Rejection Blues

[RichardThomas]

they know i'm an idiot already

[Craig Wallwork]

HA! Wait till I tell Nik Korpon and Dwyer!

[RichardThomas]

Don't forget Rotten Leaves, Richard. http://www.rottenleaves.com/ Love the artwork and stories coming out of that place recently.

I mean Rotten Leaves. DUH. I always say Rotten Tomatoes (a movie review site).

[Craig Wallwork]

Don't forget Rotten Leaves, Richard. http://www.rottenleaves.com/ Love the artwork and stories coming out of that place recently.

[RichardThomas]

People have mentioned Zoetrope, it's a good place. I'm a workshop moderator at The Cult (chuckpalahniuk.net) and for $40/year they have a nice group too. I forget any others that were mentioned. The best way to see how it translates to others is to start shopping stories. When an editor accepts it, you know you're doing well. Feel free to aim a little lower when you're first getting started. Just get some work out there to some fun, cool websites. You can certainly aim for the best if you want, but submitting to CD and F&SF, Clarkesworld, Asimov's, Shroud, Shock Totem, Black Static and then getting nothing but rejections can be a bit hard to take when you're first starting out. But certainly, aim high if you think you have a shot. Nothing wasted but a little bit of time and effort. Good luck!

Rotten Leaves and Dirty Noir are looking for work. I've had flash at both. Or just peep Duotrope.

[ozmosis7]

I agree with all of this, and great advice from you guys. It is sometimes very hard to believe i yourself, but you have to keep trying. There will be times when it feels like the door has just been slammed a dozen times in your face, but you have to keep trying to open it up. Sometimes you will receive a handful of rejections in a single day if you put enough stories out there. You have to find someone that appreciates your style, and then another, and then another, etc. No offense to anyone, but I wouldn't worry about not winning this competition. It's been talked about to death, but if you got some true votes for your story be happy with that. It shows someone has liked your story, and you didn't have to ask them to like it for you. That is an accomplishment in itself. Keep on writing.

[RJHubbard53]

that's awesome, Richard! Thanks for that info. I know i'm a newb and i like what I write - i just dont know how it translates to others. I'm currently looking for writing groups for some peer review. ANy tips? Has to be online as I don't have time to go to a class or group - my 10 month old son requires too much attention

[RichardThomas]

great philosophy, nik - very similar to my own belief system, based on the philosopher Nietzsche who said "What does not kill me makes me stronger" - it's tough to get the rejections, but like sales, it's a numbers game - i mean, think about it, if a publication is a 1% acceptance rate, that means you have to beat out 99 stories out of every 100 - WOW - or say it's a 5% acceptance rate, that means out of every 20 submissions, you much be the best - you just have to put the right story in front of the right editor at the right time

rjhubbard53, i'm the same way - one day i'm a total hack and should quit, the next day i get an acceptance or invite to join an anthology or an award and i think, well, maybe i CAN write

i have a story called "Terrapin Station" that i liked a lot, but my professor at my MFA program told me was not thesis material, it was a vignette, and we should move on, he didn't want to see it again - so i started sending it out, and it got into Pear Noir! a nice little print journal with an acceptance rate of 5% i think - so i was happy - a couple months later they told me that they were nominating it for a Pushcart Prize - so, you never know - if YOU love a story, then run with it - you have to believe in your own work, or nobody else will

[Craig Wallwork]

this is why I and so many others are so interested in this vote and feedback on our stories. I have no faith in my work. I have no idea if is workable or total dreck.

This is common, RJ. I think my work is terrible some days, and then others I'm really happy with it. But you shouldn't put all your faith in other people's opinions. Reading is very subjective. What one person dislikes, another loves. Knowing that before you dismantle the racking around your heart is the only real way not to get hurt. Self-belief has to be the anchor to all your work. You'll be cool.

[Craig Wallwork]

Nice philosophy, Nik. Just sometimes the distance between each step can seem to stretch for eternity.

[RJHubbard53]

. . .this takes some serious faith in your work. . .

this is why I and so many others are so interested in this vote and feedback on our stories. I have no faith in my work. I have no idea if is workable or total dreck.

[Nik Houser]

My philosophy on rejections is this, and it can be applied to a story or a novel: eventually, if you stick to it long enough, SOMEONE is going to say "yes, let's publish this." If you could look into the future, you could just see exactly how many rejections it'll take to get to that acceptance, be it 5 or 50 or 500. But you can't. So let's call that number "X." This means that every rejection you receive brings you ONE STEP CLOSER (or one rejection closer) to that acceptance! Now, this takes some serious faith in your work, and it doesn't always cheer me up when a rejection feels particularly depressing. But it can come in handy, for what it's worth.

[Craig Wallwork]

Hooray! I had my first official rejection today.

Copefiend, do you live in a parallel universe? If so, I would be so happy with my inbox right about now. (joking – here’s hoping your taste of rejection is limited and the scars left by the editors do not leave tissue damage and nightmares)

[Ben Staad]

Hooray! I had my first official rejection today. Since it's only the third thing I've ever submitted (including this contest) I'm 0 for 2. I'm actually not complaining and thought it was cool someone in the publishing biz read and replied to my submission.

[Draven Ames]

And keep submitting until they accept!

Very good advice. I've got a story floating around like that.