The jet-propelled rejection (ii)

[hirez]

F&SF bounced the thing only slightly less quickly than the Interzone chaps, but there's a big pond in the way.

Is there a land speed record for this sort of thing? Would listening to early Husker Du help?

I don't wonder that this writing business isn't yet part of my reality, because I suspect I should care more. Or I'm just so tiresomely arrogant that... No. That would be really quite bad.

Comments

[garunya.livejournal.com]

Be thankful for that big pond.

Over here, I'm getting them back before it's sunk in that they're even out.

[jarkman.livejournal.com]

I think it's OK to love writing but be indifferent to selling the stuff. It may even be better.

[inulro.livejournal.com]

Quite. I expect caring too much could get in the way of your writing.

Now, speaking of caring too much, I really do have an assignment to hand in tomorrow. It is not supposed to take more than 20 min, but I've been fretting about it vastly in excess of that.

[hirez.livejournal.com]

Um. That way lies fanfic.

[eljaydaly.livejournal.com]

My last rejection from F&SF came so fast I thought I'd inadvertently gotten my envelopes switched and mailed my submission to myself.

[krylyr.livejournal.com]

F&SF is unbelievably fast. The last two rejects I've gotten have been 11 days each (from the time I put it in the mailbox 'til the time the rejection came back to mine). How long did it take to get over the pond?

[eljaydaly.livejournal.com]

Their post where?

[eljaydaly.livejournal.com]

Holy Toledo! She used to be on my Flist and I must have inadvertently deleted her at some point.

I had no idea!

[eljaydaly.livejournal.com]

The entry must be F-locked. I can't access it.

[eljaydaly.livejournal.com]

I friended her. How funny. If she checks to see who I am before I post again, the first thing she'll see is my girl-cooties post. =D

[avocadovpx.livejournal.com]

And that established pros feel like F&SF is "a tough market to crack."

[hirez.livejournal.com]

They do? Ooer.

Still, might as well start at the top. I'm sure the rumours that there's a top-level cabal of editors who circulate lists of wannabes who have yet to know their place and thus must not be given houseroom are entirely baseless.

[avocadovpx.livejournal.com]

There Is No Cabal.

[hirez.livejournal.com]

Just over the week. MS posted last Tuesday, rejection today.

I win at rejection speed!

[krylyr.livejournal.com]

Well done. I'll buy you some cider next time I see you!

[hirez.livejournal.com]

Ta. Sounds like I'll have to hack up some telepresence rig for August. Or win the lottery or, y'know, sell something.

[bmlg.livejournal.com]

It took 2 weeks and a bit for Fluke to be rejected, and I had my hopes all up, but it was just the post office delaying. The US/Canada border slows mail down considerably sometimes.
-Barbara

[jendama.livejournal.com]

Keep at it, please.

Would listening to early Husker Du help?

Maybe, if you want to just thrash about. If you want to wallow a bit more, go for some early Sugar instead. Y'can't beat those lyrics!

[athenais.livejournal.com]

My rejectomancy is so awesome I don't even send out my stories! Go you!

[avocadovpx.livejournal.com]

I'm still waiting for that door-to-door search for manuscripts that the editors are going to do.

[bmlg.livejournal.com]

NOOOOOO!!!!
Don't take my precioussess awaaaayyy!! I need to revise them, just one more time!
-Barbara

[sheepthief.livejournal.com]

Well are you writing because you enjoy it, or because you want to make a living out of it?

[hirez.livejournal.com]

Yes.

Writing for its own sake is what LJ's for, though even that's a performance for anybody with the wit to know it. And who isn't entirely self-absorbed. Although, if entirely self-absorbed, then why in public on the internet? Like, HELLO? [/Chiller]

Telling stories to other people, making stuff up down the pub, whatever... The way the system works in this reality is that you go buy the books in the shop.

[meltie.livejournal.com]

any useful feedback, or just a sod off?

[hirez.livejournal.com]

"Didn't grab"

Which is, I understand, reasonably standard and not without basis in fact.

Perhaps I should begin a story with something like "I was becoming used to waking up in a rich woman's body"?

Or then again, perhaps not.

[prusik.livejournal.com]

My last F&SF reject was a "Didn't grab" too. The word is that JJA has different form letters and he picks which one to send out based on how far he got into your story.

Perhaps I should begin a story with something like "I was becoming used to waking up in a rich woman's body"?

I would keep reading just to see if you could pull it off. However, I don't have hundreds of stories to get through.

[avocadovpx.livejournal.com]

If you decide not to use that opening line, please let someone know.

I'll either use it or visit upon someone else.

[reddragdiva]

I see an anthology, all with that starting line.

[avocadovpx.livejournal.com]

It worked for "Carmen Miranda's ghost is haunting Space Station Three." Maybe we should give it a try...

[reddragdiva]

Write hooks for practice.