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Author Topic: Bummed  (Read 2381 times)

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Indy

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Bummed
« on: January 12, 2011, 06:09:31 PM »

Just received a rejection letter from EQMM for the first story I've ever submitted.  (Must admit it was quite a nice letter, but still.  The thing is, I honestly think it's quite a good story...better than most of the ones that appear there.  Am telling myself that's the problem!
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linda

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Re: Bummed
« Reply #1 on: January 13, 2011, 03:09:37 PM »

Indy, I submitted a story to EQMM and also received a nice rejection letter. 

I was also sure that the story I submitted was excellent and would have been perfect for their magazine.  I put it away and worked some more on my writing. 

A year or so later, I pulled the story up and reread it.  I was surprised to see all the ways that the story could have been made better and I understood the reasons for the rejection. 

Unless you plan on submitting the story elsewhere, I'd suggest you put it away for a while, then go back to it when it's no longer fresh.  You're likely to see changes that can be made to improve the story.

Good luck!

Linda
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Indy

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Re: Bummed
« Reply #2 on: January 13, 2011, 04:03:42 PM »

Hey, Linda.

You know, it occurred to me in retrospect that my post sounded incredibly arrogant...maybe not the best posture to adopt when you're new, eh?   I really do love this story and I really think it's pretty good.  I think that's what bothered me so much about the rejection...am I not able to judge the quality of my own work???  But truthfully, it probably isn't right for EQMM...I love genre but with a somewhat literary bent  (think Kate Atkinson.)

Really appreciate your response, though, and I'm sure you're quite possibly correct that the story's not quite as grand as I think it to be!
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JIM DOHERTY

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Re: Bummed
« Reply #3 on: January 13, 2011, 04:45:53 PM »

Indy,

Things to think about.

Very often, it's not just how good your story is, but a whole lot of other considerations.

First, how much space they have in a given issue.  They only publish ten or twelve stories in a given issue.  At least one of those spots is alread set aside for a translated, non-English-language story for their "Passport to Crime" section.  That leaves one less spot available for you to compete.  Usually, at least one spot in every issue is a rigorously hard-boiled story written especially for their Black Mask section.  That's two fewer available spots for you to compete for.

Second, have you ever been published before?  If you haven't, recall that, in any given issue, there's only one "First Story," and very often not even one.

Third, what kind of a story was it, and do they have anything on hand that directly competes with it?  Let's suppose it is, for example, a police procedural, and it's a damned good one, but for the issue they're considering it, they've already got in hand a Harry Bosch story by Michael Connelly, an Inspector Rebus story by Ian Rankin, or that the foreign section is being given over to a Kurt Wallender story by Henning Mankell.  Let's say yours is as good, maybe even better, than the similar story by the name author, but they've got another first story just as good as yours that's in a completely different sub-genre, which won't compete with that name author, and will make the entire issue look more balanced.

Between you and Michael Connelly, Ian Rankin, or Henning Mankell, who do you think they're going to take?  That's not a knock on your talent, that's just an objective business decision.  Connelly's or Rankin's or Mankell's name on the cover will sell copies.  At this stage in your career, yours won't.

Finally, did you get a personal rejection, or just a pre-printed "Thank you for letting us read the enclosed, but it does not suit our present needs?"

If you got a personal letter, you really beat the odds.  It is, though it might not seem so, cause for celebration, because most new authors never even get that close.  And a personal rejection is very close.

Dave Freas

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Re: Bummed
« Reply #4 on: January 13, 2011, 05:04:31 PM »

Hi, Indy.

I had heard, too, that at one time several years ago, EQMM had two years worth of stories on hand.  Don't know if that's still true or not, but it may have been a factor in their decision to pass on your story.

And I've also heard that EQMM is one of the hardest (if not the hardest) short story mystery magazines to be accepted to.  That they sent you a nice rejection letter from them is quite an accomplishment.

Hope this helps.

Dave
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Indy

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Re: Bummed
« Reply #5 on: January 13, 2011, 06:02:52 PM »

You guys are the best.

I suspect it's just EQMM's policy to send out personalized rejections...at any rate, my letter referenced the story's title, etc.  Maybe best of all, the editor signed it.  So now I have a name!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm actually trying to write a novel and don't much deal with short stories, but I do have one more I've played around with, so maybe I'll polish it for a year or two and send it off.

Thanks for the suggestions and consolation.
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JIM DOHERTY

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Re: Bummed
« Reply #6 on: January 14, 2011, 12:51:02 AM »

Indy,

Re your comment below:

I suspect it's just EQMM's policy to send out personalized rejections...at any rate, my letter referenced the story's title, etc.  Maybe best of all, the editor signed it.  So now I have a name!!!!!!!!!!!!

It is absolutely not EQMM's policy to send out personalized rejections.  I know because I've gotten stadardized rejections from them, so when I got one that was personalized, I knew I'd scaled an important, and very difficult, wall.

If you got a personalized rejection, you have cause to be truly proud.

Kat

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Re: Bummed
« Reply #7 on: January 30, 2011, 12:07:33 PM »

I'm going to more than agree with Jim. My rejections have not been in any way, shape, or form personal. Wow! You got one of those "wanted" rejections. That is awesome!
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Indy

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Re: Bummed
« Reply #8 on: February 01, 2011, 07:42:31 PM »

Well, they invited me to submit new stories, but pretty pointedly didn't suggest I edit and resubmit the current one!  I know I should feel flattered--hey, I do feel flattered.  I'd just rather feel, you know, published!
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Kat

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Re: Bummed
« Reply #9 on: February 06, 2011, 06:45:11 AM »

 ;D
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