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Post by mikeralls on Jun 2, 2007 14:39:22 GMT -5
Well . . . I did it. For the first time in my life I submitted a story to a professional magazine. I’m committed to the once-a-week or at the very least once-every-other-week thing and since the magazine’s guidelines said it could take two months for a reply, that means I have to submit between 4 and 8 more stories to different magazines before I hear back from the first. I’m OK with that. Walk, don’t run, and all that.
I sent it to the highest paying magazine in the genre I could find; they receive 600 submissions a month, and only 10% of their stuff is by unpublished writers, So I fully expect my first submission to be rejected. But this whole first year is supposed to be a learning process and I’m OK with that. If I submit 50 stories to lots of different magazines and none of them get accepted, well I’d probably have issues with that but I think that I’ll be fine when I get my first rejection letter.
If it gets accepted though . . . that would be cool. Frightening, terrifying, and exhilarating, but also very very cool.
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Post by temporus on Jun 3, 2007 9:59:03 GMT -5
Good luck. Keep at it. And remember, if this one does get rejected, keep sending it out.
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Post by mikeralls on Jun 11, 2007 20:18:56 GMT -5
And . . . I just received my first rejection letter. I knew it was coming, I sent it to the biggest magazine in the genre, but still . . . I hoped for that one in the miracle. Hey, who doesn’t? And man was that a _fast_ rejection. I was expecting more of a wait. Anyways, it was a form letter with no critique so I’m following the program and not re-writing (no real editorial input other than “This tale didn’t grab my interest, I’m afraid.”) it but instead just sending it off to the next magazine on my list. I’m using “The Best of the Magazine Markets for Writers 2006” to find places to send my stories to. Does anyone recommend or not recommend that? Oh, and I pinned the rejection letter to my wall. It’s my first after all.  |
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Post by Steven Barnes on Jun 12, 2007 9:22:29 GMT -5
Mike--
Paper your office walls with rejection slips. Literally. Until at least one wall is completely covered, don't even BEGIN to question your ability to make it. That's the buy-in to this game: one wall, completely covered. Go for it!
Steve
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Post by temporus on Jun 12, 2007 9:36:32 GMT -5
Mike, if I might inquire. What genre are you working in? As far as finding markets, I've never heard of the publication you mention. I use two sources. www.duotrope.com/index.aspxwww.ralan.com/There are others, but those are the ones I use. And I agree with Steve on this. You have to be in it for the long haul. I do wish you early success, but patience and determination will help. While I don't literally post my walls with my rejection slips, I do two things. One I keep them in a folder at the front of my drawer. Two I keep a little sign on my writing desk that says: # reasons to keep writing. Where # is the number of rejections I have. Currently at 17. And I have just gotten my first rewrite request. From the fourth market I submitted this story to. The first three all passed with a form letter. So you never know. Again, best wishes. Ed |
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Post by mikeralls on Jun 12, 2007 12:12:59 GMT -5
Hey Steve,
I think I will papering my office wall with rejection slips, why the heck not? If nothing else it will be a conversation starter when people see it. I'm in this for the long haul and I can take it.
Ed, thanks for those links. They seem really helpful.
I seem to be mainly writing light fantasy / light SF. That, and historical fiction, are my main pleasure reads so it's not really a surprise that most of my ideas that interest me enough to write about are in the genre.
Cheers,
Mike
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