Richard
from St. Louis is reading various anthologiesApril 7, 2014 - 2:59pm
last time i had a story at Black Clock (who I LOVE, and consider a white whale) i got past the first level, and the second level, and then withdrew it at about the nine month mark because it got accepted elsewhere. kind of ridiculous, but i've waited longer. i think it took me 242 days for Cemetery Dance. my longest acceptance was for Cherry Bleeds (now defunct) at 287 days.
jyh
from VA is reading whatever he feels likeApril 8, 2014 - 8:38am
It's sort of a conundrum, the "go big or get published" thing. I'm more inclined to want to get published in "reputable" journals, but then I often feel like they're not as open to "new" writing as they might claim. They might publish non-famous writers, but not those who are writing in styles the magazine doesn't already deal with. I like some mainstream magazines, but they really don't publish unconventional stuff, even though their writers may regularly reference previously-unconventional authors. And with those magazines who take "risks" and publish weird stuff, though I appreaciate their "daring," I often dislike what they publish; even if I thought I might get in, I don't want to. This might be judgmental of me, but I don't feel like getting a few shorts or poems published online really makes so great a difference that it's worth circumventing my perspective on the matter.
End result is I just don't submit much, which also doesn't seem to further my career in any verifiable way.
MattF
from Tokyo is reading Borges' Collected FictionsJuly 18, 2014 - 1:03am
In the last 48 hours: A Public Space, Redivider, and Shock Totem--on three different stories submitted months apart. Feels like the first day of story hunting season out there.
Jack Campbell Jr.
from Lawrence, KS is reading American Rust by Phillipp MeyerJuly 18, 2014 - 7:54am
Yeah, I had a streak last week of a response every day. Five rejections, one acceptance, and a short-list. I haven't had a single thing since. They seem to return in spurts.
Nick
from Toronto is reading Adjustment DayJanuary 30, 2015 - 10:37pm
Just got the ol' RJ from AGNI... but this one was personalized, encouraging, etc. I feel validated.
L.W. Flouisa
from Tennessee is reading More MurakamiFebruary 3, 2015 - 7:48pm
First rejection in a long time, it feels great: I was rejected from Cricket magazine.
Yep, I'm officially a middle grade writer now. Completely dumped adult fiction like a sack of hot potatoes.
Dino Parenti
from Los Angeles is reading Everything He Gets His Hands OnFebruary 3, 2015 - 9:16pm
I've sent five stories to almost 60 journals on the 1st of January. So far I've been rejected by PANK, Word Riot (my third rejection from there), Slice, Subtropics, APEX (the same day!), Not One of Us, Granta, and The Paris Review (for such a prestige, mail-only journal, they sent the shittiest little crooked print out form-rejection on faded ink!).
Got homes for two of them though--one at Pithead Chapel, and one at Menacing Hedge.
voodoo_em
from England is reading All the books by Ira LevinFebruary 4, 2015 - 12:36am
Congrats on your acceptances, Dino :)
SConley
from Texas is reading Coin Locker BabiesFebruary 4, 2015 - 8:52am
I seem to be receiving more personal rejections lately.
Popshot - Form
Boston Review - Form
Out of the Gutter - Personal
Shotgun Honey - Personal
Masters Review - Personal
AGNI - Personal
Richard
from St. Louis is reading various anthologiesFebruary 6, 2015 - 8:21pm
2014:
Four Corners F I am the Abyss CLOSED E 12 Feb 2014 05 Mar 2014 Rejection, Personal 21 90
Four Corners F Civil Coping Mechanisms E 18 Feb 2014 26 Feb 2014 Rejection 8 76
Moving Heavy Objects F Jelly Bucket E 28 Feb 2014 02 Apr 2014 Rejection 33 47 60
Moving Heavy Objects F New Madrid E 28 Feb 2014 22 May 2014 Rejection 83 109 180
Moving Heavy Objects F CCLap Journal ON HIATUS E 01 Mar 2014 05 Mar 2014 Rejection4
Moving Heavy Objects F West Branch E 17 Mar 2014 02 Apr 2014 Rejection 16 10 120
Moving Heavy Objects F Black Warrior Review E 17 Mar 2014 08 Apr 2014 Rejection 22 85 180
Moving Heavy Objects F PANK Magazine E 17 Mar 2014 11 Apr 2014 Rejection, Form 25 30 30
Moving Heavy Objects F Passages North E 17 Mar 2014 18 Apr 2014 Rejection, Form 32 24
Moving Heavy Objects F Birkensnake E 17 Mar 2014 11 May 2014 Rejection, Form 55 52 60
Moving Heavy Objects F Parcel E 17 Mar 2014 27 Jun 2014 Rejection, Form 102 92 90
Moving Heavy Objects F mojo E 17 Mar 2014 19 Aug 2014 Rejection, Form 155 56 90
Moving Heavy Objects F Blackbird E 17 Mar 2014 01 Jan 2015 Rejection, Personal 290 247 180
Open Waters F Ruthless Peoples Magazine E 20 Mar 2014 22 Mar 2014 Rejection, Personal 2 21 7
Moving Heavy Objects F Recommended Reading E 15 May 2014 23 Oct 2014 Rejection, Form 161 116 180
Homecoming F Microfiction Monday Magazine E 17 May 2014 23 May 2014 Rejection, Personal 6 6
Moving Heavy Objects F Fireside TEMP CLOSED E 01 Jun 2014 30 Jun 2014 Rejection, Form 29 30 30
Open Waters F Popshot TEMP CLOSED E 04 Jun 2014 01 Aug 2014 Rejection, Personal 58 36
Little Red Wagon F Clarkesworld Magazine E 10 Jun 2014 12 Jun 2014 Rejection, Form 2 2 14
Little Red Wagon F Fantasy & Science Fiction P 10 Jun 2014 18 Jun 2014 Rejection, Form 8 20 60
Little Red Wagon F Strange Little Girls CLOSED E 10 Jun 2014 27 Aug 2014 Rejection, Form 78 71
Open Waters F Grievous Angel E 21 Jun 2014 04 Nov 2014 Rejection, Personal 136 12 14
Little Red Wagon F Dark Magazine, The E 09 Sep 2014 09 Sep 2014 Rejection, Form 0 1 30
Moving Heavy Objects F Granta E 23 Oct 2014 04 Nov 2014 Rejection, Form 12 231 180
Moving Heavy Objects F upstreet TEMP CLOSED E 23 Oct 2014 06 Nov 2014 Rejection, Form 14 33
Moving Heavy Objects F Fiction Desk, The E 23 Oct 2014 11 Nov 2014 Rejection, Form 19 45 90
Moving Heavy Objects F Southern Indiana Review E 23 Oct 2014 01 Dec 2014 Rejection, Form 39 139
Moving Heavy Objects F Stoneslide Corrective, The E 23 Oct 2014 27 Dec 2014 Rejection, Form 65 76
Moving Heavy Objects F Whiskey Island Magazine E 04 Nov 2014 22 Nov 2014 Rejection, Form 18 19 90
Moving Heavy Objects F Pleiades E 04 Nov 2014 29 Dec 2014 Rejection, Form 55 39 120
Moving Heavy Objects F Georgia Review P 04 Nov 2014 22 Jan 2015 Rejection, Form 79 92 150
Moving Heavy Objects F Colorado Review P 05 Nov 2014 15 Dec 2014 Rejection, Form 40 48 60
Moving Heavy Objects F Sou'wester TEMP CLOSED E 05 Nov 2014 06 Jan 2015 Rejection, Form 62 80
Moving Heavy Objects F Psychopomp Magazine E 11 Nov 2014 18 Nov 2014 Rejection, Form 7 13
Moving Heavy Objects F Atlas Review, The E 11 Nov 2014 14 Dec 2014 Rejection, Form 33 44
Moving Heavy Objects F Bayou Magazine E 11 Nov 2014 25 Jan 2015 Rejection, Form 75 100 120
jyh
from VA is reading whatever he feels likeFebruary 8, 2015 - 12:02pm
If it were me, and none of the other stories had so much trouble, I'd maybe change the title of 'Moving Heavy Objects'? Or has it been placed since then? ( Not that RT needs my advice. ;~) )
cjhlambert
February 11, 2015 - 7:33pm
@Mel, Rob, Angel
Hey, I know it's almost been a year since your posts on Red Fez, so I'm pretty late to this thread. I'm the current head fiction editor for Red Fez.
I took over in July of 2013. So Mel, Rob, if it's any consolation, things have changed. Though, I was the one who rejected Angel. I can explain that.
So I went back and looked at the reviews for your story, Mel (Rob, I didn't have enough information to go on). The previous head fiction editor should not have sent what he sent to you. The headitor (as we call them) took the comments from the other editors, verbatim, and just pasted them in to the feedback section. That's not fair for the editors, who think they're speaking candidly and tend to overdramatize their thoughts to amuse one another (under the pretense that the headitor is drawing from each dramatic criticism a more polite, and helpful criticism to send to the author), and it's especially not fair for the authors. There could have been constructive feedback you gained from Red Fez. Instead, you just had a bad experience.
The good news is what you experienced doesn't happen anymore. I have editors explain what they didn't like and why. The purpose being three-fold. One, identifying what you don't like and being able to explain why you don't like it is educational and growth-inducing. Two, if I disagree with them, I can explain why so they get why I make the editorial decisions that I do and hopefully can appreciate a story that I think they failed to appreciate (which sounds arrogant...). Three, it allows me to provide stronger feedback to the authors than if the editor had just said, "I don't like it."
So when providing feedback I will pull pieces of an author's story to use as example and then explain what we thought the problem was. Why characters did not work for us. Or why we thought sentence construction was problematic. Or why we thougth narrative tension failed. Or how the end of a story disappointed us. I then usually try to give examples of what would have "worked" for us. ("worked" in quotes since it's such a subjective thing).
The bad news is Angel's experience, and that has to do with tone.
Angel, I re-read what I sent you. If we had been sitting down, face to face, I think we would have been fine, because you could have heard how I was saying what I was saying. Analytical and, at times, critical, yes, but you would have heard the support in my voice and we would have been having a conversation, where I would have listened to you, answered any questions, gone back and forth with you, and that would have deluted some of the more critical comments. If it's any consolation, I really was trying to be helpful rather than mean.
But we weren't sitting down, face to face. Instead, you got an analytical and, at times, critical 500 word critique of your story. And it's from someone you don't know. I could be a huge asshole, rather than someone who meant well but was trying to write something like 20 rejection e-mails while also having lots of other stuff to go and work on. Sigh. So I'm typing with all this intended good-will that isn't being conveyed, and you're reading with no idea what I intended. Eek.
I'm sorry that I hadn't taken that into consideration. I do stand by the feedback I gave you. But I should have delivered it in a better way. I thought the analytical tone would come off as professional rather than as some editor who is being a jerk and has just rejected your story.
We want to improve. We want to help authors. We want authors to enjoy the Red Fez experience. I want authors who come to Red Fez to come away thinking, "This place supports me." So I'm happy I found this thread because it will help me make adjustments to my actions.
Mel, Rob, I'm sorry that you had negative experiences under the old leadership, but I hope you consider submitting in the future. I can't promise publication (well, I guess I could), but I can promise that if you're rejected the feedback will be helpful and insightful, rather than careless and dismissive.
Angel. We had published one of your stories the month before, so we definitely like your writing. I hope you do submit again. And if you want to have more of a discussion with me about the feedback I sent, or anything else, let me know: chrisATredfez.net
Other topics:
-The Red Fez site has been totally overhauled. So no more ugly colors on top of ugly colors. Well, at least not in the way they had previously been arranged. The stories are also easier to read.
-Bios. Mel, if it matters at all, I checked editors comments for both your submissions and no one said anything about the credentials of the bios. Nothing like, "Oh, she has a novel optioned!" On your second submission, they said things like "This is very good," and "Had me hooked beginning to end." Though who knows. Maybe reading your bio primed them to enjoy it more? Or maybe it was, in their minds, a superior story?
Actually. Three editors read your first story, and the head editor recommended it for publication, but the other two voted no, so... In your second submission, three editors read your story again. Same headitor, but two new editors. It might have just been a matter of taste? Maybe the two new editors from the second story would have recommended your first story for publication?
In the time I've been headitor, I've rejected a couple Pushcart winners, a Guggenheim fellow (that weirded me to finish reading someone's story and then see they were a Guggenheim fellow), countless MFAs, professors at MFA programs, and other various grant recipients and award winners. So we definitely don't cater. I'm publishing a high school student in our newest issue.
Anyway. I hope this helps clarify some things!
If you have any questions feel free to e-mail me or respond on here. Good luck with all the publishing endeavors!
Dino Parenti
from Los Angeles is reading Everything He Gets His Hands OnFebruary 12, 2015 - 11:50am
Got a vaguely personalized rejection from Zoetrope yesterday. Someone carated an inked "terrific" before "story" in an otherwise form "Thank you for submitting your story." I'll take that, I suppose.
@ Voodoo-em: Many thanks!
@Richard: Same as jyh: have you placed any of them since?
Jack Campbell Jr.
from Lawrence, KS is reading American Rust by Phillipp MeyerFebruary 13, 2015 - 7:19am
If you search Duotrope and see horror markets that pay anything, I've probably been rejected from it a couple of times.
I didn't submit as much this last year with school going on, and got rejected less, surprisingly.
In the Shadows beneath My Bed P Cast of Wonders E 27 May 2014 13 Aug 2014 Rejection 78 Update
Stopped at the Crossing F DarkFuse Anthology Series TEMP CLOSED E 04 Jun 2014 19 Sep 2014 Rejection 107 100 180 Update
Murph's Law F Buzzy Mag E 08 Jun 2014 06 Jul 2014 Rejection 28 47 60 Update
Old Devil Moon F Liquid Imagination E 08 Jun 2014 03 Sep 2014 Rejection 87 49 60 Update
My Brother's Keeper F Eric Hoffer Award for Short Prose E 10 Jun 2014 11 Jul 2014 Rejection 31 53 Update
Polka Man F Niteblade E 19 Jun 2014 07 Jul 2014 Rejection 18 33 45 Update
A Train Ride to an Unknown Stop N Serving House Journal E 08 Jul 2014 25 Aug 2014 Rejection 48 180 Update
Polka Man F Beyond the Nightlight CLOSED E 08 Jul 2014 24 Oct 2014 Rejection 108 22 Update
Take It Home F Stoneslide Corrective, The E 08 Jul 2014 20 Nov 2014 Rejection 135 76 Update
Old Devil Moon F Stupefying Stories TEMP CLOSED E 19 Sep 2014 09 Oct 2014 Rejection 20 34 60 Update
Stopped at the Crossing F Wicked Words Quarterly E 19 Sep 2014 10 Nov 2014 Rejection 52 49 Update
Old Devil Moon F Betwixt E 10 Oct 2014 19 Oct 2014 Rejection 9 12 14 Update
Old Devil Moon F Niteblade E 20 Oct 2014 21 Nov 2014 Rejection 32 33 45 Update
Old Devil Moon F Literary Hatchet E 22 Nov 2014 16 Dec 2014 Rejection, Form 24 22 45 Update
SConley
from Texas is reading Coin Locker BabiesFebruary 13, 2015 - 9:24am
I think that was really cool of the Red Fez editor. Editors never do that kind of thing.
Nick
from Toronto is reading Adjustment DayFebruary 18, 2015 - 6:29pm
I got a personal rejection from AGNI as well. Was a bit of a confidence boost.
Max
from Texas is reading goosebumpsFebruary 19, 2015 - 1:46am
Nightmare Magazine has become my best friend/worst enemy. One day, goddammit.
Angel Colón
from The Bronx now living in New Jersey is reading A Big Ol' Pile of BooksFebruary 21, 2015 - 9:31pm
Funny, just jumped in here for the first time in a while.
Very cool to get the word from Red Fez, I appreciate that. Didn't really take it personal, though, I assure you! Still, thanks for the transparency.
Angel Colón
from The Bronx now living in New Jersey is reading A Big Ol' Pile of BooksFebruary 21, 2015 - 9:32pm
And Max, I feel you. Ellery Queen and I have that same relationship.
Joshua Chaplinsky
from New York is reading Library BooksFebruary 22, 2015 - 2:35pm
This year I finally resolved to buckle down and send out some submissions, so I don't have any exciting rejections as of yet. That being said, this thread has been a great resource for me of places I could be rejected from soon. So, thanks, everyone.
Joshua Chaplinsky
from New York is reading Library BooksFebruary 26, 2015 - 3:59pm
...that being said, I got my first acceptance, from L'Allure des Mots, which I discovered in this thread. (Thanks, Bekanator!) I'm a little suspicious at how quickly they responded, but whatever.
I also got this nice little note from McSweeney's:
This doesn’t fail for lack of inventiveness, but I’m afraid we aren’t going to use it. Thanks for sharing it with us, nonetheless.
SConley
from Texas is reading Coin Locker BabiesMarch 2, 2015 - 1:19pm
I sent a story to them years ago, not knowing much of what they were about and I never heard back. I didn't realize they leaned more towards satire and comedy.
MattF
from Tokyo is reading Borges' Collected FictionsMarch 3, 2015 - 4:21am
Just got a personal rejection from Nightmare Magazine. This story's received encouraging personal rejections from Shimmer and Apex as well. Always the bridesmaid...
Nick
from Toronto is reading Adjustment DayMarch 5, 2015 - 10:35pm
PANK has given me three "upper tier" rejections. I'll crack that market if it's the last thing I do.
MattF
from Tokyo is reading Borges' Collected FictionsMarch 6, 2015 - 6:24am
Clarkesworld
MattF
from Tokyo is reading Borges' Collected FictionsMarch 6, 2015 - 4:56pm
Personal rejection from Asimov's.
This is my first time sending a story to Dark Fantasy/Horror/SF markets, and I have to say I love the quick 2-day turnarounds, as well as all the personalized responses (4 of 7 pro markets).
I'm used to the hell of literary markets where it's nearly impossible to find top magazines that don't charge a three dollar reading fee, hold onto your story for 4-6 months, and still only pay in contributor's copies. The genre markets never have a reading fee, pay pro rates and often respond within the week. The only down side is most genre mags ask for no ss, where most lit mags allow ss in their guidelines.
Why the crazy disparity? Definitely makes me want to experiment more with genre fiction. Y'all got it good.
Nick
from Toronto is reading Adjustment DayMarch 10, 2015 - 7:19am
Personalized rejection from the Missouri Review.
Tucson
from Belgium is reading Late Essays - J.M. CoetzeeMarch 16, 2015 - 6:22am
I've never been rejected, since I've never submitted. There's a huge feeling of shame holding me back. I couldn't probably take a rejection.
EDIT: I did submit once, and it didn't get rejected. Instead, it got published in a book called "talent under 30" or something like that, but I didn't like the story (especially since it was my first and only published one) so I stopped sending in. I had to edit, I'd repressed the memory..
Nick
from Toronto is reading Adjustment DayMarch 17, 2015 - 10:27am
Slice Magazine and The Missouri Review were both impressed with my writing...
big_old_dave
from Watford, about 20 miles outside London, Uk
March 18, 2015 - 2:35am
Need some advice, currently rewriting a story I did back in 2012, looking for fire it off. Which tactic would you recommend? Do you send a story off to one magazine at a time or fire it off to a couple at once?
Gordon Highland
from Kansas City is reading Secondhand Souls by Christopher MooreMarch 18, 2015 - 5:13am
I submit to about four at once, then wait for replies to start coming in before sending to any others, and I suspect that's a pretty conservative number compared to some writers. Maybe it's a confidence psyche-out, but I tell myself it's because I don't want to have to send mass withdrawals once someone accepts it.
Brandon
from KCMO is reading Made to BreakMarch 18, 2015 - 6:13am
I have little to no respect for the simultaneous submissions rule. I'll usally fire off to six or seven venues at the same time.
big_old_dave
from Watford, about 20 miles outside London, Uk
March 18, 2015 - 6:30am
Cheers people,
Only sent one story off so far at the start of last year that got rejected so I need to pick up the pace a bit me thinks.
TheScrivener
from Seattle is reading short stories March 19, 2015 - 10:19pm
I have zero confidence I will ever be published, so I just fire away. I have 70 submissions out (not all the same piece).
Richard
from St. Louis is reading various anthologiesMarch 25, 2015 - 12:39pm
Thought I'd share this with you. My literary story, "Moving Heavy Objects," was recently accepted by storySouth, a pretty good online publication with a 3% acceptance rate. But this story was rejected over ONE HUNDRED times before getting accepted there. Here's the list:
Moving Heavy Objects F AGNI E 16 Nov 2011 13 Feb 2012 Rejection, Form 89 69 120 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Atlas Review, The E 11 Nov 2014 14 Dec 2014 Rejection, Form 33 44 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Barrelhouse E 06 Jan 2012 04 Feb 2012 Rejection, Form 29 172 90 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Bat City Review E 06 Sep 2013 13 Nov 2013 Rejection, Form 68 78 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Bayou Magazine E 11 Nov 2014 25 Jan 2015 Rejection, Form 75 91 120 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Bear Deluxe E 14 Aug 2012 18 Jun 2013 Rejection 308 180 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Beloit Fiction Journal P 08 Aug 2012 29 Sep 2012 Rejection, Form 52 49 60
Moving Heavy Objects F Berkeley Fiction Review E 10 Apr 2012 29 Apr 2012 Rejection, Form 19 154 365
Moving Heavy Objects F Big Lucks E 02 Sep 2012 20 Feb 2013 Rejection, Form 171 72 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Birkensnake E 17 Mar 2014 11 May 2014 Rejection, Form 55 51 60 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Black Warrior Review E 17 Mar 2014 08 Apr 2014 Rejection 22 56 180 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Blackbird E 17 Mar 2014 01 Jan 2015 Rejection, Personal 290 264 180 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Booth E 18 Sep 2013 03 Nov 2013 Rejection, Personal 46 43 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Boston Review E 30 Nov 2011 02 Feb 2012 Rejection, Form 64 133 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Boulevard P 13 Apr 2012 25 Oct 2012 Rejection 195 139 120 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Caketrain E 16 Nov 2011 26 Jan 2012 Rejection 71 88 180 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Camera Obscura E 16 Nov 2011 10 Jan 2012 Rejection, Form 55 291 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F CCLap Journal E 01 Mar 2014 05 Mar 2014 Rejection, Personal 4 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Chattahoochee Review E 30 Nov 2012 27 Mar 2013 Rejection 117 180 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Chicago Review E 03 Aug 2013 20 Aug 2013 Rejection 17 43 120 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Cimarron Review E 18 Jul 2013 27 Aug 2013 Rejection, Form 40 79 180 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Cincinnati Review, The E 16 May 2012 17 Aug 2012 Rejection, Form 93 119 120
Moving Heavy Objects F Collagist, The E 19 Jan 2013 08 Apr 2013 Rejection 79 29 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Colorado Review P 05 Nov 2014 15 Dec 2014 Rejection, Form 40 50 60 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Copper Nickel E 02 Mar 2012 06 May 2012 Rejection, Personal 65 51 60 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Crazyhorse E 16 Nov 2011 30 Dec 2011 Rejection, Form 44 64 120 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F cream city review E 16 Nov 2011 11 Dec 2011 Rejection, Form 25 106 240
Moving Heavy Objects F CutBank E 20 Nov 2012 16 Feb 2013 Rejection 88 54 120 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Electric Literature E 04 Apr 2013 10 Jun 2013 Rejection, Form 67 141 180
Moving Heavy Objects F Emerson Review, The E 10 Aug 2012 10 Oct 2012 Rejection, Personal 61 50 60
Moving Heavy Objects F EVENT P 31 Dec 2013 02 Jun 2014 Rejection, Form 153 215 180 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Fence E 16 Nov 2011 10 May 2012 Rejection 176 194 270 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Fiction Desk, The E 23 Oct 2014 11 Nov 2014 Rejection, Form 19 45 90 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Fifth Wednesday Journal E 17 Aug 2013 03 Nov 2013 Rejection, Form 78 91 180
Moving Heavy Objects F Fireside E 01 Jun 2014 30 Jun 2014 Rejection, Form 29 28 30 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Fourteen Hills E 04 Mar 2013 22 May 2013 Rejection 79 160 270 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Fugue E 02 Sep 2012 23 Sep 2012 Rejection, Form 21 120 60 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Georgia Review P 04 Nov 2014 22 Jan 2015 Rejection, Form 79 79 150 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Glimmer Train E 15 Jul 2012 15 Sep 2012 Rejection, Form 62 65 115 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Granta E 23 Oct 2014 04 Nov 2014 Rejection, Form 12 130 180 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F E 15 Jun 2012 31 Jul 2012 Rejection, Form 46 15 120 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Guernica E 11 Nov 2014 18 Feb 2015 Rejection, Form 99 116 60 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Gulf Coast E 30 Jan 2013 16 Mar 2013 Rejection 45 129 180 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Harpur Palate E 06 Sep 2013 16 Oct 2013 Rejection, Form 40 32 120 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Hayden's Ferry Review E 13 Feb 2012 20 Mar 2012 Rejection, Form 36 138 120
Moving Heavy Objects F Idaho Review, The E 06 Apr 2013 10 Sep 2013 Rejection, Form 157 36 180
Moving Heavy Objects F Indiana Review E 16 Nov 2011 06 Feb 2012 Rejection, Form 82 136 120 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Jelly Bucket E 28 Feb 2014 02 Apr 2014 Rejection 33 49 60 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Journal, The E 13 Feb 2013 20 Apr 2013 Rejection, Form 66 97 120 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Juked (Print) E 02 Mar 2013 27 May 2013 Rejection, Personal 86 95 120 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Kenyon Review, The E 16 Sep 2013 02 Oct 2013 Rejection 16 49 150 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F LIT E 24 Sep 2013 21 Nov 2013 Rejection, Form 58 104 120 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Michigan Quarterly Review P 04 Mar 2013 10 Mar 2014 Rejection 371 67 45
Moving Heavy Objects F Mid-American Review E 02 Mar 2013 23 Sep 2013 Rejection, Form 205 101 150
Moving Heavy Objects F Midwestern Gothic E 12 Oct 2012 04 Jan 2013 Rejection, Personal 84 31
Moving Heavy Objects F Missouri Review, The P 09 Apr 2012 26 Apr 2012 Rejection 17 65 180 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F mojo E 17 Mar 2014 19 Aug 2014 Rejection, Form 155 63 90 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F New England Review P 11 Apr 2012 13 Jul 2012 Rejection, Form 93 99 120
Moving Heavy Objects F New Madrid E 28 Feb 2014 22 May 2014 Rejection 83 106 180 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F New Ohio Review (NOR) E 10 Apr 2012 15 Oct 2012 Rejection 188 136 120
Moving Heavy Objects F New World Writing E 04 Dec 2012 06 May 2013 Rejection 153 48 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Ninth Letter E 23 Feb 2012 12 May 2012 Rejection 79 100 90 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Noon Annual P 07 May 2012 31 May 2012 Rejection 24 18 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F One Story E 08 Dec 2011 30 Dec 2011 Rejection, Form 22 60 90 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F PANK Magazine E 17 Mar 2014 11 Apr 2014 Rejection, Form 25 31 30 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Parcel E 17 Mar 2014 27 Jun 2014 Rejection, Form 102 93 90 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Passages North E 12 Dec 2012 18 Feb 2013 Rejection 68 23 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Phoebe E 27 Sep 2012 09 Nov 2012 Rejection, Form 43 63 180 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Pinch, The P 20 Sep 2012 02 Nov 2012 Rejection, Form 43 65 180 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Pleiades E 04 Nov 2014 29 Dec 2014 Rejection, Form 55 47 120 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Ploughshares E 20 Aug 2012 05 Oct 2012 Rejection, Form 46 64 150 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Prairie Fire P 31 Dec 2013 31 Mar 2014 Rejection 90 81 180 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Prairie Schooner E 04 Nov 2014 01 Feb 2015 Rejection, Form 89 70 120 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Psychopomp Magazine E 11 Nov 2014 18 Nov 2014 Rejection, Form 7 12
Moving Heavy Objects F Public Space, A E 21 Feb 2013 01 Aug 2013 Rejection, Form 161 129 180
Moving Heavy Objects F Puerto del Sol E 25 Oct 2012 03 Jan 2013 Rejection, Form 70 111 150 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Read Short Fiction E 23 Sep 2013 20 Dec 2013 Rejection, Personal 88 51 60
Moving Heavy Objects F Redivider E 08 Feb 2013 01 Aug 2013 Rejection, Form 174 101 180 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Salamander E 18 Sep 2013 13 Dec 2013 Rejection, Form 86 106 90 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Salt Hill E 25 Jan 2013 10 Oct 2013 Rejection 258 257 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Shenandoah E 20 Nov 2012 09 Dec 2012 Rejection 19 24 45
Moving Heavy Objects F Slice Magazine E 10 Aug 2012 26 Sep 2012 Rejection, Personal 47 39 90
Moving Heavy Objects F Southeast Review, The E 17 May 2012 02 Sep 2012 Rejection 108 254 180
Moving Heavy Objects F Southern Indiana Review E 23 Oct 2014 01 Dec 2014 Rejection, Form 39 114
Moving Heavy Objects F Sou'wester E 05 Nov 2014 06 Jan 2015 Rejection, Form 62 76 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Stoneslide Corrective, The E 23 Oct 2014 27 Dec 2014 Rejection, Form 65 78
Moving Heavy Objects F Subtropics E 02 Sep 2013 09 Sep 2013 Rejection 7 7 60 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Third Coast E 22 Feb 2013 23 Jul 2013 Rejection, Form 151 148 180 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Threepenny Review, The E 23 Feb 2013 27 Feb 2013 Rejection 4 3 60 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Tin House E 02 Mar 2013 26 Jul 2013 Rejection, Form 146 126 90 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Tweed's E 21 Feb 2013 17 Jul 2013 Rejection 146 90 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Unmanned Press E 14 Oct 2012 26 Dec 2012 Rejection, Personal 73 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F upstreet E 23 Oct 2014 06 Nov 2014 Rejection, Form 14 31 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Valparaiso Fiction Review E 24 Jun 2012 25 Oct 2012 Rejection 123 92 120
Moving Heavy Objects F Virginia Quarterly Review E 18 May 2013 05 Nov 2013 Rejection 171 165 90
Moving Heavy Objects F West Branch E 17 Mar 2014 02 Apr 2014 Rejection 16 7 120 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Whiskey Island Magazine E 04 Nov 2014 22 Nov 2014 Rejection, Form 18 16 90
Moving Heavy Objects F Willow Springs E 17 Mar 2012 29 Oct 2012 Rejection 226 179 120 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Yalobusha Review E 27 Aug 2012 17 Oct 2012 Rejection, Personal 51 102 120
Moving Heavy Objects F Zoetrope: All-Story P 22 Feb 2013 16 Mar 2013 Rejection 22 47 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Zone 3 P 13 Apr 2012 03 May 2012 Rejection, Personal 20 71 120 Update
Brandon
from KCMO is reading Made to BreakMarch 25, 2015 - 1:17pm
I'm not counting TMR because they're running a submission's fee scam.
TheScrivener
from Seattle is reading short stories March 25, 2015 - 7:54pm
A lot of those places charge to submit. What makes TMR more of a scam than the others?
Nick
from Toronto is reading Adjustment DayMarch 26, 2015 - 2:56pm
re: submission fee scams, who else does anyone think is running one? Or perhaps that's a topic for its own thread...
Brandon
from KCMO is reading Made to BreakMarch 26, 2015 - 2:59pm
"What makes TMR more of a scam than the others?"
A former TMR staffer told me. You can take it at face value. Or don't. I'll sure as shit never submit there again.
MattF
from Tokyo is reading Borges' Collected FictionsMarch 26, 2015 - 4:24pm
What makes it a scam though? Are they collecting money and not reading stories? Probably about half the lit mags now charge $3 for electronic subs. What exactly makes TMR's charge fraudulent?
Nick
from Toronto is reading Adjustment DayMarch 27, 2015 - 4:00pm
I've often wondered about reading fees. It's been talked about in an article or two here. Makes me think those places might be making a couple G's a month for the same slushpile once-over deal that places have always done.
TheScrivener
from Seattle is reading short stories March 27, 2015 - 6:55pm
I'm sure they do.
MattF
from Tokyo is reading Borges' Collected FictionsMarch 27, 2015 - 8:14pm
I believe they pay fees to submittable, etc, but I'm sure they do collect more than they spend.
I imagine submission fees work more as a submissions-limiter than profit source, however. Submitting by mail was an effort and took some level of commitment from a writer. Eliminate that barrier and your slushpile could quickly swell from 300 to 3,000 with a substantial drop in quality/preparedness/suitability.
I generally avoid fees (I get rejected too much), but I can't really begrudge the magazines that charge them.
jyh
from VA is reading whatever he feels likeMarch 28, 2015 - 7:31am
@MattF --- Yes to paragraph 2. Though I do think a mag which charges fees should at least offer a token payment for accepted work. (Also, congrats on 'Gargoyle'.)
jyh
from VA is reading whatever he feels likeMarch 28, 2015 - 3:34pm
*Though academic / legitimately non-commercial journals could be a reasonable exception.
MattF
from Tokyo is reading Borges' Collected FictionsMarch 28, 2015 - 8:56pm
jyh, I agree if they're operating at a profit. Now I'm curious to know just what a lit mag's finances look like. (and thank you).
Jake Leroy
from Kansas City is reading Jesus' Son, by Denis Johnson, and Hot Water Music, by Charles BukowskiMarch 31, 2015 - 6:03am
I don't understand the "scam" comments regarding TMR. The Missouri Review is one of the most esteemed literary publications in the country, demonstrating consistent excellence. They are in the top 20 of most awarded Pushcart Prize winners over the last decade. Their writers have been consistently mentioned for other esteemed awards. They are by definition nonprofit, owned by the University of Missouri.
The literary world has been hamstrung by the disappearance of arts funding sources. Many lit mags have folded. In addition, state budget cuts have further reduced available funding. Several years ago Missouri Press was forced to close because it was a money losing operation and funds were simply not available to sustain its survival.
Nobody goes into publishing a lit mag to get wealthy. The money just isn't there. Submission fees are clearly a contentious issue in the industry. I'm newly affiliated with a lit mag. One of the first orders of discussion was whether we should begin charging a submission fee. Currently, the founder of the magazine has been subsidizing losses, which cannot go on. We ultimately decided not to charge for submissions, but we may hold contests which will help the publication survive.
The bottom line is nobody is raking in massive amounts of dough personally by charging a $3 submission fee. To characterize that fee as a "scam" is unfair. It's more akin to a survival issue. Pay it or don't. As always, it's the writer's choice.
TheScrivener
from Seattle is reading short stories March 31, 2015 - 2:12pm
I would submit to TMR again---I at least got some feedback from them which was better than the "dear writer" forms that I usually get.
Tucson
from Belgium is reading Late Essays - J.M. CoetzeeApril 2, 2015 - 12:14am
I've submitted two short stories yesterday. They were written quite hastily and I regret having them sent. It's probably not a great idea to send stuff you're not that happy with. It clouds your name, or something. Or do readers forget your name easily?
jyh
from VA is reading whatever he feels likeApril 2, 2015 - 8:01am
@Tuscon --- Can't you withdraw them if you think they're really that bad? And I don't expect slush readers to remember many people unless the stories are exceptionally good, exceptionally bad, or exceptionally strange / inappropriate; or maybe if the cover letter is somehow exceptional.
last time i had a story at Black Clock (who I LOVE, and consider a white whale) i got past the first level, and the second level, and then withdrew it at about the nine month mark because it got accepted elsewhere. kind of ridiculous, but i've waited longer. i think it took me 242 days for Cemetery Dance. my longest acceptance was for Cherry Bleeds (now defunct) at 287 days.
It's sort of a conundrum, the "go big or get published" thing. I'm more inclined to want to get published in "reputable" journals, but then I often feel like they're not as open to "new" writing as they might claim. They might publish non-famous writers, but not those who are writing in styles the magazine doesn't already deal with. I like some mainstream magazines, but they really don't publish unconventional stuff, even though their writers may regularly reference previously-unconventional authors. And with those magazines who take "risks" and publish weird stuff, though I appreaciate their "daring," I often dislike what they publish; even if I thought I might get in, I don't want to. This might be judgmental of me, but I don't feel like getting a few shorts or poems published online really makes so great a difference that it's worth circumventing my perspective on the matter.
End result is I just don't submit much, which also doesn't seem to further my career in any verifiable way.
In the last 48 hours: A Public Space, Redivider, and Shock Totem--on three different stories submitted months apart. Feels like the first day of story hunting season out there.
Yeah, I had a streak last week of a response every day. Five rejections, one acceptance, and a short-list. I haven't had a single thing since. They seem to return in spurts.
Just got the ol' RJ from AGNI... but this one was personalized, encouraging, etc. I feel validated.
First rejection in a long time, it feels great: I was rejected from Cricket magazine.
Yep, I'm officially a middle grade writer now. Completely dumped adult fiction like a sack of hot potatoes.
I've sent five stories to almost 60 journals on the 1st of January. So far I've been rejected by PANK, Word Riot (my third rejection from there), Slice, Subtropics, APEX (the same day!), Not One of Us, Granta, and The Paris Review (for such a prestige, mail-only journal, they sent the shittiest little crooked print out form-rejection on faded ink!).
Got homes for two of them though--one at Pithead Chapel, and one at Menacing Hedge.
Congrats on your acceptances, Dino :)
I seem to be receiving more personal rejections lately.
Popshot - Form
Boston Review - Form
Out of the Gutter - Personal
Shotgun Honey - Personal
Masters Review - Personal
AGNI - Personal
2014:
Four Corners F I am the Abyss CLOSED E 12 Feb 2014 05 Mar 2014 Rejection, Personal 21 90
Four Corners F Civil Coping Mechanisms E 18 Feb 2014 26 Feb 2014 Rejection 8 76
Moving Heavy Objects F Jelly Bucket E 28 Feb 2014 02 Apr 2014 Rejection 33 47 60
Moving Heavy Objects F New Madrid E 28 Feb 2014 22 May 2014 Rejection 83 109 180
Moving Heavy Objects F CCLap Journal ON HIATUS E 01 Mar 2014 05 Mar 2014 Rejection4
Moving Heavy Objects F West Branch E 17 Mar 2014 02 Apr 2014 Rejection 16 10 120
Moving Heavy Objects F Black Warrior Review E 17 Mar 2014 08 Apr 2014 Rejection 22 85 180
Moving Heavy Objects F PANK Magazine E 17 Mar 2014 11 Apr 2014 Rejection, Form 25 30 30
Moving Heavy Objects F Passages North E 17 Mar 2014 18 Apr 2014 Rejection, Form 32 24
Moving Heavy Objects F Birkensnake E 17 Mar 2014 11 May 2014 Rejection, Form 55 52 60
Moving Heavy Objects F Parcel E 17 Mar 2014 27 Jun 2014 Rejection, Form 102 92 90
Moving Heavy Objects F mojo E 17 Mar 2014 19 Aug 2014 Rejection, Form 155 56 90
Moving Heavy Objects F Blackbird E 17 Mar 2014 01 Jan 2015 Rejection, Personal 290 247 180
Open Waters F Ruthless Peoples Magazine E 20 Mar 2014 22 Mar 2014 Rejection, Personal 2 21 7
Moving Heavy Objects F Recommended Reading E 15 May 2014 23 Oct 2014 Rejection, Form 161 116 180
Homecoming F Microfiction Monday Magazine E 17 May 2014 23 May 2014 Rejection, Personal 6 6
Moving Heavy Objects F Fireside TEMP CLOSED E 01 Jun 2014 30 Jun 2014 Rejection, Form 29 30 30
Open Waters F Popshot TEMP CLOSED E 04 Jun 2014 01 Aug 2014 Rejection, Personal 58 36
Little Red Wagon F Clarkesworld Magazine E 10 Jun 2014 12 Jun 2014 Rejection, Form 2 2 14
Little Red Wagon F Fantasy & Science Fiction P 10 Jun 2014 18 Jun 2014 Rejection, Form 8 20 60
Little Red Wagon F Strange Little Girls CLOSED E 10 Jun 2014 27 Aug 2014 Rejection, Form 78 71
Open Waters F Grievous Angel E 21 Jun 2014 04 Nov 2014 Rejection, Personal 136 12 14
Little Red Wagon F Dark Magazine, The E 09 Sep 2014 09 Sep 2014 Rejection, Form 0 1 30
Moving Heavy Objects F Granta E 23 Oct 2014 04 Nov 2014 Rejection, Form 12 231 180
Moving Heavy Objects F upstreet TEMP CLOSED E 23 Oct 2014 06 Nov 2014 Rejection, Form 14 33
Moving Heavy Objects F Fiction Desk, The E 23 Oct 2014 11 Nov 2014 Rejection, Form 19 45 90
Moving Heavy Objects F Southern Indiana Review E 23 Oct 2014 01 Dec 2014 Rejection, Form 39 139
Moving Heavy Objects F Stoneslide Corrective, The E 23 Oct 2014 27 Dec 2014 Rejection, Form 65 76
Moving Heavy Objects F Whiskey Island Magazine E 04 Nov 2014 22 Nov 2014 Rejection, Form 18 19 90
Moving Heavy Objects F Pleiades E 04 Nov 2014 29 Dec 2014 Rejection, Form 55 39 120
Moving Heavy Objects F Georgia Review P 04 Nov 2014 22 Jan 2015 Rejection, Form 79 92 150
Moving Heavy Objects F Colorado Review P 05 Nov 2014 15 Dec 2014 Rejection, Form 40 48 60
Moving Heavy Objects F Sou'wester TEMP CLOSED E 05 Nov 2014 06 Jan 2015 Rejection, Form 62 80
Moving Heavy Objects F Psychopomp Magazine E 11 Nov 2014 18 Nov 2014 Rejection, Form 7 13
Moving Heavy Objects F Atlas Review, The E 11 Nov 2014 14 Dec 2014 Rejection, Form 33 44
Moving Heavy Objects F Bayou Magazine E 11 Nov 2014 25 Jan 2015 Rejection, Form 75 100 120
If it were me, and none of the other stories had so much trouble, I'd maybe change the title of 'Moving Heavy Objects'? Or has it been placed since then? ( Not that RT needs my advice. ;~) )
@Mel, Rob, Angel
Hey, I know it's almost been a year since your posts on Red Fez, so I'm pretty late to this thread. I'm the current head fiction editor for Red Fez.
I took over in July of 2013. So Mel, Rob, if it's any consolation, things have changed. Though, I was the one who rejected Angel. I can explain that.
So I went back and looked at the reviews for your story, Mel (Rob, I didn't have enough information to go on). The previous head fiction editor should not have sent what he sent to you. The headitor (as we call them) took the comments from the other editors, verbatim, and just pasted them in to the feedback section. That's not fair for the editors, who think they're speaking candidly and tend to overdramatize their thoughts to amuse one another (under the pretense that the headitor is drawing from each dramatic criticism a more polite, and helpful criticism to send to the author), and it's especially not fair for the authors. There could have been constructive feedback you gained from Red Fez. Instead, you just had a bad experience.
The good news is what you experienced doesn't happen anymore. I have editors explain what they didn't like and why. The purpose being three-fold. One, identifying what you don't like and being able to explain why you don't like it is educational and growth-inducing. Two, if I disagree with them, I can explain why so they get why I make the editorial decisions that I do and hopefully can appreciate a story that I think they failed to appreciate (which sounds arrogant...). Three, it allows me to provide stronger feedback to the authors than if the editor had just said, "I don't like it."
So when providing feedback I will pull pieces of an author's story to use as example and then explain what we thought the problem was. Why characters did not work for us. Or why we thought sentence construction was problematic. Or why we thougth narrative tension failed. Or how the end of a story disappointed us. I then usually try to give examples of what would have "worked" for us. ("worked" in quotes since it's such a subjective thing).
The bad news is Angel's experience, and that has to do with tone.
Angel, I re-read what I sent you. If we had been sitting down, face to face, I think we would have been fine, because you could have heard how I was saying what I was saying. Analytical and, at times, critical, yes, but you would have heard the support in my voice and we would have been having a conversation, where I would have listened to you, answered any questions, gone back and forth with you, and that would have deluted some of the more critical comments. If it's any consolation, I really was trying to be helpful rather than mean.
But we weren't sitting down, face to face. Instead, you got an analytical and, at times, critical 500 word critique of your story. And it's from someone you don't know. I could be a huge asshole, rather than someone who meant well but was trying to write something like 20 rejection e-mails while also having lots of other stuff to go and work on. Sigh. So I'm typing with all this intended good-will that isn't being conveyed, and you're reading with no idea what I intended. Eek.
I'm sorry that I hadn't taken that into consideration. I do stand by the feedback I gave you. But I should have delivered it in a better way. I thought the analytical tone would come off as professional rather than as some editor who is being a jerk and has just rejected your story.
We want to improve. We want to help authors. We want authors to enjoy the Red Fez experience. I want authors who come to Red Fez to come away thinking, "This place supports me." So I'm happy I found this thread because it will help me make adjustments to my actions.
Mel, Rob, I'm sorry that you had negative experiences under the old leadership, but I hope you consider submitting in the future. I can't promise publication (well, I guess I could), but I can promise that if you're rejected the feedback will be helpful and insightful, rather than careless and dismissive.
Angel. We had published one of your stories the month before, so we definitely like your writing. I hope you do submit again. And if you want to have more of a discussion with me about the feedback I sent, or anything else, let me know: chrisATredfez.net
Other topics:
-The Red Fez site has been totally overhauled. So no more ugly colors on top of ugly colors. Well, at least not in the way they had previously been arranged. The stories are also easier to read.
-Bios. Mel, if it matters at all, I checked editors comments for both your submissions and no one said anything about the credentials of the bios. Nothing like, "Oh, she has a novel optioned!" On your second submission, they said things like "This is very good," and "Had me hooked beginning to end." Though who knows. Maybe reading your bio primed them to enjoy it more? Or maybe it was, in their minds, a superior story?
Actually. Three editors read your first story, and the head editor recommended it for publication, but the other two voted no, so... In your second submission, three editors read your story again. Same headitor, but two new editors. It might have just been a matter of taste? Maybe the two new editors from the second story would have recommended your first story for publication?
In the time I've been headitor, I've rejected a couple Pushcart winners, a Guggenheim fellow (that weirded me to finish reading someone's story and then see they were a Guggenheim fellow), countless MFAs, professors at MFA programs, and other various grant recipients and award winners. So we definitely don't cater. I'm publishing a high school student in our newest issue.
Anyway. I hope this helps clarify some things!
If you have any questions feel free to e-mail me or respond on here. Good luck with all the publishing endeavors!
Got a vaguely personalized rejection from Zoetrope yesterday. Someone carated an inked "terrific" before "story" in an otherwise form "Thank you for submitting your story." I'll take that, I suppose.
@ Voodoo-em: Many thanks!
@Richard: Same as jyh: have you placed any of them since?
If you search Duotrope and see horror markets that pay anything, I've probably been rejected from it a couple of times.
I didn't submit as much this last year with school going on, and got rejected less, surprisingly.
In the Shadows beneath My Bed P Cast of Wonders E 27 May 2014 13 Aug 2014 Rejection 78 Update
Stopped at the Crossing F DarkFuse Anthology Series TEMP CLOSED E 04 Jun 2014 19 Sep 2014 Rejection 107 100 180 Update
Murph's Law F Buzzy Mag E 08 Jun 2014 06 Jul 2014 Rejection 28 47 60 Update
Old Devil Moon F Liquid Imagination E 08 Jun 2014 03 Sep 2014 Rejection 87 49 60 Update
My Brother's Keeper F Eric Hoffer Award for Short Prose E 10 Jun 2014 11 Jul 2014 Rejection 31 53 Update
Polka Man F Niteblade E 19 Jun 2014 07 Jul 2014 Rejection 18 33 45 Update
A Train Ride to an Unknown Stop N Serving House Journal E 08 Jul 2014 25 Aug 2014 Rejection 48 180 Update
Polka Man F Beyond the Nightlight CLOSED E 08 Jul 2014 24 Oct 2014 Rejection 108 22 Update
Take It Home F Stoneslide Corrective, The E 08 Jul 2014 20 Nov 2014 Rejection 135 76 Update
Old Devil Moon F Stupefying Stories TEMP CLOSED E 19 Sep 2014 09 Oct 2014 Rejection 20 34 60 Update
Stopped at the Crossing F Wicked Words Quarterly E 19 Sep 2014 10 Nov 2014 Rejection 52 49 Update
Old Devil Moon F Betwixt E 10 Oct 2014 19 Oct 2014 Rejection 9 12 14 Update
Old Devil Moon F Niteblade E 20 Oct 2014 21 Nov 2014 Rejection 32 33 45 Update
Old Devil Moon F Literary Hatchet E 22 Nov 2014 16 Dec 2014 Rejection, Form 24 22 45 Update
I think that was really cool of the Red Fez editor. Editors never do that kind of thing.
I got a personal rejection from AGNI as well. Was a bit of a confidence boost.
Nightmare Magazine has become my best friend/worst enemy. One day, goddammit.
Funny, just jumped in here for the first time in a while.
Very cool to get the word from Red Fez, I appreciate that. Didn't really take it personal, though, I assure you! Still, thanks for the transparency.
And Max, I feel you. Ellery Queen and I have that same relationship.
This year I finally resolved to buckle down and send out some submissions, so I don't have any exciting rejections as of yet. That being said, this thread has been a great resource for me of places I could be rejected from soon. So, thanks, everyone.
...that being said, I got my first acceptance, from L'Allure des Mots, which I discovered in this thread. (Thanks, Bekanator!) I'm a little suspicious at how quickly they responded, but whatever.
I also got this nice little note from McSweeney's:
I sent a story to them years ago, not knowing much of what they were about and I never heard back. I didn't realize they leaned more towards satire and comedy.
Just got a personal rejection from Nightmare Magazine. This story's received encouraging personal rejections from Shimmer and Apex as well. Always the bridesmaid...
PANK has given me three "upper tier" rejections. I'll crack that market if it's the last thing I do.
Clarkesworld
Personal rejection from Asimov's.
This is my first time sending a story to Dark Fantasy/Horror/SF markets, and I have to say I love the quick 2-day turnarounds, as well as all the personalized responses (4 of 7 pro markets).
I'm used to the hell of literary markets where it's nearly impossible to find top magazines that don't charge a three dollar reading fee, hold onto your story for 4-6 months, and still only pay in contributor's copies. The genre markets never have a reading fee, pay pro rates and often respond within the week. The only down side is most genre mags ask for no ss, where most lit mags allow ss in their guidelines.
Why the crazy disparity? Definitely makes me want to experiment more with genre fiction. Y'all got it good.
Personalized rejection from the Missouri Review.
I've never been rejected, since I've never submitted. There's a huge feeling of shame holding me back. I couldn't probably take a rejection.
EDIT: I did submit once, and it didn't get rejected. Instead, it got published in a book called "talent under 30" or something like that, but I didn't like the story (especially since it was my first and only published one) so I stopped sending in. I had to edit, I'd repressed the memory..
Slice Magazine and The Missouri Review were both impressed with my writing...
Need some advice, currently rewriting a story I did back in 2012, looking for fire it off. Which tactic would you recommend? Do you send a story off to one magazine at a time or fire it off to a couple at once?
I submit to about four at once, then wait for replies to start coming in before sending to any others, and I suspect that's a pretty conservative number compared to some writers. Maybe it's a confidence psyche-out, but I tell myself it's because I don't want to have to send mass withdrawals once someone accepts it.
I have little to no respect for the simultaneous submissions rule. I'll usally fire off to six or seven venues at the same time.
Cheers people,
Only sent one story off so far at the start of last year that got rejected so I need to pick up the pace a bit me thinks.
I have zero confidence I will ever be published, so I just fire away. I have 70 submissions out (not all the same piece).
Thought I'd share this with you. My literary story, "Moving Heavy Objects," was recently accepted by storySouth, a pretty good online publication with a 3% acceptance rate. But this story was rejected over ONE HUNDRED times before getting accepted there. Here's the list:
Moving Heavy Objects F AGNI E 16 Nov 2011 13 Feb 2012 Rejection, Form 89 69 120 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Atlas Review, The E 11 Nov 2014 14 Dec 2014 Rejection, Form 33 44 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Barrelhouse E 06 Jan 2012 04 Feb 2012 Rejection, Form 29 172 90 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Bat City Review E 06 Sep 2013 13 Nov 2013 Rejection, Form 68 78 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Bayou Magazine E 11 Nov 2014 25 Jan 2015 Rejection, Form 75 91 120 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Bear Deluxe E 14 Aug 2012 18 Jun 2013 Rejection 308 180 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Beloit Fiction Journal P 08 Aug 2012 29 Sep 2012 Rejection, Form 52 49 60
Moving Heavy Objects F Berkeley Fiction Review E 10 Apr 2012 29 Apr 2012 Rejection, Form 19 154 365
Moving Heavy Objects F Big Lucks E 02 Sep 2012 20 Feb 2013 Rejection, Form 171 72 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Birkensnake E 17 Mar 2014 11 May 2014 Rejection, Form 55 51 60 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Black Warrior Review E 17 Mar 2014 08 Apr 2014 Rejection 22 56 180 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Blackbird E 17 Mar 2014 01 Jan 2015 Rejection, Personal 290 264 180 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Booth E 18 Sep 2013 03 Nov 2013 Rejection, Personal 46 43 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Boston Review E 30 Nov 2011 02 Feb 2012 Rejection, Form 64 133 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Boulevard P 13 Apr 2012 25 Oct 2012 Rejection 195 139 120 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Caketrain E 16 Nov 2011 26 Jan 2012 Rejection 71 88 180 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Camera Obscura E 16 Nov 2011 10 Jan 2012 Rejection, Form 55 291 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F CCLap Journal E 01 Mar 2014 05 Mar 2014 Rejection, Personal 4 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Chattahoochee Review E 30 Nov 2012 27 Mar 2013 Rejection 117 180 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Chicago Review E 03 Aug 2013 20 Aug 2013 Rejection 17 43 120 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Cimarron Review E 18 Jul 2013 27 Aug 2013 Rejection, Form 40 79 180 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Cincinnati Review, The E 16 May 2012 17 Aug 2012 Rejection, Form 93 119 120
Moving Heavy Objects F Collagist, The E 19 Jan 2013 08 Apr 2013 Rejection 79 29 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Colorado Review P 05 Nov 2014 15 Dec 2014 Rejection, Form 40 50 60 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Copper Nickel E 02 Mar 2012 06 May 2012 Rejection, Personal 65 51 60 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Crazyhorse E 16 Nov 2011 30 Dec 2011 Rejection, Form 44 64 120 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F cream city review E 16 Nov 2011 11 Dec 2011 Rejection, Form 25 106 240
Moving Heavy Objects F CutBank E 20 Nov 2012 16 Feb 2013 Rejection 88 54 120 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Electric Literature E 04 Apr 2013 10 Jun 2013 Rejection, Form 67 141 180
Moving Heavy Objects F Emerson Review, The E 10 Aug 2012 10 Oct 2012 Rejection, Personal 61 50 60
Moving Heavy Objects F EVENT P 31 Dec 2013 02 Jun 2014 Rejection, Form 153 215 180 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Fence E 16 Nov 2011 10 May 2012 Rejection 176 194 270 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Fiction Desk, The E 23 Oct 2014 11 Nov 2014 Rejection, Form 19 45 90 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Fifth Wednesday Journal E 17 Aug 2013 03 Nov 2013 Rejection, Form 78 91 180
Moving Heavy Objects F Fireside E 01 Jun 2014 30 Jun 2014 Rejection, Form 29 28 30 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Fourteen Hills E 04 Mar 2013 22 May 2013 Rejection 79 160 270 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Fugue E 02 Sep 2012 23 Sep 2012 Rejection, Form 21 120 60 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Georgia Review P 04 Nov 2014 22 Jan 2015 Rejection, Form 79 79 150 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Glimmer Train E 15 Jul 2012 15 Sep 2012 Rejection, Form 62 65 115 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Granta E 23 Oct 2014 04 Nov 2014 Rejection, Form 12 130 180 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F E 15 Jun 2012 31 Jul 2012 Rejection, Form 46 15 120 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Guernica E 11 Nov 2014 18 Feb 2015 Rejection, Form 99 116 60 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Gulf Coast E 30 Jan 2013 16 Mar 2013 Rejection 45 129 180 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Harpur Palate E 06 Sep 2013 16 Oct 2013 Rejection, Form 40 32 120 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Hayden's Ferry Review E 13 Feb 2012 20 Mar 2012 Rejection, Form 36 138 120
Moving Heavy Objects F Idaho Review, The E 06 Apr 2013 10 Sep 2013 Rejection, Form 157 36 180
Moving Heavy Objects F Indiana Review E 16 Nov 2011 06 Feb 2012 Rejection, Form 82 136 120 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Jelly Bucket E 28 Feb 2014 02 Apr 2014 Rejection 33 49 60 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Journal, The E 13 Feb 2013 20 Apr 2013 Rejection, Form 66 97 120 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Juked (Print) E 02 Mar 2013 27 May 2013 Rejection, Personal 86 95 120 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Kenyon Review, The E 16 Sep 2013 02 Oct 2013 Rejection 16 49 150 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F LIT E 24 Sep 2013 21 Nov 2013 Rejection, Form 58 104 120 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Michigan Quarterly Review P 04 Mar 2013 10 Mar 2014 Rejection 371 67 45
Moving Heavy Objects F Mid-American Review E 02 Mar 2013 23 Sep 2013 Rejection, Form 205 101 150
Moving Heavy Objects F Midwestern Gothic E 12 Oct 2012 04 Jan 2013 Rejection, Personal 84 31
Moving Heavy Objects F Missouri Review, The P 09 Apr 2012 26 Apr 2012 Rejection 17 65 180 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F mojo E 17 Mar 2014 19 Aug 2014 Rejection, Form 155 63 90 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F New England Review P 11 Apr 2012 13 Jul 2012 Rejection, Form 93 99 120
Moving Heavy Objects F New Madrid E 28 Feb 2014 22 May 2014 Rejection 83 106 180 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F New Ohio Review (NOR) E 10 Apr 2012 15 Oct 2012 Rejection 188 136 120
Moving Heavy Objects F New World Writing E 04 Dec 2012 06 May 2013 Rejection 153 48 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Ninth Letter E 23 Feb 2012 12 May 2012 Rejection 79 100 90 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Noon Annual P 07 May 2012 31 May 2012 Rejection 24 18 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F One Story E 08 Dec 2011 30 Dec 2011 Rejection, Form 22 60 90 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F PANK Magazine E 17 Mar 2014 11 Apr 2014 Rejection, Form 25 31 30 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Parcel E 17 Mar 2014 27 Jun 2014 Rejection, Form 102 93 90 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Passages North E 12 Dec 2012 18 Feb 2013 Rejection 68 23 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Phoebe E 27 Sep 2012 09 Nov 2012 Rejection, Form 43 63 180 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Pinch, The P 20 Sep 2012 02 Nov 2012 Rejection, Form 43 65 180 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Pleiades E 04 Nov 2014 29 Dec 2014 Rejection, Form 55 47 120 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Ploughshares E 20 Aug 2012 05 Oct 2012 Rejection, Form 46 64 150 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Prairie Fire P 31 Dec 2013 31 Mar 2014 Rejection 90 81 180 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Prairie Schooner E 04 Nov 2014 01 Feb 2015 Rejection, Form 89 70 120 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Psychopomp Magazine E 11 Nov 2014 18 Nov 2014 Rejection, Form 7 12
Moving Heavy Objects F Public Space, A E 21 Feb 2013 01 Aug 2013 Rejection, Form 161 129 180
Moving Heavy Objects F Puerto del Sol E 25 Oct 2012 03 Jan 2013 Rejection, Form 70 111 150 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Read Short Fiction E 23 Sep 2013 20 Dec 2013 Rejection, Personal 88 51 60
Moving Heavy Objects F Redivider E 08 Feb 2013 01 Aug 2013 Rejection, Form 174 101 180 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Salamander E 18 Sep 2013 13 Dec 2013 Rejection, Form 86 106 90 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Salt Hill E 25 Jan 2013 10 Oct 2013 Rejection 258 257 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Shenandoah E 20 Nov 2012 09 Dec 2012 Rejection 19 24 45
Moving Heavy Objects F Slice Magazine E 10 Aug 2012 26 Sep 2012 Rejection, Personal 47 39 90
Moving Heavy Objects F Southeast Review, The E 17 May 2012 02 Sep 2012 Rejection 108 254 180
Moving Heavy Objects F Southern Indiana Review E 23 Oct 2014 01 Dec 2014 Rejection, Form 39 114
Moving Heavy Objects F Sou'wester E 05 Nov 2014 06 Jan 2015 Rejection, Form 62 76 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Stoneslide Corrective, The E 23 Oct 2014 27 Dec 2014 Rejection, Form 65 78
Moving Heavy Objects F Subtropics E 02 Sep 2013 09 Sep 2013 Rejection 7 7 60 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Third Coast E 22 Feb 2013 23 Jul 2013 Rejection, Form 151 148 180 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Threepenny Review, The E 23 Feb 2013 27 Feb 2013 Rejection 4 3 60 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Tin House E 02 Mar 2013 26 Jul 2013 Rejection, Form 146 126 90 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Tweed's E 21 Feb 2013 17 Jul 2013 Rejection 146 90 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Unmanned Press E 14 Oct 2012 26 Dec 2012 Rejection, Personal 73 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F upstreet E 23 Oct 2014 06 Nov 2014 Rejection, Form 14 31 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Valparaiso Fiction Review E 24 Jun 2012 25 Oct 2012 Rejection 123 92 120
Moving Heavy Objects F Virginia Quarterly Review E 18 May 2013 05 Nov 2013 Rejection 171 165 90
Moving Heavy Objects F West Branch E 17 Mar 2014 02 Apr 2014 Rejection 16 7 120 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Whiskey Island Magazine E 04 Nov 2014 22 Nov 2014 Rejection, Form 18 16 90
Moving Heavy Objects F Willow Springs E 17 Mar 2012 29 Oct 2012 Rejection 226 179 120 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Yalobusha Review E 27 Aug 2012 17 Oct 2012 Rejection, Personal 51 102 120
Moving Heavy Objects F Zoetrope: All-Story P 22 Feb 2013 16 Mar 2013 Rejection 22 47 Update
Moving Heavy Objects F Zone 3 P 13 Apr 2012 03 May 2012 Rejection, Personal 20 71 120 Update
I'm not counting TMR because they're running a submission's fee scam.
A lot of those places charge to submit. What makes TMR more of a scam than the others?
re: submission fee scams, who else does anyone think is running one? Or perhaps that's a topic for its own thread...
"What makes TMR more of a scam than the others?"
A former TMR staffer told me. You can take it at face value. Or don't. I'll sure as shit never submit there again.
What makes it a scam though? Are they collecting money and not reading stories? Probably about half the lit mags now charge $3 for electronic subs. What exactly makes TMR's charge fraudulent?
I've often wondered about reading fees. It's been talked about in an article or two here. Makes me think those places might be making a couple G's a month for the same slushpile once-over deal that places have always done.
I'm sure they do.
I believe they pay fees to submittable, etc, but I'm sure they do collect more than they spend.
I imagine submission fees work more as a submissions-limiter than profit source, however. Submitting by mail was an effort and took some level of commitment from a writer. Eliminate that barrier and your slushpile could quickly swell from 300 to 3,000 with a substantial drop in quality/preparedness/suitability.
I generally avoid fees (I get rejected too much), but I can't really begrudge the magazines that charge them.
@MattF --- Yes to paragraph 2. Though I do think a mag which charges fees should at least offer a token payment for accepted work. (Also, congrats on 'Gargoyle'.)
*Though academic / legitimately non-commercial journals could be a reasonable exception.
jyh, I agree if they're operating at a profit. Now I'm curious to know just what a lit mag's finances look like. (and thank you).
I don't understand the "scam" comments regarding TMR. The Missouri Review is one of the most esteemed literary publications in the country, demonstrating consistent excellence. They are in the top 20 of most awarded Pushcart Prize winners over the last decade. Their writers have been consistently mentioned for other esteemed awards. They are by definition nonprofit, owned by the University of Missouri.
The literary world has been hamstrung by the disappearance of arts funding sources. Many lit mags have folded. In addition, state budget cuts have further reduced available funding. Several years ago Missouri Press was forced to close because it was a money losing operation and funds were simply not available to sustain its survival.
Nobody goes into publishing a lit mag to get wealthy. The money just isn't there. Submission fees are clearly a contentious issue in the industry. I'm newly affiliated with a lit mag. One of the first orders of discussion was whether we should begin charging a submission fee. Currently, the founder of the magazine has been subsidizing losses, which cannot go on. We ultimately decided not to charge for submissions, but we may hold contests which will help the publication survive.
The bottom line is nobody is raking in massive amounts of dough personally by charging a $3 submission fee. To characterize that fee as a "scam" is unfair. It's more akin to a survival issue. Pay it or don't. As always, it's the writer's choice.
I would submit to TMR again---I at least got some feedback from them which was better than the "dear writer" forms that I usually get.
I've submitted two short stories yesterday. They were written quite hastily and I regret having them sent. It's probably not a great idea to send stuff you're not that happy with. It clouds your name, or something. Or do readers forget your name easily?
@Tuscon --- Can't you withdraw them if you think they're really that bad? And I don't expect slush readers to remember many people unless the stories are exceptionally good, exceptionally bad, or exceptionally strange / inappropriate; or maybe if the cover letter is somehow exceptional.