[BrianC]

Just got this rejection from Chilling Tales: Mr, Malone-It is with regret that I must tell you that your short story "The Dream Poacher," although making it to the final round did not quite make the cut. It is a fantastic and original premise. I am sure that you will have success in a different magazine- and hope that you would consider submitting to us again. Like I said it made it to the final twenty- out of close to one-hundred and fifty stories.
Ooh, so close! Keep at it, no matter how many rejections you get. Every time I am rejected, and it's 32 times so far this year, I look over the story and see if I want to make any changes, and then I head right over to Duotrope. (Yes, 'Dream Poacher' has already been submitted to another 'zine). You have to believe that your story will find a home. One of my stories, 'Innocent,' was rejected five times before being accepted (it appears next month), including by an editor who loved it but could not handle the theme of infidelity because of her own recent divorce.

Keep at it, keep writing, keep revising, and keep submitting!

[JamesL]

Good stuff Brian, it's always heartening to get a nice rejection like that. Makes you feel that your work is appreciated even if it is not accepted.

[Optimutt]

Attaboy, Brian! Way to persevere through the moggy burk of rejection!

[James Carmack]

Yes, cheers all around.

I suppose it isn't all that surprising, but it's really something else to have your manuscript rejected because it touches a little too close to an editor's personal drama. That's got to make life fun for the more fretful among us.

"Oh, God, what if they don't like it? My protagonist blows up a bunch of twenty-foot crustaceans. One of the editors might be a twenty-foot crustacean! *sob*"

[MrBF1V3]

yeah BrianC, those are so much better than "Feel free to submit again, after you learn how to write." kind of letters some of us got at first. (okay, maybe not exactly that...)

On the other hand, it can be a little bit discouraging. "Hey, we really liked your story, but not enough to publish it." It's like being nominated for an award, several times, and never winning.

Hmmm, my last rejection had a line about having success in another market, I wonder if they crib each other's notes. :confused:

Either way, it sounds like you're getting close. Keep it up.

B5

[Holbrook]

Way to go Brian! Things like that make it worth while.

It make sup for all the rejections that bounce back half an hour after you query....

[Optimutt]

Way to go Brian! Things like that make it worth while.

It make sup for all the rejections that bounce back half an hour after you query....

Half an hour...? Great gods above, Holbrook! Who are you submitting to that respond so quickly? I need their numbers!

[Holbrook]

Half an hour...? Great gods above, Holbrook! Who are you submitting to that respond so quickly? I need their numbers!

Not Publishers (short story or novel) agents to email queries :D Though the same agents have also been as quick to request part manuscripts in the past. In fact I sent an email query to an agent to day at 11.15 am British summer time and received a request for 100 pages at 05.05 pm British summer time.

[MrBF1V3]

Way to go Holbrook. Bet they can't read just 100 ...

Aside: British summer time?

B5

(I think I know what it is, but I could be wrong.)