Rejection #13
Tonight I received rejection #13 from, interestingly enough, the Intergalactic Medicine Show (edited by Ed Schubert).
The way I feel about this story is odd. This was probably the first story I felt inspired to write, the first story I felt might have a chance to get published. It’s been rewritten to death and I honestly don’t know what else I can do. It’s dear to my heart. It has a giant turtle in it. I hate to trunk it, but I honestly wonder if it’s time…
How many rejections do you let a story gather before you retire it?
[Edit - I didn't make it clear - 13 rejections for this year, not for the story and not my personal total]
About the Author: I am a writer and podcast producer, writing for magazines and RPGs. I am a wanna-be fiction writer with several short fiction, comic scripts, and one novel sale. Playing For Keeps will be out August, '08.
Parepidemos | Sep 18, 2006 | Reply
That’s a good question. Since I trunk stuff after the first rejection, even if it’s an informal “you think THAT might be published?”, I’m not the person to help you.
Found you via Steve Eley/Escape Pod, and immediately bought your Tshirt. I have probably another year to get my mind and soul shaken down and lined up into writerly mode, or I may never become the freelance writer I have always wanted to be.
Your “stack of rejection letters” really is an inspiration to me. I sort of look forward to my first “real” rejection letter (i.e. from someone I don’t know, rejecting me in a professional capacity). It doesn’t help that the first poem I floated publicly at a writers’ conference was snapped up and published… for $5, in a newsletter.
Now I have to shake that “I’m a $5 writer” label that slurped onto me like a lamphrey.
I’m a mess. You’re doing much better. For my sake, keep on!
…and, ask Ed- and the other editors- if your timing was wrong, and when you should resubmit it. Maybe it’s a bad fit for the current theme, but will be perfect for summer 2007.
Personally, I love giant turtles: our family pet is a desert tortoise. Hope to read your story someday.
BJ Nemeth | Sep 18, 2006 | Reply
How many rejections do you let a story gather before you retire it?
If you’re happy with the current version of the story, keep submitting it until you run out of potential publishers in that market.
You’ve already proven yourself with a few fiction sales, Mur, and if you like this story, then the odds are that an editor somewhere will like it too.
How many rejections do you let a story gather before you retire it?
ALL OF THEM.
Jay Penney | Sep 19, 2006 | Reply
What about Rule Five: You Must Keep it on the Market until it has Sold? I’ve only sent out one short one time, but if/when I start again (too busy in novel land) I intend to push this rule to the limit.
Caitlin | Sep 19, 2006 | Reply
I second what bj_nemeth said and would add that the market for that story is not just the United States.
dingosatemybaby | Sep 19, 2006 | Reply
Mur
I haven’t yet retired any of my unpublished short stories. Once I’m satisifed I’ve done all I could to it, I think its just a question of finding the right market. Even then sometimes its a matter of timing.
I have one piece that I feel strongly about that I have sent out 8 times and gotten 8 rejections - some personal, some form.
One potential took the time to write a note saying how great it was, even cited examples from the work, but then said for reasons “I wont go into, its just a bad time for this story here.”
Who knows what that means other than I have put that market on my list of ones to submit something else to again.
Don’t give up on it. If the story is done, its done. It doesn’t take any creative energy away by sending it out one more time.
-Michael
gary | Sep 19, 2006 | Reply
yeah, sending it to everywhere that could possibly take it until it gets so old that you’re thinking ‘gosh I write so much better than this now, it would be a real embarrassment if it was published!’
Mer Haskell | Sep 19, 2006 | Reply
Is that 13 rejections on this one piece, or 13 total?
My first piece, the one I believed in from the beginning, finally sold after three years and much angst. I don’t actually know how many markets. Probably 7ish. Interzone held onto it for over a year, and it was at Paradox for 10 months, so in spite of its age, it wasn’t very well-traveled. Then bam, I managed to sell it twice in two months–audio rights to Escape Pod, and as a reprint to The Town Drunk.
My basic philosophy is that you can’t give up on the story as long as there are markets you respect whose guidelines allow the story. It’s easy to give up hope on an unsold story, but that lack of hope makes the vindication of selling it all the more sweet in the end.
-Mer (not Mur), who grew up in Durham and is totally jealous that you live there now
James Palmer | Sep 20, 2006 | Reply
You should keep submitting it until you have run out of markets where it might be a good fit. When you start running into mags and sites that reject due to word length, only then would I stop. Unless someone puts out a Spice Giant Turtle Stories magazine!
Best of luck with it,
James
Edmund R. Schubert | Sep 20, 2006 | Reply
Mur,
Sorry to say this, but I never saw that story which means it didn’t get past my assistant editor. Only 5 to 10% of the stories submitted get past her, so don’t feel too bad about that. However, if you want (I should have my head examined for even offering this), you can e-mail me your story this one time and I’ll let you know why I think it was rejected. Just remember that this is only one editor’s opinion. Another may have completely different ideas. But if your skin is thick and you’re feling bold, send it my way…
Nancy Fulda | Sep 21, 2006 | Reply
I recently sold a story on its eleventh trip out, but not to a top market. After about five or six strikes, I move down to the semi-pros.
Yooper | Sep 22, 2006 | Reply
How about publishing it yourself? Like Scott Sigler style, put it out there and see who likes it. I like this idea better than the trunk.
Mind you, I know nothing about writing or publishing, I just like you Mur…so please feel free to ignore this advice from someone that doesn’t have a clue.
To answer to your question “how many rejections?”—just enough to get accepted.
Christopher Willard author of Garbage Head | Sep 22, 2006 | Reply
I know some writers who were rejected up to 100 times, and eventually they published. Don’t get frustrated, just keep moving ahead. Keep writing new work, keep sending it out.
MarkB1974 | Oct 6, 2006 | Reply
Don’t give up. Thirteen rejections must be hard, but it may just be a matter of taste on the part of the (first reader). Are you sure the opening hook is there on the first page? I’ve read everywhere that the hook has to be there at the beginning; if you’re sure it is then maybe you need a better hook.
I started my first novel (hate saying that since I’ve been writing partial novels for over fourteen years – I’m 32) in July. I’ve used a program called Dramatica Pro to build on my ideas and work on my characters. Now I’m using my Dramatica printouts to write a long summary of my chapters before I start my first draft. It’s been a long process and I’ve done loads of writing, but I feel this process has cemented my world and characters in my mind. Though this may help me write my first draft with a clear idea of what comes next, I still expect a lot of rejection slips.
If Writer’s Digest and other sources are to be believed, the readers of our unsolicited manuscripts are looking for reasons to reject our novels. To them it is a giant pile of work that they have to sift through (picture fifty to one hundred manuscripts multiplied by seven days! Or worse, that intern hired for one day each month (or is it for one weekend) to read unsolicited manuscripts. These people may be eager to get through the pile as fast as possible so they can go watch their Tivo’d shows! Who knows, but we cannot let rejection conquer us.
Just remember Stephen King … He threw Carrie (his first published novel and the single most important stepping stone in his career) in the trash … He rejected the book himself, and it was his wife that pulled it out of the trash and read it. She thought it was good and if it weren’t for her faith in him and his work, well, who knows where Stephen King might be. We can’t all have a Tabitha King to pull our work out of the trash or stand on the sidelines cheerleading for us.
But you have fans and people that believe in you. Don’t give up. You would tell your listeners to keep at it – so keep at it.
Good luck and thank you for so many awesome and inspiring podcasts!
~Mark