Almost . . . Unhallowed

Image Source: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/469007748667058820/ (Kimberly Elise from “Hannah’s Law”)

So, this is technically a Writing Update blog entry, but unfortunately, it isn’t good news, so I thought I’d share my process of what I do when a Rejection Letter comes in for one of my stories so as to 1) vent a little without actually venting (I’ll explain what I mean by that later) and 2) hopefully help other writers who might be getting rejection letters and not continuing the submission process.

First, let me cover “venting without venting.” The rejection letter doesn’t include any real feedback as to why the market didn’t take it. Now, I know markets are busy and it’s my job as a writer to write a compelling story and a rejection means that I didn’t do that (at least enough) for that market, but realistically, without feedback, you’re flying blind as a writer. What complicates matters is that (also realistically) you only get one shot at a particular market for a particular story. I can’t grow as a writer if I don’t know where I went wrong with the story for a market (esp. if I’m getting the same feedback from multiple markets). However, it considered “wrong” to ask for feedback/fire off an angry reply if you feel a rejection is unfair.

So, by explaining the process, I’m trying to take the sting out of it a little as Unhallowed has everything that the markets say they want–a character who changes over the course of the story and who has clear motivations, a unique setting, interaction with other characters, not something that is another pastiche of another media property (a la Star Wars, Star Trek, Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings, etc.). So, even a published writer like myself, still has to work through the way the writing market works.

Read the Rejection Letter

So, as I alluded to above, I’m one of those who reads the rejection letters. Most of the time it does no good as the feedback is either way too general, or way too specific to that market. And that’s if you get feedback at all as I mentioned above. Also, a lot of times you’ll get conflicting feedback. I literally got feedback once where the first feedback said I need more “x” and I changed “x” and then the next feedback said that there was too much “x” and that “x” needed to be dialed back. This set of advice came one after the other. So, reading the rejection letter can often be a lesson in futility.

However, there are have been two times where the feedback was both detailed and actionable. While I can’t remember the first story, I’m pretty sure the second story was Dragonhawk. In both cases, the feedback was written in such a way (and enough detail–just a paragraph or two) to give me indications of why things in the story for readers were not actually working like I thought they were. I was able to make changes and see publication for the story. Now, I understand that not every market has time to do this (for unsolicited stories), this is where I start to try to figure out if I’ve done something wrong in the draft that I wasn’t aware of during the writing process.

Look at Duotrope’s Weekly Market Email

I subscribe to Duotrope (which I mentioned before) which has become the de facto “Writer’s Market” online (along with other online “market” sites like “The Submission Grinder” (I put “writer’s market” in quotes because older writers will know that there used to be a book called Writer’s Market where all this information was gathered, but it has long been superseded by web market guides–at least, for me).

While I look at the market email every week, this is where I start my quest for markets that I might be able to send my story to now that it’s “free” (available for submission). I’m looking for more established markets that have recently opened or are still in their “open” submission window. While I will consider “new” (unestablished/underestablished) markets, I’m really looking for more dependable markets as new markets can be unreliable in terms of their response times and/or staying around (one “new” market that I sent a story to on Christmas Day 2-3 years ago has already shut down).

If I find one that looks like it will work, I’ll skim the guidelines, go to the website and skim some of the stories and look over the masthead, and then I’ll make any changes requested by the guidelines (things like single space vs double space and the like). I’ll then send it off via whatever is requested by the guidelines.

Folder of Writer’s Guidelines

If there’s nothing that has caught my eye, then I’ll pull out my folder where I’ve saved guidelines from markets that I’ve submitted to in the past. While I do have a “semi-order” that I submit to in terms of markets, I have to keep them fairly fluid as markets open and close with frightening regularity, so one that might be “next” on my list might be closed (or three that might be “next” might have closed), so then I have to adjust where I’m sending the story next.

I used to look to revise the story before I sent it out again, but I have switched to a “yearly” revision strategy where I look over the story once a year to integrate feedback and look at it with new eyes. I hope that this will aid me in both making the story stronger, but also, not using the “revising” stage as a “procrastinating” stage to keep me from putting the story back on the market and avoiding rejection. Generally, I spend the weekend doing this and I try my best to send the story back out by Sunday (or Monday at the latest). That way I’m not simmering over the rejection, but trying to figure out which market is “best” for my story based on where I’ve not sent it.

Well, that’s all I have for today. I wanted to talk about my submission process once a story, in this case, Unhallowed comes back. You pretty much have an idea of what I will be doing over this weekend, in addition to getting ready to for the start of classes later this month.

Sidney

Please consider supporting these fine small press publishers where my work has appeared:

Read Skin Deep for Free at Aurora WolfRead Childe Roland for Free at Electric SpecPurchase  HawkeMoon  on Amazon.com (Paperback) or eBookPurchase  Dragonhawk  on Amazon.com (Paperback) or KindlePurchase  WarLight  on Amazon.com (Paperback) or KindlePurchase  Ship of Shadows  on Amazon.com (Paperback) or KindlePurchase  Faerie Knight  on Amazon.com (Paperback) or KindleCurrently Working On (August 2021):Unhallowed (Weird Western Story)
2021 Revision: Completed; Out to Market.Starlight, Starbright (Science Fiction Story)
2021 Revision: Completed.The Independent (Science Fiction Story)
2021 Revision: Completed; Out to Market.To Dance the Sea of Storms (Fantasy Story)
Prewrite: Completed, Plan & Outline: Completed, Write a first draft: Completed, Revision: In ProgressProject Runner (Fantasy Story)
Prewrite: Completed, Plan & Outline: Completed, Write a Rough draft: Completed, Write a First Draft: In Progress (600 words), Hard Deadline: August 31st, 2021 (Special Issue)