* It can be very reassuring to know we're not the only person who gets rejections, finds something confusing, or has doubts. It's also very encouraging when people we've heard of and know are real people, something like us, win competitions or get published.
** It takes time to find new free competitions every single week and it's very difficult to keep track of markets I don't submit to. Your support through sharing information, and leaving comments, makes a big difference. (Never worry you're telling me something I know – reminders are welcome!)
Publication opportunities
If you'd like to read some (slightly) spooky stories as inspiration, I have lots here!
22 comments:
After a hiatus with them, I've submitted 3 to Write Time, two of which were shortlisted in WM so maybe I stand a chance? A 'no' from Weird Christmas and also Free Flash Fiction, which isn't free, BTW. A record 48 hours turnaround (!) rejection from TPF but I cheated (I sent it on a Sunday). I never hear a word from BOWW so I assume I'm not hitting the mark there. Oh, and one for Dusty Attic... I await. Good job I keep a robust record of what I've sent where! Looking forward to your new book, Patsy :)
Thanks to Marguerite for the info about Dusty Attic. I've just sent them a haunting story which has been rejected elsewhere. I'm not sure it's quite what they're looking for but we'll see!
Well done to all with positive news.
My rejects - one from TPF (within 24 hours) a no for a story I submitted t to Scribble and 2 stories didn't get anywhere in recent competitions.
What else? A no show for a letter I submitted to the Radio times and a poem that I'd hoped would be featured in a local mag, wasn't.
Ah well. Onward and upwards!
I sent an entry to Best Valentines Day competition. Closing date is next Monday so we shall see. I did get a runner-up position with them some time ago. Also sent an entry to Writers Online after seeing it on here, so thank you to whoever pointed it out.
Patsy, my copy of your little purple book has arrived. I'm really pleased with it. It will be so useful for sparking ideas.
I got rejected from the TPF - it didn't feel like it had been read, but this may be my ego. It was a form rejection but given the time I think four hours it felt like clearing the inbox with a rule.
@ Marguerite – Fingers crossed for those you have out.
Yes, keeping clear records of what you've sent where is very important.
@ Maisie – Good luck!
@ Sharon – It's demoralising to get several rejections close together - I like your positive response. Onwards and upwards indeed!
@ Sue – At least you won't have long to wait to know the result!
I'm pleased you're pleased with the book! I hope it's soon in regular use.
@ Anonymous – I do understand that a quick rejection can hurt (not as much as never hearing back though!). It's an editor's job to know what their reader's want, and to quickly decided if a story fits that criteria. I'm sure they generally know after one read through, which only takes a few minutes. Can you imagine how long the response times would be if every story was deliberated over for hours?
It might help to keep in mind that we all get rejections and these only mean that particular story wasn't considered quite right for that market - it doesn't mean that it isn't good and couldn't be published elsewhere, and is no reflection on your other work.
I suggest buying a current issue of TPF, reading a few of the stories, then yours, then the rest of those in the magazine. That might help you see a reason for the rejection. Also try analysing the published stories to see what they have in common eg the tone, types of character, word choices, amount of conflict, and try to to come up with something similar.
My day job is an administrator at a charity, and I'm pretty efficient. With my writing, not so much! Marguerite, I really need to follow your example!
This month I've submitted 2 flash fiction stories to the New Writers Flash Fiction pay-to-enter competition, and am half way through writing stories for Best's Valentines' Day competition, and also the 'Somewhere Else' OTP contest.
I'll need to get myself organised if I want to submit to Best by Monday though! How can it be the 18th already?
I also submitted two poems, which is quite unusual for me - but can't remember where I sent them now. 🤪
Finally - just remembered... in November 24, I submitted to the American mag Woman's World. Does anyone know how many months have to go by before you can asssume you haven't been chosen?
Writing that all down, I clearly need to develop a better system than my current scattergun one.
So sorry - I didn't mean to remain anoymous - that last comment was from me.
@Ruth - I've sold a couple of mysteries to Woman's World and the acceptances came through very quickly (five days for the first and about four weeks for the second). Although their official length of time for assuming rejection is six months, I think in practice it's about two months. I don't know if you've read Woman's World, but if you haven't, it's really important to do so if you want to submit to them. Their stories are very different from what you'd find in the UK magazines, and I don't just mean in terms of US spelling. Personally, I think it's essential to read a few issues of any magazine you want to submit to. Liz
Thanks, Liz. Totally agree about reading the mags, and I have done. I did adapt my tone, style and language, but don't think I was successful! I'll wait a little while longer then, just to be on the safe side, and will then tweak and submit elsewhere.
Congrats on the mysteries! My writing brain doesn't seem to work that way at all. I had an idea for a story, based on something that happened to me at work, but when I tried writing it, just couldn't work out how to give clues that weren't too obvious, or how to tie everything up properly. Well done.
I began the year with a rejection from the Mini Welkin competition, so not a great start!
This week, I submitted a story to Andrew Shaw and entered the Best competition. I am trying to adopt Sharon’s onward and upwards attitude.
HB
@ Ruth – I don't see anything wrong in sending lots of different types of writing to different places - as long as you keep track. Not many of us are good at all writing forms, but many enjoy trying more than one.
@ Liz - another agreement about reading the mags we sub to.
I've not tried for ages, but I did sub some mini mysteries to them. No luck, but I rewrote and extended them for the UK market and I think I sold them all.
@ HB - I had a rejection from the mini Welkin. They said I could try again. I did and they rejected to too. (Sorry to show off!!!)
I also had a Mini Welkin rejection.
Just a reminder that crowvus is looking for sci- fi stories. Cd 31 January. Free to enter. It's for their anthology.
I currently have a couple of stories out at WW, and another about to go. I’ve written two slightly different versions of the latter, one has a bit more showing than telling if you know what I mean, but they’re both of similar length - 800 words. I can’t decide which one to send. The ‘showing’ version seems to me a little clumsy in places, but the ‘telling’ a bit smoother. I suppose this is a nice problem to have, but not quite so when it comes to deciding which version to send.
I might think about it a few more days before I submit. A belated Happy New Year to fellow bloggers.
Michael
I have no news since December good, bad or indifferent. I have only submitted one short story since then too so I can't really complain (too much!).
That's an interesting dilemma Michael, I wonder if you could submit both if they are only 800 words?? I don't know what the thinking is around that.
The results are in for the New Writers 50 word competition, which alas, I didn't win. 🤣 The winning piece is lovely.
https://newwriters.org.uk/winter-50-word-competition-results-2024/
@ Michael - have you been successful previously with WW? (I am assuming Woman's World (USA), but maybe you meant Woman's Weekly (UK)?)
If American WW, I find it all so interesting. For a while I followed the WW Writers group on FB, and was interested to read about the two email addresses you submit to. One for newbies, and one for when you've been successful and are accepted into the 'inner circle'. There was one lady on there who lamented the fact that she'd submitted 20 stories and not been successful... but then finally she was successful, and after that, she seemed to comment quite regularly to say that she'd had another story accepted. Would love to be talented enough to find the key to that magical door.
@Sheelagh, most of the narrative in the two versions is the same, just a few of the paragraphs had slight differences. I’ve now rewritten them to my liking.
@Anonymous, I meant Woman’s Weekly. (I live in the UK). I’ve had two stories published by them previously, and one’s been ‘on file’ for over three years. Hopefully, it will be published one day.
I’ve read that Woman’s World is an extremely difficult market to break into. With never seeing a copy of their magazine, I don’t really know what type of stories they publish. Though I think I once read that they’re usually mini whodonits?
Michael
Hi All. Well done to all who've had successes and those of us still persevering! I'm wondering if anyone on the blog has a backlist of My Weekly Annuals.I'm looking for a story of mine that My Weekly bought sometime in 2022 I think. They said it would be published in the 2023 Annual. I haven't been able to locate it. It will be under my writing name of Kate Hogan - I named it 'What's The House Trying To Tell Me' My Weekly probably changed the title. So if anyone has copies of the 'My Weekly Annuals' My Weekly 2023 My Weekly 2024 and My Weekly 2025 and could have look if there is a Kate Hogan Story in any of them I'd very much appreciate it. I can then maybe order a back issue. Many thanks Kate Hogan
Hi Kate, I don't have a copy but the 2023 My Weekly Annual is still for sale on Amazon. There's a photo of the contents page which includes a story by you with the title of Good Neighbours so maybe that's the one.
Many thanks, Lindsay. That's actually another of my missing ones. Ordered now. Thanks. So the other story could be in 2024 or 2025 Annual unless it was never published, although it was paid for. Again, thank you for taking the time to check things out for me - much appreciated. Good wishes Kate Hogan
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