posted
None of my HMs have sold and only one got a personal comment. Obviously they needed some work, but I was hoping that one would get more comments, at least, but nothing. Or some of the others would get comments.
Well, this last one has only been sent out to a couple of markets so it could still get something.
And I didn't list any as HMs in the cover letters.
posted
WotF is a unique market. A full-time author who has sold, to date, about fifty short stories and novels once said that none of her entries in the WotF contest did well. She was grateful when she no longer qualified so she could stop wondering if the contest winners were better writers than she was.
What impresses KDW might impress no one else, and vice versa.
posted
I'm still in the dark, even though I didn't trade crits with you all this quarter. Sent an email to Joni on Sunday, just to see what was going on. Seems like something strange is happening with the entries. Or maybe that's just my imagination.
quote:I am interested to hear how other silver HM honors (I believe Izanobu and Tom Carpenter have received one as well) did with there stories.
My silver HM had received a personal rejection from Asimov's before I sent it to the contest. I've received nothing but form rejections since and it's currently out at F&SF.
posted
I hope those of you who are still waiting hear from Joni soon. I wonder what the holdup is. It seems the trickle of results is more trickle-ly than usual.
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Still waiting. Knowing Tom's history in tha contest, and having read Ethereon's works, I can say that I am in some very good company. I have theories why we haven't heard anything, from bad to better.
1) Web gremlins ate our scripts. Likelihood: 6%
This is the first quarter WotF is trying electronic submissions so this is a distinctive possibilty. I did get a confirmation from Joni that my script was received so I am doubting this happened to me. For the other two? Maybe...
2) They're sitting in an unread file, unsent file, or lonely attachment in an email. Likelihood: 12%
Oh what a shame that would be. I can see Joni sending batches - 20 at a time - to KDW's computer. How easy it would it be for She Who Must Be Impressed to miss that? I am betting the dynamic duo have made safeguards to prevent that type of mistake, but mistakes do happen. I read of an author whose mailed in script ws lost and they found it 2 years after he sent it in the contests office (They judged it then and gave him a Quarter Finalist honor (what they called HM's before)), so they have made mistakes in the past.
3) Joni has been just too busy to pass out the remaining HM's and rejections. Likelihood: 73%
Let's see, she has an award ceremony to set up. Plane tickets for the winners and hotels to reserve. Then there are the judges to worry about, hall, events... AAAAHHHH!!! Who has time to worry about sending bad news? They'll get it sooner or later. The problem with this is previously rejected authors got notified a second time (more salt for that wound please...). Still, if there is a reason why we're still in the dark, this is it.
4) We are in the last group of scripts that KDW liked but didn't get passed up. Likelihood: 8%
This would be higher because for some reason, with the exception of one quarter, every entry I ever sent I heard in the last group. Can't explain the rejects that fell in that group but the contest apparently knows I have patience. The biggest problem with this is semi-finalists and silver Hm'ers (congrats Jennifer Hicks again) have already been notified, weeks ago.
5) We are all finalist, they just haven't told us because writers with good news have loose lips. Likelihood: >1%
Oh but wouldn't that be great. The only reason why I am entertaining this at all is because of the company I am in. I could live with this reason...
[This message has been edited by snapper (edited April 16, 2011).]
posted
The finalists are usually the first to be informed of their status, but little about how this quarter's results are going out has been normal. Snapper, I think you're right that the most probable reason you, Thomas and Ethereon haven't heard is because Joni is ultra-busy getting everything ready for the workshop and ceremony. But knowing that certainly does not make the wait any easier. I would be pulling my hair out by now if I were you.
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posted
Not really. Like I said, it seems like I'm always the last to hear how I did. It's fun speculating why I haven't.
Usually word leaks out that a friend of a friend heard of someone that got a call, which would make my last reason plausible. However, I know of one other person who is waiting, which makes it all that more unlikely of my best case scenario.
Hmmm, maybe Joni caught word of my april fools prank and is now punishing me.
quote:You seriously have to keep it quiet if you are a finalist?
Yep. The reason is they don't want the judges to know who wrote what. Me shouting "My story was a finalist! Pick Me! Pick Me is one of the top 8! For those who read it, it was the one about the trolls stealing the prince..." and a potential judge happens to see the post. Unlikely but still a disqualification.
[This message has been edited by snapper (edited April 16, 2011).]
posted
So it's possible that one to three of you know already but have been forbidden to say anything. Hmmm, the other two haven't said much lately and I wouldn't put it past you, snapper, to go through all this even though you know.
I forget all of the levels at the moment but is it possible to have reached the level below finalist and not be told yet because she be busy? But what is just below finalist, silver HM?
I kinda know the frustration of having orders not to tell. I was a HM in another contest and we couldn't say anything 'till the official announcement was given. It was burning in me to say something, to final get that far. I know of a couple of people who sort of, kinda, in a way hinted at it. One admitted to it afterwards.
posted
I'm sure glad I queried. I got this response from Joni today:
quote:Wow, this is really wild. You were sent an e-mail like everyone else that you were an Honorable Mention in the 1st quarter. This was 3 weeks ago.
I didn't recieve any confirmation email either. Wierd, eh?
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posted
Congrats! Nothing for me. I'm going to wait and see if my name appears on the congratulatory roll they post later.
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posted
You say some people got two notifications while others didn't receive theirs. Perhaps one batch got repeated and one left out. The numbers would still match up on their end... Just a thought. I don't know.
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posted
I'd love to say I was keeping it a secret, but I still don't know anything.
I also queried Joni last week since I'd received a confirmation back in October when I sent in my entry the electronic way, but she hasn't replied yet. But I'm going with the "too busy" theory. Honestly, it's been so long, I'm past anxious.
And I like your list, Snapper. I've thought about those options as well. The nagging thought that's been running through my head is that for the illustrators last quarter, they didn't let them know they were finalists and just surprised them with their wins.
Honestly, even if this isn't what's happening and it's the more likely scenario that Joni is busy, they probably should go to that system. There are too many of us that are going to workshops put on by the judges (Dean Smith, Kris Rusch, Dave Wolverton, etc.)
Even though I'm sure those judges would never break the rules, an inadvertent slip by someone or even a friend who has knowledge of the story could DQ someone on accident and that would be a bummer.
Anyway, nothing to do but keep waiting and decide which story I'm going to send into Q3.
posted
Got my reply from Joni. Was a straight rejection and she said I should have received it three weeks ago. I'd probably fire off a query, Snapper.
As for the story, I thought this one might do well since it got close at both Apex and Clarkesworld. *shrug*
And grats all you that got good results, belated or not.
posted
Well, Tom, at least now your story is free to send off to someone who will appreciate it (LOL That's what I tell myself every time I receive a rejection, anyway...). Good Luck with it!
posted
That really sucks Tom. Not just for you but for me too. Your previous post raised an eyebrow from my end. Hearing you're not a finalist (I know how good you are) sunk my last vessel of hope.
Let's see...I can whine continiously and keep this thread alive for a very long time that I'm still waiting or bug Joni instead. Flip a coin.
posted
Good luck, snapper. FYI, a person on the WotF board posted today that Joni indicated in an e-mail that all the results for Q1 had been sent.
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posted
Snapper, have you checked your spam folder. That is where I found my reject when it came. Alternatively, maybe it will be a double submission for the next quarter, and you have twice the chance to win.
Ethereon, was your HM story the one that won the challenge here?
[This message has been edited by Brendan (edited April 20, 2011).]
quote:There are too many of us that are going to workshops put on by the judges (Dean Smith, Kris Rusch, Dave Wolverton, etc.)
Even though I'm sure those judges would never break the rules, an inadvertent slip by someone or even a friend who has knowledge of the story could DQ someone on accident and that would be a bummer.
This raises an interesting point. What if a judge had input into the story at one of these workshops, and then later had to judge it at WOTF? A DQ would be poor form. A non-judgment would unfairly bias the votes against the story winning. The judge keeping it to themselves would unfairly bias the votes towards the story winning. So what do they do?
posted
A judge may have input into a story, but the author is still the one who does any rewrites based on that input.
I would suspect that on the chance of such a think coming up, potential judges would not give specific input, just general suggestions.
I also think that if a judge recognized a story from a workshop, the judge would let KDW know, and that judge might not vote on the story (making it necessary for KDW to pro-rate (sort of) the votes of the other judges).
It wouldn't hurt to ask though. Please share any answer you get?
posted
I was wondering something along the same lines. Dean has read around 30 of my stories and even though that was years ago, I've wondered if he could recognize my writing, especially with the comma and grammar mistakes I keep making.
After reading so many different writers' works, when he was an editor, he probably won't but I would think there would be a chance. But I would imagine that has come up before.
posted
I always check my spam. You have to if you submit to magazines. 10% of the responses I receive I'll find in there (including an acceptance).
Like I said, I always seem to be the last person to find out how I did every quarter. I suspect the KDW twins are behind it somehow. It's a conspiracy. :\
[This message has been edited by snapper (edited April 20, 2011).]
posted
Wow - two quarters in a row as a semi-finalist for Gwendolyn Clare, whoever she is. She must be doing something right... and then again, just not quite right enough... Probably happy and frustrated at the same time. I wouldn't know.
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posted
I don't know Gwendolyn personally, but I know of her. She has been a semi-finalist four or five times, I think. One of her semi-finalist stories was published by Clarkesworld last month. She's about to pro out of the contest.
posted
Gwendolyn Clare has been a semifinialst the past four quarters (plus 5 HMs before that). It sounds great, but I'm sure it's very frustrating for her at this point: so close, but never breaking into the finalist ring.
It certainly isn't the quality of her writing; she had a piece in Clarkesworld last month.
Edited to add: Jennifer, great minds. ;-)
[This message has been edited by Grayson Morris (edited April 21, 2011).]
posted
I'm still around - sorta. I've been trying to cut down on the internet-procrastinating but I do come to lurk every once in a while and see what I'm missing. :-)
Re: a question raised a little earlier - at one point OSC suggested I send my bootcamp story in to WotF and didn't seem to think it would be any problem that he'd already read/commented on it. Of course, he claimed that was because he was so uber-forgetful, but I suspect they also have a mechanism in place if one of the judges recognizes the story.
When i was in Dave Farlands Death Camp last November he told the class that he wouldnt look over any potential WOTF entries from class members because he didnt want to have to recuse himself from judging if he saw an entry he knew. Mostly because the anonymity of it would be compromised.
Also at OSC's workshop last year he said that he hasnt judged WOTF in years.
[This message has been edited by Dark Warrior (edited April 21, 2011).]
quote:Like I said, I always seem to be the last person to find out how I did every quarter. I suspect the KDW twins are behind it somehow. It's a conspiracy. :\
I am wondering, maybe they have been stopped by the FBI. Something about some bribery case...
These things come in three's but the 3 are usually different. So let's see...Ethereon got an HM, Tom Carpenter got a reject. We know I'm not a semi or finalist, si what's left?
I don't usually share private correspondences but I'm going to make an exception. Here is part of my email from Joni on the state of my lost Q1 entry...
quote:Dear Frank,
I just checked it out. I have a big question for you.
Did you click on the "Submit" button just below the place where you upload your story? Your story is sitting there nicely in our computer but it remained in "drafts" !!!!!! (instead of submitted)
palm to forehead moment there. Could have sworn I did. She said she sent an email to me informing it was still sitting in 'draft' but alas, my files show no email made it to me. You think Joni may be getting a little frustrated with the new submission process? I'm not sure what she thinks of it but this might be a clue...
quote:This computerization is doing my nut. I can't wait until every kink is ironed out. Hopefully that will happen before I die. AHhhhhhhhhhh........................................... (that's the sound of me jumping off a cliff)
For those of us who can't go, I would have to miss work the next day, WotF is going to show it on the internet. A live stream I believe.
Boy, with all of those names there I want to go, maybe if some day I can get further up the ladder I can talk myself into going...nice dream. Probably by stuck on the first step (HM) for a longer time.
We'll be very busy through the 18th of May and I ask you to refrain from writing to the contest from now until that time. You will not be answered until after the 18th of May. Just giving you warning, not that we've gone away or don't care about you anymore, we just have our hands full!!!! Launching more careers!"
posted
I saw that and I noticed that last sentence.
But she also stated the certificates are late but they have new, even better ones.
With their artwork lately-wish I could get a copy of their snail mail invite-- they might be very nice to look at. If they are I might do something with mine besides putting it away.
But there goes my thought to ask if they were going to include a bookmark with the certificate.
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