posted
Those rejections are nice, though sometimes it's frustrating to know you got so close. They're especially nice from pro pubs. It means you're getting real close.
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posted
Sometimes civility is unhelpful it would seem. "It was well recieved"...followed by rejection? I suppose it would be a burden on their part to have to explain every rejection, but I would imagine it would be nice to hear "but we didn't like this character" or "this seems to dark for our readers." That would say its good, but in short here's why we don't think its for us.
Then again, not knowing it leaves you free to write what you want to write and just keeping tossing it out till someone takes it rather than trying to tailor everything to others.
posted
Ah, you said that in your first post. I am getting increasingly worse at being able to read. Perhaps when my boys are old enough to read, we can slowly make our way through Dr Seuss together.
It looks like you should send your story off to another market so I can read the published version!
I'm late here but I too thought it was Abyss and Apex. I've gotten the same thing. The first time I thought I might be getting some where but after the second one I realized it was just their form letter. But some magazines are nicer than others, some are kinda cold.
Someone said something that sounded like their novel rejection sounded apologetic. I have ran into those type with my stories. A couple of the newer e-zines try to make it sound like it was their fault.
posted
A & A are very nice with their rejections but it may make them disingenious. One of my first places to submit was to them. I was 'giddy' when I got that exact message. I envisioned the slush readers and editor mulling it over while they shuffled through all their short cuts, deciding to publish one of J K Rowling's or Michael Crighton's very rare short story offerings instead.
Every person I know who has submitted to them has received that message. It's kinda of like discovering you're one of the finalist for the Publishing Clearing House sweepstakes when you learn it's a standard rejection form.
I am not wanting to burst your bubble, Meredith, because I happen to know you write well enough to not be mislead. I have a few places you should consider submitting to that will offer real meaningful feedback (or a publishing contract).
Beneath Ceaseless Skies
They [b]always[/i] gave me a reason why they passed on a submission. Offered a good paragraph or so and will refer to details of your story so you'll know they actually read it. (and they like the kind of stuff you like to write, Meredith)
Andromeda Inflight Space Magazine
They have a three stage submission system but even first round failures usually garner an opinion from the reader. Than can be very encouraging if they find promise in what they read.
Bull Spec
It could be Sam just likes me personally but he'll go into great detail on everything I sent him. He'll even correct grammar and spelling errors. The last one I sent him made it to the editor before he passed. However, his insights helped me to sell it to the next place I sent it.
On The Premises
They'll send standard rejections for all non-finalist but he offers a critique, for 10 bucks. Let me tell you it is worth every penny. You'll get a 1000 word critique for a 5 k story. I've paid for three so far. 2 have since been published and the third he says will sell, with a few changes he suggested I should implement. It is currently in the rounds as we speak.
I recommend these publications to everyone. If they don't buy it, they'll at least try and steer you in the right direction.
quote:A & A are very nice with their rejections but it may make them disingenious. One of my first places to submit was to them. I was 'giddy' when I got that exact message. I envisioned the slush readers and editor mulling it over while they shuffled through all their short cuts, deciding to publish one of J K Rowling's or Michael Crighton's very rare short story offerings instead. Every person I know who has submitted to them has received that message. It's kinda of like discovering you're one of the finalist for the Publishing Clearing House sweepstakes when you learn it's a standard rejection form.
I am not wanting to burst your bubble, Meredith, because I happen to know you write well enough to not be mislead. I have a few places you should consider submitting to that will offer real meaningful feedback (or a publishing contract).
Kinder, gentler form rejections?
quote: Beneath Ceaseless Skies
They [b]always[/i] gave me a reason why they passed on a submission. Offered a good paragraph or so and will refer to details of your story so you'll know they actually read it. (and they like the kind of stuff you like to write, Meredith)
BCS does not love me. Or at least, they haven't loved anything I've sent them so far, including this story. I'm half inclined to send it back to them, though. After all, it was 6800 words when they rejected it. It's down to 5100 words now. It also lost four characters, I think. I'd have to go back for a full count. I can think of four. That probably counts as a major revision.
ETA: I went back to look. They cited pacing as the reason they didn't like this story ("Becoming Lioness"). Cutting a quarter of the words is very likely to have done something to improve that.
quote:Andromeda Inflight Space Magazine
They have a three stage submission system but even first round failures usually garner an opinion from the reader. Than can be very encouraging if they find promise in what they read.
I haven't tried them. This might be the time.
quote:Bull Spec
It could be Sam just likes me personally but he'll go into great detail on everything I sent him. He'll even correct grammar and spelling errors. The last one I sent him made it to the editor before he passed. However, his insights helped me to sell it to the next place I sent it.
Has Bull Spec speeded up? The only time I submitted to them, they were another one of those black holes (like Tor.com) where my story just seemed to disappear forever.
quote:On The Premises
They'll send standard rejections for all non-finalist but he offers a critique, for 10 bucks. Let me tell you it is worth every penny. You'll get a 1000 word critique for a 5 k story. I've paid for three so far. 2 have since been published and the third he says will sell, with a few changes he suggested I should implement. It is currently in the rounds as we speak.
Never submitted to them either. But this is a themed publication, right? So my story would have to fit their theme or there wouldn't be any point.
[This message has been edited by Meredith (edited February 28, 2011).]
posted
I will second the crit being worth it on On The Premise. Well worth it. The time I did, they pointed out so many things that I never even saw or thought of. Its amazing how confused I can make some people.
On rejections, today I got another rejection from an agent. And it was amazing just how a simple personalized rejection, even if only a couple lines could make the difference and install a little hope.
posted
If you plan on sending that story to BCS for a second go around, I suggest a title change. Most editors frown on resubmissions. they may have your story and submission history on file.
Btw, when did you send that story to A&A? Was it in November or was it for their most recent submission peroid in February?
[This message has been edited by snapper (edited March 04, 2011).]
posted
It was February. I actually had planned to send it in November, but they didn't open for submissions in November of last year. Something about a computer change.
If I send it back to BCS, I'll be up front in the cover letter that it's a resubmission after significant revision. If they don't want to read it again, they don't have to, but they can't accuse me of wasting their time.
ETA: Correction, it was "Mage Storm" I intended to send in November as "Becoming Lioness" was still at Heroic Fantasy Quarterly then. Now, I've decided to hold "Mage Storm" for the time being. I might want to use the short story version in some way to boost sales if I can sell the novel version of MAGE STORM. Maybe make a .pdf file for free download from my blog or something. Well, there's time to worry about that. Still querying.
[This message has been edited by Meredith (edited March 04, 2011).]
posted
Interesting. The one I sent them was at the beginning of February. Better not read anything into that, they say two months is there usual turnaround.
That may be a wise idea (BCS cover letter). Have you considered trimming it down to under 5k? You could shop it to Fantasy if you did. That would be a nice sale if you made that one.
Good luck!
OH, on Mage Storm. Selling the short story will likely help the novel more than the novel helping the short story. Orson S Card sold his novella Ender's Game first than rewrote the entire thing and sold it as a novel.
quote:OH, on Mage Storm. Selling the short story will likely help the novel more than the novel helping the short story. Orson S Card sold his novella Ender's Game first than rewrote the entire thing and sold it as a novel.
Hmm. Things have changed a bit since then. I'm only thinking of the possibility of the short story generating some buzz or interest in the novel at around the time the novel (hopefully) is published. (Hence the idea of giving it away for free.) Like I said, there's time for that. In the mean time, I'm holding that one in reserve while I consider the possibilities.
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