Tag Archives: Rejection
The Little Story that Couldn’t
I suspect every writer has a story that they really believe in, and try as they might, they can’t seem to sell it to anyone. Mine is a flash story that I wrote about eight years ago, and has had … Continue reading
Posted in Inspiration, Writing
Tagged Rejection, Short Story, Submissions, Writing Craft
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All Systems Orange
Since Duotrope went to a subscription service at the start of this year, I’ve been using The (Submission) Grinder to track what slush piles my various stories are visiting at any given time. If you’re not aware of The Grinder, and … Continue reading
Self-doubt and the Fine Art of Rejectomancy
Rejection is part of writing for publication. Pro-rate magazines accept considerably less than one percent of all submissions. As a writer, you either grow a thick skin about it, or you stop submitting stories. With all of the rejection inherent … Continue reading
Close…Again
I don’t ordinarily say much about story rejections—they’re part of the writer’s life—but this one is a special case. I’ve consistently submitted to Writers of the Future over the years. It’s perhaps the most prestigious writing competition for amateur speculative-fiction … Continue reading
Handling “The Hold”
Writing is about rejection. I think I’ve said it before, and I’m sure others have, too. Over 95% of all submissions are rejected—and the rejection rate at pro-rate publication is more like over 99%. Given this high rate of “failure,” how an … Continue reading
I’ve Finished My Story, So Now What?
Writers like to talk, and a favorite topic of conversation is where to submit manuscripts. How do you decide where to send your latest masterpiece if it wasn’t written with a specific market in mind? It’s a good questions, with as … Continue reading
Editors Beware: Writers Talk
For me, the best thing I can get from an editor is a letter saying he or she wants to buy my story. Second to that is a personal rejection, wherein the editor offers me a few words of constructive criticism … Continue reading
How Many Times is Enough?
How many times do you submit a story before it sells? The flippant answer is as many times as it takes to sell it. In reality, that’s not such a flippant answer—it’s the truth—it’s just not particularly helpful. I know … Continue reading
Wrong Goals ===> Disappointment & Misery
I recently had an email discussion with a writing colleague about how he was discouraged by the relatively few “returns” on his writing “investment”. That got me thinking about writing goals again—I think a lot about writing goals. In this case, … Continue reading
No Fish For Me
I submitted a story to an upcoming anthology called Fish, to be published by Dagan Books (the same publisher who is producing IN SITU with my story “Hoodoo”). My story didn’t make the cut, which is always disappointing, but I saw the table of … Continue reading
D. Thomas Minton 