The original version of this page can be found at : http://forum.sfreader.com/default.aspx?f=9&m=79664
| Posted By : Rob Santa - 5/6/2008 5:05 PM | "Dear submitter:
Thank you for your interest and submission to [market]. Unfortunately we've decided not to include your poem/story in the anthology. This may be due to a any number of things: did not fit the requirements of the anthology; was poorly edited; the plot is cliche/too common; your characters need more development ... the list goes on and on.
There is a wealth of online resources available to you, the writer, to help make your story/poem a great one, or if it's already great, to find an appropriate home for it.
Again, thank you for letting us read your submission. We look forward to reading more of your work. Please remember to check [website] for news on the latest issues of [magazines] and upcoming anthologies."
I will never, as an editor, send such an impersonal, vaguely insulting reply, especially to a letter that included the editors' names as well as my own. I feel more than anything else it is the second paragraph that implies my writing simply sucked. I know I'm just ranting, but it's this kind of touch that saps the spirit out of me wanting to have my work on editors' desks.
And as a parting shot: why exactly do they "look forward to reading more" of my work again?
Rob Santa Hopelessly Addicted Writer of Speculative Fiction
and CEO of Ricasso Press |
| Posted By : Jordan Lapp - 5/6/2008 5:07 PM | Normally, I'd say not to take it personally, but this one DOES sound vaguely insulting. Poor choice of words I suspect.
Jordan Lapp
Managing Editor
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| Posted By : erazmus - 5/6/2008 5:28 PM | Why not just come out and insult the writer directly? I know I'd enjoy that more myself, as a writer.
Dear Rob,
Dude, cut back on the mescalane next time, this one sucked! You're characters were two dimensional, your plot transparent and I'd seen it on the scifi channel just last week. Your grammer wasn't anything to write home about either, unless your Mom still has her letters read out loud for her.
Sorry we took so long to respond, but they only haul my trash once a week.
Better luck placing this with our competitors, try market XX, I hear their editor just fell off the wagon.
sincerly, editor Y
That is a rejection I'd trasure.
Mike
Michael D. Turner
"Psyched Up" in _Turn the other Chick_-ed. E. Friesner-Baen books
www.baen.com
"Dutchman Rescue"in Continuum SF #6
www.continuumsciencefiction.com/orders.htm
"An Incident at Black Tongue Tavern" in _Bash Down the Door and Slice Open the Badguy_ from Fantasist Enterprises:
www.fantasistent.com/books/anthologies/BASH.php
"Pink Plastic Flamingos" in Big Pulp
www.bigpulp.com/m.html
"Stains" in Tales of the Talisman 3-1 www.zianet.com/hadrosaur/index.html
"Morning Coffee" in Every Day Fiction
www.everydayfiction.com/morning-coffee-by-michael-d-turner/
"The Jewel Below" in Flashing Swords
flashingswords.sfreader.com/issues/issue8/vol2-iss8-05.htm
"Happy Landings" in Every Day Fiction
www.everydayfiction.com/happy-landings-by-michael-d-turner/
"Teller of Tales" in Every day Fiction
www.everydayfiction.com/teller-of-tales-by-michael-d-turner/
Read "Silver Shells" In Every Day Fiction
www.everydayfiction.com/silver-shells-by-michael-d-turner/ |
| Posted By : RHFay - 5/6/2008 5:31 PM | I'm learning not to take rejections too seriously. Yeah, the better ones may help a writer grow, but much of it is just opinion.
That form rejection may have actually said too much, but I personally wouldn't pay that much attention to it.
Of course, I prefer personal rejections when the editor takes the time to write specific comments.
"I'm going to do what the warriors of old did. I'm going to recite poetry!"
Richard H. Fay - Azure Lion Productions
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| Posted By : Jordan Lapp - 5/6/2008 5:32 PM | My favourite was uttered by "Dogbert":
"Dear Imbecile.
Thank you for submitting your story for consideration. Unfortunately, I hated your plot and characters and by extension I have come to hate you too. For safety’s sake, I have hired an illiterate, blind man to rip up and burn your manuscript. I would have returned it via the self-addressed envelope you included, but I was afraid you might have licked the stamps."
Jordan Lapp
Managing Editor
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| Posted By : crystalwizard - 5/6/2008 5:40 PM | form letters, rejection or otherwise, to me say that someone is too lazy to be bothered to think. Partial form, where the same thing is going to be said each time, included with personal comments... those I don't mind so much but I'd still prefer (peer Jordan) that the prom part be revised to make it unique to the item I'm being written about.
Never meddle in the affairs of a wizard unless you are soggy and hard to light!
Managing Editor of Flashing Swords
Visit my art gallery on art wanted
All my books in print |
| Posted By : Lyn - 5/6/2008 5:43 PM | Dear Forum Poster,
Thank you for posting your interesting thoughts. I congratulate you on whatever it is you are bragging about. Or, if this is a gripe, I sympathize with your situation. I understand completely and wish you well in your future projects. Or, if you have no future projects, I wish you a general feeling of well being.
Sincerely, etc...
Lyn from ResAliens
Reviewing Zines at The Fix
Reviewing Short Stories at My Blog
And Promoting Strange Worlds of Lunacy |
| Posted By : Camille Alexa - 5/6/2008 5:51 PM |
Actually, form rejections don't bother me at all. It's true that sometimes the form rejections are worded insultingly, which I find strange and off-putting, but no stranger (while slightly less offputting) than the glowing, complimentary form letter rejections.
For the most part, I would much much, much, much rather get a speedy, polite form rejection than a longer response time with a detailed crit. Unless you happen to be Ellen Datlow or Gardner Dozois or something. Then please, tell me all you'd like.
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| Posted By : John M. Whalen - 5/6/2008 8:14 PM |
Camille Alexa said...
Actually, form rejections don't bother me at all. It's true that sometimes the form rejections are worded insultingly, which I find strange and off-putting, but no stranger (while slightly less offputting) than the glowing, complimentary form letter rejections.
For the most part, I would much much, much, much rather get a speedy, polite form rejection than a longer response time with a detailed crit. Unless you happen to be Ellen Datlow or Gardner Dozois or something. Then please, tell me all you'd like.
Camille,
I can't believe anyone would reject one of your stories!!! What's wrong with this world. 
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| Posted By : SilviaMG - 5/6/2008 10:23 PM | Men, although I prefer a personal and nasty rejection (and yes, there are editors who do send them), I'll take a form rejection any time, specially if it's quick.
The real annoyance is a 10 or 12 month form rejection. I'm happy to have my stuff called crap if you do it quickly. |
| Posted By : DAWaverly - 5/6/2008 10:47 PM | Back in the late 70's, early 80's Asimov's used a rubric that had a list of reasons for the rejection, and the slush reader checked off items that applied to the submission.
I did not mind those... I could even pretend that George Schithers himself made the check marks. (And yes, all I got were rejections. Ahh to be young and full of BS.)
- Deven
Blogtide Rising
published
"The Journey" at Every Day Fiction
forthcoming
"An Awakening of Shadows" in The Infinity Swords anthology from Carnivah House
"All That Glitters" at Every Day Fiction |
| Posted By : Camille Alexa - 5/7/2008 1:57 AM |
John M. Whalen said...
Camille,
I can't believe anyone would reject one of your stories!!! What's wrong with this world.
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| Posted By : H.P. Lovesauce - 5/7/2008 1:05 PM | Wrider,
You can has writtng lessn? Srsly.
Edidur Cat |
| Posted By : crystalwizard - 5/9/2008 1:57 AM | Camille Alexa said...
For the most part, I would much much, much, much rather get a speedy, polite form rejection than a longer response time with a detailed crit. Unless you happen to be Ellen Datlow or Gardner Dozois or something. Then please, tell me all you'd like.
*makes a note in the Flashing Swords folder ... be sure to send Camille speedy rejections... ;) * |
| Posted By : Lyn - 5/9/2008 9:27 AM | This form rejection isn't bad (yes, it came to me, lol)...
"Thank you for your submission to Cerulean Rain. After careful consideration, we have decided not to use your work for publication. Please understand that because of the volume of submissions we receive, we cannot comment on the reasons why a piece is turned down. We wish you well in finding somewhere else for your works to be published. Send to us again, if you wish. We are open to submissions year round. We hope you will continue to enjoy Cerulean Rain."
Lyn from ResAliens
Reviewing Zines at The Fix
Reviewing Short Stories at My Blog
And Promoting Strange Worlds of Lunacy |
| Posted By : Camille Alexa - 5/9/2008 3:14 PM |
crystalwizard said...
Camille Alexa said...
For the most part, I would much much, much, much rather get a speedy, polite form rejection than a longer response time with a detailed crit. Unless you happen to be Ellen Datlow or Gardner Dozois or something. Then please, tell me all you'd like. *makes a note in the Flashing Swords folder ... be sure to send Camille speedy rejections... ;) *
Heehee!
Well. If I ever submitted to FS, I'd expect the editors to accept or reject my piece based upon whether they thought it suited the needs of their publication.
I probably would not change a rejected story to suit a rejecting editor's opinions of its weakness.
I would just go write a better one.
Rewrite requests are a different issue, and not the one I think Mr. Santa was griping about.
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| Posted By : Keralen - 5/9/2008 3:40 PM | |
"Dear Author: Thank you for submitting your story. Unfortunately, it does not fit our needs at this time. If it ever does, we're in trouble." (letter to Snoopy, "Peanuts," about 30 years ago.)
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| Posted By : DAWaverly - 5/9/2008 8:27 PM | Keralen said...
"Dear Author: Thank you for submitting your story. Unfortunately, it does not fit our needs at this time. If it ever does, we're in trouble." (letter to Snoopy, "Peanuts," about 30 years ago.)
That was a great story! My sister was an complete Snoopy fanatic as a kid and had the story memorized.
"It was a dark and stormy night. Suddenly, a shot rang out!
A door slammed. The maid screamed.
Suddenly, a pirate ship appeared on the horizon!
While millions of people were starving, the king lived
in luxury. Meanwhile, on a small farm in Kansas, a boy was
growing up."
The complete text can be found at
www.daysofleisure.com/writing/the_complete_text_of_Snoopy_s_novel:.html
- Deven
Blogtide Rising
published
"The Journey" at Every Day Fiction
forthcoming
"An Awakening of Shadows" in The Infinity Swords anthology from Carnivah House
"All That Glitters" at Every Day Fiction arriving 30 May 2008. |
| Posted By : Jared Evers - 5/9/2008 9:55 PM | | Actually, that is a really good story, I have to admit. |
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