Just when I thought I'd seen it all in regards to letters from editors, tonight I received a letter that both accepted and rejected my story. The acceptance was nice with details about the story and publication. Then immediately after came the one line standard form rejection. Of course, I'll be sending the editor the required file and bio and keep my fingers crossed. :)
How about you, what's the strangest rejection or acceptance you've ever received?
8 comments:
I'm currently in a strange holding pattern with one of my short stories.
I submitted a quirky horror story to an anthology back in December and had it make it past the initial round of cuts in mid January.
Since then, not one single word from the publisher on what's going on with it.
I had a story accepted but withdrew it later because I wasn't satisfied with it. Still not.
Patience, G, they take a while for anthologies. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you!
I've had stories like that, Patti. It just keeps nagging at you, but you can't quite put your finger on the problem.
There are a few publications I didn't knew whether I was accepted or not before I saw my name on the cover. I was asked to do rather minor changes, been put on ice for months, been told "we could work it out, I think".
It's not bad or anything. Just nerve racking. I just landed a story in a major magazine (it's been released and all) and my submission state in submishmash is still "in-progress". I gotta say I understand the editors for doing that. I would probably be no different.
Yes, the submission process can be nerve racking, Ben. One of the reason I rarely talk about an acceptance before it actually happens.
I've had stories accepted then the zine folds before publishing. I even had a non-fiction piece published 10 years after I'd submitted! It's a crazy business we're in. :)
One thing I forgot to add. I always try to remind myself that editors are human, too. Mistakes happen and things slip through the cracks. No point driving yourself crazy when there's nothing you can do about it. :)
An editor sent me a letter rejecting my diet book. I had sent her a mystery novel. Was she trying to tell me something?
I wonder if the diet book author received a letter rejecting her mystery, Rob.
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