Oh, and.

[flexagon]

My best short story, you know, the one that's the right length and tightness and quality to publish, just got rejected again with another note that leaves me with no reason to believe it actually got read.

I know how I'm going to make my fortune. I'm going to start making a notepad of rejection notes with a blank at the top for a story name. It will also have checkboxed items such as "Theme not appropriate for this publication", "spelling and grammar not up to standard", "characterization needs work", "too short", "too long", etc. Then people could take TWENTY FUCKING SECONDS out of their lives to check a couple of boxes after reading a story, and people like me would have a reason to not just put their story on their website already.

This game gets old fast.

Comments

[savage-rose.livejournal.com]

You should get an agent :)

[apfelsingail.livejournal.com]

That SUCKS. *hugs* I suspect that reading submissions often gets passed off to the unpaid interns, many of whom are bitter, rejected writers. Keep sending it out, and sooner or later, you'll get a nibble. And remember that you can resell it over the years, as long as you don't give anyone exclusive rights.

[flexagon]

I used to read slush for a magazine, actually. I never, ever, had nothing at all to say, though I wasn't the one actually sending the responses back to the people so who knows if my comments ever got through.

Eh, well, thanks for the encouragement. :)

[motospeedfreek.livejournal.com]

as with so many other things, i think it has a lot to do with who you know at the place you send it to. my family has a (very) few connections in the publishing biz - mostly magazines. i'd be happy to send out a few feelers if you'd like... what sorts of publications were/are you looking at? (of course, i can't promise you'll catch an express ride to stardom, or that it'll even get published at all, but i'd hope it would at least get *read*...)

[flexagon]

Aw, you are one sweet chick for offering. Believe it or not I was already calling on a connection with this submission (and the connection was annoyed that I mentioned his name and still got the anonymous treatment).

I was trying to aim at an artsy SF magazine this time, but I was thinking of aiming at GLBT publications next time around since, after all, my main characters are lesbians and I might do better with a publication for which that wouldn't be a problem. How bout this... I email you the story and you can send out feelers only if you actually like it and therefore want to. :)

[motospeedfreek.livejournal.com]

y'mean i'd get to read it?! cool!! =) i'm definitely game for that!

buuuut...hmm. given that my dad is one the one with the most contacts in the biz (and we know how he feels about us lesbians) i'd say the fat list of Potentials just dwindled. but all hope is not lost - i'll get in touch with my sis the networking queen and see if she knows anybody in the right places...

(do i really get to read it?)