ooh, courage mon brave! Like you say, nothing ventured, nothing gained. Fingers crossed you'll be one of the 1% and if not, just submit it somewhere else.
Yeah, they're supposed to reply within two weeks, which means by the time I get off Velociraptor Island. And hey, it's only a short story. I can't imagine how much worse it would be to try and push a whole novel through, after so much work.
I can't imagine either, because I finished mine about 3 years ago and I'm still faffing around with it instead of sending it anywhere to be rejected. Now I have the excuse that my writing has (hopefully!!) improved and if I am to 'sell' this as a series, given I have the sequel half written too, I need to do considerable rewriting before submitting or it will look like they've been written by 2 different people.
Well, I choose to look at it this way: there's nothing to lose but ego points by submitting it. Oh man, I feel ya. Rewrite is even more work and more investment. Fandom is so much more fun
That's awesome! And yes, very brave. I've not submitted anything anywhere (well, except poetry.com but I think their entire program is kind of a scam). Good luck! You're a very good writer, I'm sure someone will pick it up even if this one turns it down.
Thank you! It's kinda the problem that a lot of these magazines accepting short stories have fairly strict requirements, so if you didn't write one for that magazine, it's harder to find another that would fit. BUT short stories are pretty low on investment.
But you have a novel! I hope you do submit it one day.
Fuck, yeah, it's a big moment! As a person who works in the creative fields, it's terrifying to put yourself out there. "What if I truly suck, what if they think I'm a fool, what if I look like an idiot because I'm Doing It Wrong, what if I'm in over my head...ad nauseum. There will be rejections--some callous, some kind--you know this. What you start looking for, however, is when the rejections come with a personal explanation as to why you didn't get in. If an editor takes the time to explain, you're on the right track. Who did you submit to? (I may have asked you before, but I forget.) Seems like common sense, but remember there will always be someone better and worse than you. Regardless, there is a place for your writing; you just need to find it. And of course, keep working to improve. You do this, so I'm just preaching to the choir
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THANK YOU. First of all, for that link to the writingcareer.com blog, because it's amazing and this is where I'm looking for potential magazines. I sent this one to "Betwixt" - looks like new, they only put out 4 issues or something, fantasy/SF/horror speculative fiction, that sort of thing. The stuff they were looking for and the stuff they normally publish fit what I was trying to write. It looks like a lot of places for short stories are looking for pretty specific things, so if you didn't write it just for that magazine, it's harder to find another fitting place for it. But I'm glad I started with short stories, because they're far less scary and far less investment than novels
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YAY. GO YOU. there is nothing to lose. Literally. Nothing. Plus. Remember, it's only an editors opinion. I mean. Groucho Marx got third when he entered his own look-alike contest. So whatever. If they like it, that's AWESOME, if not hopefully they'll give you some good feedback. If not. Meh. They can suck it, 'cause they're missing out :)
Yeah, that's what I figured - nothing to lose but ego point, and my ego is pretty massive and can take the blow :D Thank you! The important thing is to start, and hey, one day I'll get something published somewhere.
also: since we were talking about couch virologists the other day, it got me thinking about life before medicine. Like way back in the day, when I first watched Grey's Anatomy and was 18. And there's an OBGYN on the show, and I remembered them shouting about "late decels". Well, it was only spoken, not written. So for YEARS I literally thought it was late D-cells. Like, I knew that there were helper T-Cells, and B-cells in the body (I had taken 9th grade bio, just didn't know SHIT about birth or anything else medicine-related) and that maybe if the baby wasn't breathing or was in distress or something I thought that there was all of a sudden an accumulation of these weird things called D-cells that could be seen--and that's why they kept shouting about it.
So yup. I 100% Hope that amused you. And maybe makes you want to shed a few tears, and pat those couch virologists on the back.
Common sense to us. Less so for those who've only had 9th grade bio.
Haha, if I manage to inflict it onto some magazine, yes, you get a signed copy :D
That's an awesome story about D-cells! Also, I'm impressed that you at least knew that T- and B-cells existed in 9th grade - I mean, immunology is a serious pain in the ass. And we've all been there, of course, and gotten the wrong impression from TV, or gotten scared about something we don't understand that was really silly. So yes, it's always a good idea to remember it.
I'm watching ER (earlier seasons, before they got so wrapped up in drama), and it's glorious. I've actually remembered quite a few things for exams from that show.
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Well that's my procrastinating excuse, anyway.
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But you have a novel! I hope you do submit it one day.
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YAY. GO YOU. there is nothing to lose. Literally. Nothing. Plus. Remember, it's only an editors opinion. I mean. Groucho Marx got third when he entered his own look-alike contest. So whatever. If they like it, that's AWESOME, if not hopefully they'll give you some good feedback. If not. Meh. They can suck it, 'cause they're missing out :)
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also: since we were talking about couch virologists the other day, it got me thinking about life before medicine. Like way back in the day, when I first watched Grey's Anatomy and was 18. And there's an OBGYN on the show, and I remembered them shouting about "late decels". Well, it was only spoken, not written. So for YEARS I literally thought it was late D-cells. Like, I knew that there were helper T-Cells, and B-cells in the body (I had taken 9th grade bio, just didn't know SHIT about birth or anything else medicine-related) and that maybe if the baby wasn't breathing or was in distress or something I thought that there was all of a sudden an accumulation of these weird things called D-cells that could be seen--and that's why they kept shouting about it.
So yup. I 100% Hope that amused you. And maybe makes you want to shed a few tears, and pat those couch virologists on the back.
Common sense to us. Less so for those who've only had 9th grade bio.
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That's an awesome story about D-cells! Also, I'm impressed that you at least knew that T- and B-cells existed in 9th grade - I mean, immunology is a serious pain in the ass. And we've all been there, of course, and gotten the wrong impression from TV, or gotten scared about something we don't understand that was really silly. So yes, it's always a good idea to remember it.
I'm watching ER (earlier seasons, before they got so wrapped up in drama), and it's glorious. I've actually remembered quite a few things for exams from that show.
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(you've come to the dark side because we have cookies? :D )
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Yes! Whether I get any cookies is another question :D But I figured, eventually. Eventually I will get one cookie. Gotta start trying.
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