I received my first rejection from F&SF within 7 days from the time it arrived. I must admit I don't feel sad or let down. Weeell maybe a wee bit, but I expected it. Six little words captured my rapt attention: "This story couldn't hold my interest"
This was my one-and-only submission to WoTF and earned an HM. I thought I was off to a great start. I sure hope I can find a home for this story. Time to search duotrope and send it out again.
Posted by Foste (Member # 8892) on :
Don't feel bad. Different editors look for different things.
Good luck placing it on the market!
Posted by genevive42 (Member # 8714) on :
Crystal, that's the standard line on their form rejects. Don't take it personally. I have a bunch that say that - including one for my WotF semi-finalist.
Posted by Crystal Stevens (Member # 8006) on :
Thanks Genevive. I'm so glad to hear that. I honestly thought my story was uninteresting. Obviously, it just wasn't their type of story. Now I can truly concentrate on sending it elsewhere .
Posted by LDWriter2 (Member # 9148) on :
Seems like that is the basic line for F&SF. Every assistant editor has used it or something very much like it. That goes for Van Gelder before he bought it and very a while afterwards.
John Jacob Adams seems to have borrowed it or perhaps always used it. But Stephen has one or two other very slightly different lines. One is "Couldn't hold my attention" which is the one you got. I assume he at least read beyond the opening in that case. But he also says it "Couldn't grab his attention" which I take to mean he read only the first 13 lines. Seems like someone else said he has another phrase but I've never seen it.
I will add, even though it may sound like discouragement, none of my HMs have sold and only one has received an extra comment. But I have heard from someone who has sold a HM. So it can be done...I wouldn't be surprised if yours is one of them. Don't forget that different markets usually look for different types of stories and styles of writing, within fantasy or SF.
[This message has been edited by LDWriter2 (edited June 10, 2011).]
Posted by EVOC (Member # 9381) on :
They use "Couldn't hold my interest." and "Just didn't work for me." a lot.
I think they have a random form letter generator
I actually welcome the rejections because I know I already made it farther then most who just simply let the story sit on the hard drive.
Send it right out to the next market too. The longer you dwell on it the more likely you are to stop sending it. I always send mine out the same day I get the rejection.
Keep trying!
Posted by MartinV (Member # 5512) on :
quote:I actually welcome the rejections because I know I already made it farther then most who just simply let the story sit on the hard drive.
Which includes me. :|
Drat, it really does.
Posted by axeminister (Member # 8991) on :
Good line EVOC.
My stories dwell on my hard drive where they are like trees falling in forests with no one around to hear them.
Axe
Posted by mrmeadors (Member # 6378) on :
Agreed with everyone else. That's basically what they all say. after that, they just get into a more in depth description as to WHY they thought the story didn't hold their interest. "Didn't hold my interest" "doesn't suit our needs at this time." or sometimes, "Please keep us in mind for future submissions." (LOL the last time I got that letter, I swear, I was out on my front stairs and I said out loud, "Why, so you can REJECT me again?" (in a light-hearted snarky way...). My neighbors just smile and wave...
Posted by Robert Nowall (Member # 2764) on :
I suppose the guys at F & SF know by now that we rejected writers discuss things among ourselves, now...they must realize we all know their standard rejection form letters...I suppose it beats the photocopied slips of Asimov's and Analog...
Other than that...try Asimov's or Analog, at least...
Posted by tchernabyelo (Member # 2651) on :
JJA used to be the reader at F&SF; they stil use the system that, IIRC, he instituted.
Rejections do vary. There is "didn't grab my interest" which means the reader did not get beyond the opening; "didn't hold my interest" means that the story didn't deliver on opening promise. I think there's another for ones that were read all the way to the end but then not selected.
Posted by Ethereon (Member # 9133) on :
I believe you're right tchern, and that "didn't quite work for me" is used when the reader got to the end of the story. So the form letters are tiered, but as we continually remind ourselves it only represent the reaction of one very busy reader.
Posted by JenniferHicks (Member # 8201) on :
Is JJA using those same tiers at Lightspeed and Fantasy? If so, maybe I'm doing better than I thought. "It didn't quite work for me" is the only thing I've ever gotten from him.
Posted by MAP (Member # 8631) on :
Congrats on getting the story out there.
Don't let rejections get you down. Everyone gets them.
Good luck.
Posted by Robert Nowall (Member # 2764) on :
It's sometimes said that if you haven't gotten enough rejection slips to paper your office walls to the point where you can't see the plaster, you haven't put in enough effort in your writing. So go out there and get that next rejection!
Posted by LDWriter2 (Member # 9148) on :
Well, again tonight I know the feeling about F&SF.
After my first rejection from them I vowed to write one that would grab they're attention... That was a few years ago.
Posted by Robert Nowall (Member # 2764) on :
I don't know if I've grabbed F & SF's attention, but I do know they grabbed the first page of the last two MSS I sent them...
:| 