn't meet the editor's tastes. Right or wrong? Is this a standard sort of response? Or should I take heart that because the editor took the time to respond personally, I'm on the right track?
posted
I'd be absolutely thrilled to get a personalized response like this. So far I've collected a modest-sized shoe box of rejections, and only one was personalized for the story I submitted. The editor praised the descriptive language, but said the plot "suffered" b/c of it. Which was right on, since this particular literary fantasy wasn't about plot but atmosphere.
So it certainly sounds like the editor liked your story, just found it unsuitable for their publication. It may be a rejection, but it's an encouraging one. Congrats.
posted
I have recieved a few positive ones. They do help. Alot of times it does mean they thought your story was good but it wasn't right for that publication. You can see my latest personalized rejection in my Charging Up Charlie post in F&F. That was the second most reassuring one that I have recieved.
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posted
Bent Tree, that's a really thoughtful letter you received, and any comparison to Ken Scholes is a good one. I've never read that particular story of his, though.
Well, I'm going to print out another copy of my story and put it in the mail tomorrow. Gotta keep trying. Although I can't think of any markets that specialize in Western Sci-fi. It might just be that this particular piece isn't speculative enough.
posted
Yes, "Big Three" means Asimov's, Analog, and F&SF.
I think a personal rejection would be highly encouraging. They get thousands of submissions a year and deal with the bulk with form rejections, no time for more.
I've been analyzing mags just recently, and they take slightly different flavours of story. Analog is straight Campbell: they seem to want a strong element of fictional science. Asimov's are more literary, for want of a better word: they seem more interested in characters in science-fictionesque settings. Haven't analyzed F&SF. Interzone seems several shades darker, more literary than Campbelly.
Which is a long-winded way of saying that a story that isn't to one editor's taste may fit another's.
Good luck with that story, I continue to believe it ought to sell.
posted
A personalized rejection (I have a few under my belt) is a sure sign that you held the editor's interest through most or even all of your story. Yet there was some problem or problem(s) that nagged enough to earn you a thumbs-down. Which the editor will usually describe if they are taking the time to pen you anything. I'd wager if you start getting a lot of these, especially from a certain editor, you're very close to breaking through and should pay very close attention to the stories you send that editor in the future. Read the magazine, read the personalized rejections, and try to polish each submission as much as you can to make the grade.
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posted
Hmm, this particular letter did not mention any particular problems with the story. Only that the editor didn't connect with it. Thank you everyone for your comments.
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posted
Well, the last "personalized" rejections I got were, I'm pretty sure, computer-generated replies. Plug in name-of-writer, name-of-story, and bingo! it looks personalized.
I think the last really personalized rejections I got were back in the days of the Scithers-edited Asimov's and Amazing---you older types remember them, helpful comments with nearly every single story they sent back.
posted
I hadn't thought about that possibility, Robert. I guess I'm too naive sometimes. I'll have to wait until I get another rejection from that market (which I'm sure will happen at some point) and compare.
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posted
I, too, have received vaguely pleasant, but unspecific, rejection letters from F&SF, and then gotten the exact same letter 6 months later for another story.
I've actually gotten ink from some smaller magazine, which meant a lot to me, and some that handle things by e-mail, like Andromeda Spaceways In-Flight, will send out the reviewers comments. Which is helpful.
Bottom line -- keep sending it. Some editor, someplace once said -- let me decide--don't do my job for me. I think a western Sci-Fi could fit in alot of places. It would be a pleasant change of pace.
posted
Yes, F&SF's form letter sounds more pleasant and conversational than most, but it's still a form letter. I assume everything is a form letter unless it mentions specific details about the story.
Even though F&SF's is a form letter, I've heard there are tiers of success even within the form letter. This is just hearsay and conjecture, because I've only received the bottom of the ladder:
1. "didn't grab my interest"--He didn't make it all the way through. All of my rejections from F&SF are in this vein, means he read the first few pages or so then stopped. 2. "didn't hold my interest"--Got him going for a little while, but not enough to be really interested. 3. "not right for this magazine"--The story's good, but just plain doesn't fit the "style" the magazine has set for itself.
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