# Rejection in writing



## Roac (Nov 20, 2017)

The “Writing is easy” thread has started talking about critiques and criticism and such and it got me thinking about the whole concept of rejection in writing. I know that a lot of members have had work published, so that is one of the good sides of writing, but what about this whole world of rejection.

Getting started in writing can be a difficult and daunting endeavour and the thought that your masterpiece is just not up to snuff can be a terrifying concept. For new writers, myself included, I think it would be really interesting to hear about experiences (good, bad and maybe even humorous) that others have had when their submitted work has been rejected. Is anyone willing to share?


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## Jack of all trades (Nov 20, 2017)

I'm looking forward to this discussion. I believe most of the active members self publish, but maybe I'm wrong.


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## Kyle R (Nov 20, 2017)

Took me two years of repeated rejections before I sold my first story to a professional market.

My emotional state went through several stages:

1) Anger. I was legitimately pissed off at all the rejections I received—especially at those awful Form Rejections (where they simply inform you that they won't be buying your story, while giving you no reasons why). I worked so damn hard on those stories. Those *expletive* bastards!

Much fist shaking ensued.

2) Confusion. After a few months of rejections, I started to get confused. How could all these places not like my writing? Was there something I was missing? Was I not a good writer?

I started to look closer at my writing (and at the submission guidelines).

3) Depression. After a year of rejections, I started to give up. Apparently, everyone in the world was getting published except me. Clearly, I wasn't cut out for this kind of stuff.

I started spending my writing time doing other things, like playing chess, or watching YouTube. When more submission responses came in, I stopped bothering to even open the emails.

4) Renewed interest. After a few months of wallowing in self-pity, I found the inspiration to write another story, and submitted it to a market soon after. I decided to let go of a few of my old notions about story (and about submitting in general), and just decided to write something that I found "fun" and "cool", using what I'd learned along the way. I wrote a few more stories that way and submitted them all to different markets.

I went back into my email and made a folder called "Submission Responses" and patiently waited for some to trickle in.

5) The personal response. I received my first personal response around this time—a two-paragraph note from an editor who explained that, while he enjoyed my story, he felt it didn't quite fit what he was looking for. He gave me a few suggestions on places I should look, and wished me luck.

A lightbulb went off in my head. _You mean that certain stories fit better in certain places?_ I started to actually _read_ the stories from the markets I was submitting to, instead of just Googling them and submitting.

6) More Personals. Once I started to get to know the markets better, I began writing stories that matched what they published (both in tone, and in subject matter). As a result, more personal responses began to trickle in. I still had a 100% rejection ratio, but my responses were nearly all personal by this point—many from the same places that only sent me Form Rejections before.

7) The Short-list. A few weeks after submitting to a science fiction pro-zine, the editors wrote me to say that my story had passed their "first round" and were requesting more time from me to make their final decision.

My head exploded. Brain matter and gore all over the walls.

In the end, they decided not to purchase my story, though the reasoning was an encouraging one: they felt the ending was too much of a downer, but they thought the writing was great.

8 ) Back into the swing of things. Receiving mostly personal responses and several short-listings, my confidence and enthusiasm had returned. I went on a submission gauntlet, whipping out stories and smacking the _submit_ button in a Tasmanian frenzy. I no longer feared rejections. Now I welcomed them. They were battle scars. Badges of honor. It was like a video game that I was trying to level-up in, and I was determined as hell to get it.

This resulted in . . .

9) My first pro-market acceptance!

I was put on a waiting list, then ultimately informed that a contract would be sent my way to be read and agreed upon. I reread that email at least a dozen times, just to bask in my own victory. 

From all that, I learned:

Learn the markets that you're submitting to.
Don't just look at the genre of stories they like, but also look at the _tone__. _
Rejections are to be expected. If you're not getting rejected, you're probably not submitting.
When you feel like giving up—keep going. Feeling defeated means you're getting somewhere.
Remember to write what excites you.
If possible, submit to places that offer personal feedback.
A lot of the time, it's less a matter of "writing better", and more a matter of "finding the right fit."

Hope any of that helps. :encouragement:


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## Roac (Nov 20, 2017)

That is a great post! Thanks for sharing your 9-step program to publishing!

I particularly liked this part.



Kyle R said:


> 1) Anger. I was legitimately pissed off at all the rejections I received—especially at those awful Form Rejections (where they simply inform you that they won't be buying your story, while giving you no reasons why). I worked so damn hard on those stories. Those *expletive* bastards!
> 
> Much fist shaking ensued.


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## SueC (Nov 20, 2017)

Well, we all know why it hurts so much - we sink our heart and soul into this stuff!

On the rejection side, I completely agree its all about the right market. My stories, apparently, do not fit anywhere. While people really seem to enjoy what I write and the way I write, getting them published has been an impossibility because they just don't seem to fit anywhere. That is one of the main reasons I love coming here; because here it's not about the right fit. It's just about good writing. So I work on the craft, and hope someday to get that rush, to feel that sense of accomplishment. Until then, I am perfectly content to continue coming here, involving myself in the challenges, making friends and growing as a writer. It's enough for me.


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## bdcharles (Nov 20, 2017)

I am not sure why - perhaps I read about rejections before I submitted, perhaps I have low expectations - but rejection at first didn't bother me. I knew it was part of the process. Yes I'd feel that up-down dizzy sensation as a mail came in. Yes I'd flip the bird at the screen. But I never expected everyone to fall in love with the same stuff I did. Now, after maybe 20 rejections and 1 ms request (that was nice but ultimately not to be) they just make me feel tired that I have to go through the rigmarole over and over. But I don't seem to get discouraged. I'm a godless optimist, that's for sure. Still, there's a part of me that worries that perhaps I'm doing something wrong, but if the trad route doesn't pan out I'll just self publish. I could do a guerrilla marketing campaign. It sounds like a load of fun.


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## moderan (Nov 20, 2017)

Rejections aren't personal. To illustrate Kyle's point, here's a recent rejection:



> [FONT=wf_segoe-ui_normal]Evening Duane. Thanks for your submission[/FONT]_ to *_____________. *________ __has an interesting tone to it, dreamlike and surreal, but I'm afraid it's not going to fit ______ as it's shaping up. Sorry for this. I have no doubt you'll be able to place it somewhere, and I hope you'll let me know when you do._



My editor regularly rejects column ideas. I've published more than 500 short stories and articles, and my batting average is around .200, despite a certain amount of name recognition. I just had a novel rejected. I have 30 pieces of various lengths out there floating around. Most of them have already met rejection at least once. 
I've started again to submit to the big three sf slicks, where I've never cracked the ToC. I expect to bounce, but to gain some buzz. Sometimes it's about that. Persistence pays off.


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## jenthepen (Nov 20, 2017)

That was some great advice from Kyle R and I recognise a lot of the feelings he talked about. I have worked for years as a freelance writer of short stories, articles and humorous short pieces for magazines and newspapers. Everything was done by post then and the rejection letters actually did thump onto the doormat more heavily than acceptances. A thick envelope meant that the manuscript was still in there and was being returned with a rejection note. Submissions and rejections online feel less personal somehow. 

A writer, especially a freelance or unpublished writer needs a very thick skin. It helps a bit to remember that editors really do like to buy material for their publications and are always looking out for the next 'great story' and it's your job to send it to them. I worry that so many new writers jump into novel writing without any experience of the publishing markets and how they operate. While I was writing my short pieces, I was also writing a novel, of course, nearly all writers do, but it makes sense to write as much as you can and practise on short pieces to test out the market.

Here's my survival guide:

1. Never submit a story to any publication - hard copy or online - without studying the work that they accept by reading several editions and looking closely at the stories. Look for a general trend in the stories that have been accepted. Are they of one genre or a mixture (most concentrate on quite a narrow remit) and how is that genre handled? In other words, get a _feel _for the material that is being accepted.



 2. Once your story is polished and you have the perfect home for it, you will submit it and enter that delicious atmosphere of half-hope and worry. The trick now is to send off more stuff – as much as you can. Tailor each piece to the publication, of course, but keep them going out. If you have five or more stories out there at the same time, a rejection won’t sting quite as much.


 3. Don’t neglet the market for short filler pieces. A lot of magazines are hungry for these. They often pay out of all proportion to the time and effort required to write them. I was once paid £200 for fifty words by The Readers’ Digest magazine but sadly, that was a never-to-be-repeated high point in my filler submissions CV.


 4. Whenever you submit a story to a paying magazine, always tell them about any publishing successes you have managed in the past. Editors are human and will naturally pay a bit more attention to a previously published writer’s work.


 5. If an editor takes the time to explain why a story was rejected and suggests ways to make it better, try to work with that advice quickly and send another story, thanking the editor and saying that you have taken his/her advice and hope this story fits better. It might not work but it will put a bit of pressure on the editor and maybe flatter them a little. 


 6. If you have a story accepted, make sure you submit to that publication regularly. It’s not guaranteed that they will accept a story simply because they have taken one of yours before, but the fact that they know your name will push you higher up the pile of stories to be considered.


 7. Don’t delete rejected stories. Very often they can be worked with and used at a later date, or even small portions of a story might inspire another in a completely different direction.


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## moderan (Nov 20, 2017)

.4

No. This is something that editors laugh about among themselves. Don't do it. They're only interested in the story before them. If they're at all tuned in, they know who you are. (in my experience, that is. ymmv)


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## Bayview (Nov 20, 2017)

I write novels rather than short stories, so it's a bit different for me - I don't have that constant cycle of submissions that a lot of short-story writers seem to go through.

For me, it helps to be a pessimist, and also to forget about projects as soon as possible.

The pessimism is good because I never assume anything is going to be accepted. That way I either get the satisfaction of being right, or I get the satisfaction of being accepted!

It's also useful to forget projects because by the time I've sent them off I'm sick of them and don't want to think about them anymore, so I just hit "send" and move on. I don't even _think _about them until I get a response.

And, of course, it's really useful to have an agent to handle most of this stuff for me. Much easier to forget about things when I'm not the one having to keep on top of it all.

I think if I were writing short stories I'd probably be really frustrated.


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## Grizzly (Nov 20, 2017)

Haha, when my high school lit mag would reject me (nearly four years ago — crazy!) year after year, it'd get to me. Since then I've gotten publications in multiple magazines (both poetry and prose), ink from editors (where they go outta their way to say a few words), and still more rejections. Now I just laugh it off. 

Since having gotten an experience being an editor of a lit mag and thus on the other side of accepting/rejecting work, all I've got to say *don't take it personally*. I've rejected friends' work, I've rejected work from my partner, I've accepted work from people that I sorta don't like but have to admit that they've a way with words. Rejection happens, no need to let it get to you. 

It isn't about you, it's about how the piece fits into the lit mag as a whole. If it just doesn't fit the vibe (even if it _really_ is good), then we'll still say no. Just keep submitting and don't let rejection get to you. There's no way around it, and it's a good practice to not take things personally


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## Roac (Nov 21, 2017)

jenthepen said:


> That was some great advice from Kyle R and I recognise a lot of the feelings he talked about. I have worked for years as a freelance writer of short stories, articles and humorous short pieces for magazines and newspapers. Everything was done by post then and the rejection letters actually did thump onto the doormat more heavily than acceptances. A thick envelope meant that the manuscript was still in there and was being returned with a rejection note. Submissions and rejections online feel less personal somehow.
> 
> A writer, especially a freelance or unpublished writer needs a very thick skin. It helps a bit to remember that editors really do like to buy material for their publications and are always looking out for the next 'great story' and it's your job to send it to them. I worry that so many new writers jump into novel writing without any experience of the publishing markets and how they operate. While I was writing my short pieces, I was also writing a novel, of course, nearly all writers do, but it makes sense to write as much as you can and practise on short pieces to test out the market.
> 
> ...




Jen, thanks for the sage advice. Very helpful and informative!


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## Jay Greenstein (Nov 21, 2017)

Unless the rejection contains specific suggestions as to what to fix before resubmitting that story, or a request for another, the odds are 99% in favor of it being just a "no," dressed up so as not to hurt anyone's feelings. All editors have horror stories of bad responses to rejections, so they go to lengths to avoid something like this. So don't agonize over the wording seeking a ray of hope.

The current rejection rate is 99.9% or worse. But selection for publication isn't a lottery. So knowing what an acquiring editor _wants_ to see, changes those odds dramatically. Knowing the business side of the profession helps, immeasurably.

From the editor or agents viewpoint, fully 75% of what comes in is unreadable because the author is still using the nonfiction writing skills we're given in our schooldays. And anything written with the fact-based and author-centric report writing skills we're given will read like a report. The goal is to inform. But fiction's goal is to entertain, which requires a different methodology.

Of the remaining 25% all but three are seen as "amateur." (their term, not mine). And of those remaining three, two are usually wrong for that house. And after all that, of the single survivor that garners a request for a full manuscript, only one in ten is selected for publication. So you can see that learning who wants what, and what they'll smile on—and what will bring that rejection slip out of the drawer—at least gives you a chance.

Sound impossible? Thousands of new authors every year are selected, so why not you? Just keep in mind the story of the man who was shouting, "God, show me that you're there. Give me proof. Let me win the lottery. I've been asking for years, and you haven't responded." As always, the man expected no response. But then, a voice said, "Schmuck! Meet me half way; buy a ticket!"

So meet the publishers half way. If you want to be seen as a pro, learn to write like one. Follow the scout motto and "Be Prepared."


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## Ralph Rotten (Nov 21, 2017)

I started writing back when you still sent out physical queries with SASE.  I actually used to keep all of my rejection letters (still have a drawer full) as motivation to keep trying. I did indeed sell a number of articles to magazines like Guns & Ammo, even published a book, but I hate queries so much that when Indie publishing became a thing I defected.

So here's the thing; I really enjoy the entire process of creating books, from that first sentence to final beta testing, I love it all.  Not only that, but I made decent money Indie publishing.  But the problem is that in order to maintain THAT level of marketing, I'm not getting any writing done.  Not only that, but I HATE marketing, and it cast a grey pallor over what writing I was able to accomplish.

Writing is cool, marketing sux.

So now I am at a point where I need the marketing capabilities of a professional publisher if I want to bring in enough money to quit my day job.  But that means query letters (uggghhh!) and rejections and all that felgerkarb.  Not only that, but very few publishers will even talk to you without an agent, so first I need one of those...more queries.  Then on top of queries for my latest novel, I need to find a special kind of agent who can not only sell my current series of books (some are published already) but also to sell the story to one of the streaming networks like HBO, Netflix, or Hulu.  Talk about a tough query to write.

Yep, I'm used to rejections.  They're a lot easier than writing the damned query.


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## Bayview (Nov 22, 2017)

Ralph Rotten said:


> I started writing back when you still sent out physical queries with SASE.  I actually used to keep all of my rejection letters (still have a drawer full) as motivation to keep trying. I did indeed sell a number of articles to magazines like Guns & Ammo, even published a book, but I hate queries so much that when Indie publishing became a thing I defected.
> 
> So here's the thing; I really enjoy the entire process of creating books, from that first sentence to final beta testing, I love it all.  Not only that, but I made decent money Indie publishing.  But the problem is that in order to maintain THAT level of marketing, I'm not getting any writing done.  Not only that, but I HATE marketing, and it cast a grey pallor over what writing I was able to accomplish.
> 
> ...



Getting an agent will definitely take care of the querying issue - it's nice to be able to just send the MS off and let someone else take care of it. That said, if you come across an agent who promises to be able to get your stories onto TV, run away. I don't think any agent can come even close to making guarantees like that.


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## Pelwrath (Nov 22, 2017)

Handling rejection is like handling a negative critique.  What one editor finds in need of improvement another will like.  IMHO, you don’t write for everyone, you write for those who like your writing.

In a previous group, I had a critique that I had a glaring and terrible issue with a story.  I worked my ass off to improve my story, for that person. Nothing worked. I then asked this person what I did right in my story.  Their reply was I showed a wonderful mastery of periods.

I almost quit writing then and there.  About a month later that same story became my first published story(award medal given).

What did I learn? No story is perfect or all bad.  Did that story have the issue mentioned? Yes, but an editor still liked my story. Always no your target magazine.  Always know your targeted reading audience. 

At work esting lunch.


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## C.Gholy (Nov 24, 2017)

Rejection is a part of life.


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## Jay Greenstein (Nov 24, 2017)

Of course there is always this way of handling rejection.


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## Roac (Nov 25, 2017)

C.Gholy said:


> Rejection is a part of life.




So writing is just like high school all over again!


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## Roac (Nov 25, 2017)

Jay Greenstein said:


> Of course there is always this way of handling rejection.




Jay, this is brilliant! Thanks for sharing.


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## JJBuchholz (Nov 25, 2017)

I've just sent off a plethora of my works to many different publishers across the continent. We'll talk rejection more when I start hearing back from them, as I am preparing myself for it. I've been rejected before from sending one manuscript to a small publisher, but now I'm sending my best manuscripts to respected publishers. Whole new ball game.

-JJB


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## Bayview (Nov 25, 2017)

JJBuchholz said:


> I've just sent off a plethora of my works to many different publishers across the continent. We'll talk rejection more when I start hearing back from them, as I am preparing myself for it. I've been rejected before from sending one manuscript to a small publisher, but now I'm sending my best manuscripts to respected publishers. Whole new ball game.
> 
> -JJB



Not agents?


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## JJBuchholz (Nov 25, 2017)

Bayview said:


> Not agents?



I don't follow.....

-JJB


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## Bayview (Nov 25, 2017)

JJBuchholz said:


> I don't follow.....
> 
> -JJB



You're sending your work to loads of publishers... you decided not to go through an agent?


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## JJBuchholz (Nov 25, 2017)

Bayview said:


> You're sending your work to loads of publishers... you decided not to go through an agent?



I do not know how that would work, nor did I think of it. This is the first time I've sent work off like this, and figured the direct approach was a decent idea. I finally fought past the fear of sending my work and did it.

-JJB


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## Ralph Rotten (Nov 25, 2017)

Very few publishers even talk to unagented writers anymore.  Basically they are shifting the duty of sorting thru the slush pit to the agents.  These days you pretty much have to have an agent.


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## Bayview (Nov 25, 2017)

Does "plethora of my works" mean you were sending short stories? I think that's okay without an agent (I don't really know that market too well). And there _are _small publishers that still take unagented submissions... but for novels, and for the bigger publishers, agents are pretty-much mandatory.


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## VonBradstein (Nov 26, 2017)

My take, and I️ will say I️ am no expert on the publishing industry. This is just what I have gleaned...

If you are a novelist wanting to be published traditionally you should be looking for an agent, not querying publishers. That is the consensus of how it works in the year of our lord 2017. Gone are the days when you could mail a quivering manuscript to random house and get signed up. The only exceptions I️ am aware of to this concern very small indie publishing houses who might. Thing is, while tempting route in theory, there really isn’t a whole lot of long term sense in targeting tiny publishers unless your work is extremely niche and you have done enough research to be sure of an adequate return. This is your product too and, on the whole, tiny publishing houses do not have the resources to compete and if/when you sign up with them you will be in a situation where it’s legally difficult or impossible to have the work published elsewhere. This is especially problematic if they can only provide a limited print run. What’s the point of having a published novel contracted to Little Mouse Books who have a negligible marketing budget and an operating budget that only permits a couple thousand prints? Yeah you’ll be a published author, but you won’t make much money (if any) on sales and you won’t see your book in many bookshops. You would almost be better off self publishing. At least that way you keep your rights, more of the profits from sales, and arguably more self esteem.

There’s a good debate to be had on the comparative merits of self publishing versus traditional publishing and what works better for different writers. This is not the thread for that discussion obviously, but if you are somebody (like me) who has little or no interest in directing all aspects of the production process and simply wants to write and also feels confident that the genre of the work and your skill as a writer of commercially viable fiction makes you able to compete in the crowded field...then traditional publishing is probably the ideal route. If so, a good agent is exactly what you want. For what is usually a relatively modest percentage they can open those doors.

 I️ understand why people are apprehensive or even allergic to agents because for the most part it’s a sort of X Factor/The Voice situation where this tiny group of people make snap decisions often based on superficial bullshit. On the other hand, the feedback I️ hear from writers with good, hardworking agents is that they are fantastic advocates for your work and do a tremendous amount of what really isn’t fun. They will find the right publishers, sit through the meetings, make great creative suggestions, read and help negotiate reasonable contracts, all this crap that sounds truly nightmarish. That’s why they matter.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## JJBuchholz (Nov 26, 2017)

Bayview said:


> Does "plethora of my works" mean you were sending short stories?



Yes. All of my work is writing short stories/series and such. I started a novel twenty years ago, but never finished it. The idea fizzled out rather abruptly. Short stories are my thing, and it has taken me all this time to get over the fear and start sending them out to hopefully get published.

-JJB


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## Mr. Write (Nov 26, 2017)

I have finished my first novel (just under 100,000 words) and am currently editing it so I can't discuss rejection yet since I have not reached that stage. However, in a previous career I was a full-time journalist who also did quite a bit of freelance writing. Looking for freelance work requires a lot of querying. That results in a lot of rejection in between acceptances. Admittedly, this is just pitching an idea and not a full manuscript so I get that the blood and sweat is not the same. That said, I always viewed rejection as something that was helpful. Rejection was a teachable moment. It told me what wasn't working. It told me a publication I wasn't right for and in some cases saved me from wasting future time on. In other cases they rejected my idea but gave me some encouragement which often led to a different query down the road that they did accept. Rejection is not personal. I view rejection as a no that is one step down the path to a future yes. Rather than get mad about rejection I would see what I could learn from it in an effort to make myself better prepared for my next submission.


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## VonBradstein (Nov 26, 2017)

JJBuchholz said:


> Yes. All of my work is writing short stories/series and such. I started a novel twenty years ago, but never finished it. The idea fizzled out rather abruptly. Short stories are my thing, and it has taken me all this time to get over the fear and start sending them out to hopefully get published.
> 
> -JJB



Somebody with more experience on the matter may correct me, but I am fairly certain if you write short stories and only short stories you do not generally need an agent (and would have a difficult time getting one). Since agents work on the basis of commission, short stories tend not to attract enough return. My experience has been that you do tend to submit these direct to publishers and editors. Most people start with the smaller publications (many of which are internet based now), many of which will naturally pay little or nothing for the privilege, in order to build up a bit of a resume and perhaps some name recognition. From there you would target anthologies and paid gigs. 

A popular, and potentially very lucrative, fast-track route for professional-grade short story writers is via competitions. Did you look at these at all? I mean the professional ones run by publishing houses or journals. There's usually multiple big ones each year, some of which have prizes in the $1000's and come with publishing as a given. They usually run the competition in order to acquire material and build hype for a planned release.

 I'm not sure what your genre is, but one place I have found some success is on horrortree.com. On their 'events' page they list upcoming anthologies and one-off contests looking for short story and poetry submissions, together with a summary of submission guidelines. Pay varies. Sometimes it's five cents or so a word, other times it's a flat $50 or so for a piece. A few do have royalty shares, but it's unfortunately not that common - and you will most likely be contractually unable to publish the story elsewhere for at least awhile. However as a springboard for getting on the short-fiction publishing ladder it's definitely worth a look. I'm sure other genres have similar 'events' to peruse.


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## Roac (Nov 27, 2017)

I just sent off my first short story submission to a literary magazine!

Now I can just sit back and wait for that rejection!


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## Jack of all trades (Nov 27, 2017)

Roac said:


> I just sent off my first short story submission to a literary magazine!
> 
> Now I can just sit back and wait for that rejection!



Good luck!!


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## Ralph Rotten (Nov 27, 2017)

Roac said:


> I just sent off my first short story submission to a literary magazine!
> 
> Now I can just sit back and wait for that rejection!




Don't wait for rejection; keep writing, keep submitting queries.  Most agents & publishers don't even respond unless they wanna see more of your work.  Some tell you this in Writer's Guide, some on their website, and the rest do it when you get the auto-response in the email.  

I actually had an agent respond (with a rejection) in 3 days flat.  I sent him a thank you reply for being so fast.


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## Roac (Nov 27, 2017)

Ralph Rotten said:


> Don't wait for rejection; keep writing, keep submitting queries.  Most agents & publishers don't even respond unless they wanna see more of your work.  Some tell you this in Writer's Guide, some on their website, and the rest do it when you get the auto-response in the email.
> 
> I actually had an agent respond (with a rejection) in 3 days flat.  I sent him a thank you reply for being so fast.




Sitting back and waiting was a bit of a joke. I have way too many stories to start or finish or edit to take a break. But it sure is nice to have that first one sent out.

And I actually already did get a response…mind you it was just an email from the editor saying that she got my story…at least it wasn’t a rejection…yet.


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## Ralph Rotten (Nov 27, 2017)

I usually send them out in batches of 6 or so.  I get frustrated doing more than that a day because somewhere in there will be that one agent/publisher with some wonky special request...like a 2 page synopsis instead of the usual one page, or character outlines of the major characters...and you must do it or they just dismiss you out of hand for failing to follow their anal requirements.  

Sending out queries reminds me why I became an Indie writer; to save my sanity.


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## JJBuchholz (Dec 1, 2017)

Roac said:


> I just sent off my first short story submission to a literary magazine!
> 
> Now I can just sit back and wait for that rejection!



Beat you to it. Of the ten publishers I sent my work to, I already got my first rejection email today. My story is "not good enough, and isn't a fit for us." I know it's only one of ten, but the email didn't sit well with me for the first hour.

-JJB


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## Bayview (Dec 1, 2017)

JJBuchholz said:


> Beat you to it. Of the ten publishers I sent my work to, I already got my first rejection email today. My story is "not good enough, and isn't a fit for us." I know it's only one of ten, but the email didn't sit well with me for the first hour.
> 
> -JJB



They actually said "not good enough"?!? That's kinda harsh, to say it flat out like that! Surely "isn't a fit for us" would have gotten the idea across...


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## VonBradstein (Dec 2, 2017)

JJBuchholz said:


> Beat you to it. Of the ten publishers I sent my work to, I already got my first rejection email today. My story is "not good enough, and isn't a fit for us." I know it's only one of ten, but the email didn't sit well with me for the first hour.
> 
> -JJB



Like Bayview said.

I have never encountered that. An agent/publisher who responds saying "This is not good enough for us" is not one you want to be involved with anyway. That kind of attitude isn't reflecting of high standards and is just mean. I feel sorry for whoever they do decide is 'good enough'.


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## Roac (Dec 2, 2017)

JJBuchholz said:


> Beat you to it. Of the ten publishers I sent my work to, I already got my first rejection email today. My story is "not good enough, and isn't a fit for us." I know it's only one of ten, but the email didn't sit well with me for the first hour.
> 
> -JJB



Sorry to hear about the email. Hopefully you will have success with one of the other publishers. :encouragement:

I will let you know when mine arrives!


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## JJBuchholz (Dec 2, 2017)

Roac said:


> Sorry to hear about the email. Hopefully you will have success with one of the other publishers. :encouragement:
> 
> I will let you know when mine arrives!



Sounds good. We can trade experiences on this matter.

-JJB


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## ironpony (Dec 4, 2017)

A lot of successful authors had to go through a lot of rejections in their first works though, or so they say.


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## Pelwrath (Dec 10, 2017)

I'm posting this here as it's a rejection. I'd recently sent out my vampire story to some agents, just to see what I might get back. I was under no illusions about what I'd get because I didn't expect anything beyond the thanks but no thanks.
Here is the first response I received. A rejection but with a reason, some attachments about what and how to do.  A rejections hurts but this is a positive and  supportive comment about my story.

[FONT=wf_segoe-ui_normal]Dear Jeffrey:  I enjoyed reading your manuscript. Unfortunately I must reject you for representation because I feel that the market is saturated with vampire stories. I would suggest that you do some market/trend research and see what is new in your genre. For instances maybe vampires are yesterday's trend but maybe the newest trend is witches or whatever and when you find that trend you ought to think about making changes in your book to be on the upside of that trend, and if you do that you may resubmit your updated manuscript to me with a query letter that explains your market/trend research and gives me concrete examples of why you think your updated manuscript is on the right side of what is currently trending. I really like your writing and I wish that I had better news for you, but I feel that it is only right to open an honest discussion with the writers who submit their manuscripts to me, because I do care. I wish you the best of luck. Thanks. 
[/FONT]
[FONT=wf_segoe-ui_normal]
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





[/FONT]

[FONT=wf_segoe-ui_normal]_Jan L. Kardys_
_Literary Agent_
_Black Hawk Literary Agency, LLC_
_Chairman/Creator, Unicorn Writers' Conference, Inc._
_President, Unicorn for Writers, LLC _
_PO Box 176 _
_Redding, CT 06876_
[/FONT]


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## SueC (Dec 10, 2017)

This is awesome! I have always heard that if agents or publishers respond with a rejection that includes any kind of encouragement at all, it is very rare and should be cherished. I once got a "no, but keep on sending it out," and thought that was the best! But you! Wow - you have solid, concrete steps to make in your story line from an actual representative in the industry. Good job, you!


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## Roac (Dec 11, 2017)

Pelwrath, sorry to hear about the rejection. But that is a fantastic rejection! As Sue mentions, you have some real positive feedback that you can build upon. 

Do you think you will go down the road of changing your vampire story? Or will you use the comments to research the new trend and write a new manuscript?

I can only hope my rejections will be as good as this one.


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## Pelwrath (Dec 11, 2017)

I’m not going to change my story. Since she liked the story and my writing, I’ll see what others say.  A good and different vampire story should find a taker.
As far as looking for new trends/takes, that I’m looking at doing for another story/book.  I don’t see this as a rejection. It had nothing to do with how I write, just for genre/subject.  It makes perfect sense for her to reject it. An agent is looking at ROI. She could make some money but not enough.  She also has encouraged me to submit to her in the future.

ROAC;
  Write your story, your way. Then look to submit it. A well written story speaks a lot about you. Research new nook sales by genre and or plot. In case you or others are interested.  I do have the opening of this story in BETA readers as I’m looking for two or for any who want to just take a look.


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## Roac (Dec 11, 2017)

Pelwrath said:


> Write your story, your way. Then look to submit it. A well written story speaks a lot about you. Research new nook sales by genre and or plot. In case you or others are interested.  I do have the opening of this story in BETA readers as I’m looking for two or for any who want to just take a look.



I agree! I worked on a short story that I think is the best work I have yet done. I did some research on where to submit it and found a literary magazine that was looking for new writers and had a theme issue that fit my story perfectly. So, with nervous fingers, I submitted it. As of this moment, it has not yet been rejected.

Also, is you story called* Sundowners: Vampires are only human*?

If so, I will give it a read.


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## Pelwrath (Dec 11, 2017)

Good for you and best wishes for your story.  Yes, that’s it. Just the opening.


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## Roac (Feb 13, 2018)

Roac said:


> I did some research on where to submit it and found a literary magazine that was looking for new writers and had a theme issue that fit my story perfectly. So, with nervous fingers, I submitted it. As of this moment, it has not yet been rejected.



I finally got my rejection letter!!

It is a bit frustrating…but really it is just motivation to work harder!


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## Emilia (Feb 13, 2018)

I am writing dark fantasy and Gothic horror and many agents and publishers don't handle it. I think it would be easier for me to choose a different genre but I believe you have to write about what inspires you in order to produce your best work. People in my writer's group seem to really enjoy my novel and that gives me encouragement. I think rejection letters are part of a writers life and to be expected, unfortunately. I have submitted to four agents since last October but have had no reply from any of them yet. I think once you get used to the idea of getting rejection letters it becomes less scary- I'm not there yet though as I am still waiting for my first one so I hope I'm right. It helps to think of the numerous famous writers that could paper their walls with rejection slips and the fact that there are alternative forms of publishing now.


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## JJBuchholz (Feb 14, 2018)

I'm up to three rejections now, but they're only giving me fuel to write more, and write better. There is NO surrender.....

-JJB


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