Acceptance and rejection
After years of writing non-fiction, my fiction has started to take off. While I haven't made the big time (i.e., big money), acceptances seem to be occurring with more frequency.
Since the first of the year I've had stories accepted by HollywoodDementia.com and four upcoming anthologies: "Mentschen and Minyanim," "Science Fiction for the Throne," "Alternative Truths," and "An Atlas to Time, Space, and Bonfires." Don't look for these at your local book store unless they make an effort to spotlight small presses. Still, they should be available online upon publication, and perhaps some savvy dealers will carry one or more of them at your local science fiction convention. Of course, once in print, your local bookstore can order them, which just might convince them the book is worth carrying.
This weekend, though, brought two disappointing emails. The first was from a publication that has had a story of mine since last July. In response to my second request for an update, I was informed that they're going under and so, no, my story is no longer under consideration. The other was from an anthology that comes out annually spotlighting humorous SF. For the third time I've had a story rejected. I'm beginning to wonder if their definition of humor is at wide variance from mine.
However instead of moping -- or sticking pins in voodoo dolls of editors lacking the ability to snap up my deathless prose -- I immediately started looking for other places to submit these stories. One has already gone out. If I thought the problem was the story, I'd revise it, and I'm always trying to make my fiction and non-fiction as good as it can be. However as someone who has not only gotten a lot of acceptances and rejections but, as an editor, has had to give them, I know that sometime it's like dating: there's nothing wrong with the people involved, but the chemistry wasn't right.
Rejections are part of the writing life and we have to deal with it. At least two of my upcoming stories were rejected from where they were originally submitted. Living well is the best revenge.
#sfwa
Since the first of the year I've had stories accepted by HollywoodDementia.com and four upcoming anthologies: "Mentschen and Minyanim," "Science Fiction for the Throne," "Alternative Truths," and "An Atlas to Time, Space, and Bonfires." Don't look for these at your local book store unless they make an effort to spotlight small presses. Still, they should be available online upon publication, and perhaps some savvy dealers will carry one or more of them at your local science fiction convention. Of course, once in print, your local bookstore can order them, which just might convince them the book is worth carrying.
This weekend, though, brought two disappointing emails. The first was from a publication that has had a story of mine since last July. In response to my second request for an update, I was informed that they're going under and so, no, my story is no longer under consideration. The other was from an anthology that comes out annually spotlighting humorous SF. For the third time I've had a story rejected. I'm beginning to wonder if their definition of humor is at wide variance from mine.
However instead of moping -- or sticking pins in voodoo dolls of editors lacking the ability to snap up my deathless prose -- I immediately started looking for other places to submit these stories. One has already gone out. If I thought the problem was the story, I'd revise it, and I'm always trying to make my fiction and non-fiction as good as it can be. However as someone who has not only gotten a lot of acceptances and rejections but, as an editor, has had to give them, I know that sometime it's like dating: there's nothing wrong with the people involved, but the chemistry wasn't right.
Rejections are part of the writing life and we have to deal with it. At least two of my upcoming stories were rejected from where they were originally submitted. Living well is the best revenge.
#sfwa
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You'd be surprised how much in life is analogous to dating, lol. My wife Marion has always said that the interview process is 1:1 to dating and she was right. I once made a faux pas during an interview when I told my interviewer about the dating thing, looked at me like I was nuts and that was that.
Chag Sameach!