What is the best attitude for submissions

[RightersBlock]

I had a very negative experience with submissions in the past (2009), and I was also extremely depressed for several years (until around 2015), friendless & jobless.

Now that I am doing better (for two years so far) I started writing again for the first time since perhaps 2012. I write 1000 words a day (which I was able to do consistently for last month, but i am having trouble due to my work schedule and emotional factors).

I started thinking about submitting short stories about 4 weeks ago but i am afraid my negative attitude and feelings of rejection & desperation will resurface again.

My current attitude for short stories is finish them in 1000 words, auto-correct spelling & grammar, then move on to something else. If I really like something then I read it over and try to spruce it up for submissions.

 

[CTRandall]

My main advice would be show your stories to other people. If you're anxious about that, start with one or two friends or relatives but, ultimately, you need feedback from someone who isn't afraid to tell you what they really think. I've found the "critique" forum really helpful and everyone is supportive while they point out issues and problems. I'd really recomend you post a story or two there. However you do it, it is essential you get someone else to read your work before you submit. Good luck!

 

[Jo Zebedee]

Meh. We all have rejections. I have hundreds of them. They’re not about quality but marketability

 

[Luiglin]

What is the best attitude for submissions? Submitting in the first place. If you don't ask, you don't get.

Don't do what I did/have done/still doing.

I tried once. Got a decent and pleasant 'no' that didn't read as just a copy/paste generic reply. Then, instead of firing out more, I didn't and haven't done since.

Sharing your work to others is the hardest thing to do and yes, not everyone will 'get' them. But, and it's a huge moon sized but of font point 96, if you don't, then you maybe just missing out on the someone who does 'get' your stuff and does see your potential.

Send them out, write some more and send those out. Just keep trying. All the best.

 

[Cathbad]

The worst rejection I've received was one that the Editor of a small pub told me my poetry seemed "forced". I didn't think it was, and when I looked at more of his issues, I saw the problem - my poetry rhymed. And he had never published a rhyming poem.

(Hey, that explanation satisfied me!)

 

[Steve Harrison]

I just write and edit to the best of my ability, submit to multiple publications and move on. I strongly feel that every writer has to reach a certain number of rejections before they are accepted. The only problem is that the magic number varies from writer to writer.

Good luck!

 

[Foxbat]

My technique is to write a story and then forget about it for a couple of months (sometimes longer). It's amazing how much improvement can be made by going back with fresh eyes.

Some editors can be quite helpful even when you've been rejected and give you pointers on where you've went wrong. The standard rejection with no reasons given is depressing but happens to all of us and, whilst writing a story involves a lot of personal and emotional input, it's important that you separate that emotion when dealing with rejection. Don't take it personally. If you do, you'll never get anywhere.

Learn! If the editor has told you why you were unsuccessful, look at the story again and be honest with yourself. You may not agree with the rejection but, often, there's an element of truth behind the reasoning. There have been many times when it's happened to me. I've re-read the story and thought: They're right, dammit!

My best ever rejection was from an editor who said he was still angry with his colleagues for rejecting a previous story of mine (which I managed to get published elsewhere).

As for attitude, be positive and friendly. I always end my submission letter by saying that even if they don't find my story suitable for publication, I hope they enjoyed reading my effort.

 

[allmywires]

I’ve only submitted once and I got rejected every single time. But one of them was a personal rejection which to this day still means a lot to me. I think it depends a lot on what you want to get out of the system... as Jo said above being traditionally published is not always a marker of quality, more if they sense they can pigeonhole your work and sell it. If it’s a bit unusual or different you probably won’t get much success, and self-publishing these days is fairly straightforward and you can reap the rewards if you’re canny enough about marketing yourself.

Just remember when it comes to rejection not to listen to your demons if a literary agent turns you down it doesn’t mean you’re a bad writer and it’s certainly not a reflection of you personally. Go in expecting to get nothing and allow yourself to be surprised if you get something more personal than a form rejection. And yes, the more informal critiques and beta readers you can get, the better prepared you will be. No matter how hard we try we can’t write books alone!

 

[Mouse]

Expect rejection, then you won't be disappointed.

I’ve only submitted once and I got rejected every single time.

Erm... except for Hunted, which is trad published!

 

[Toby Frost]

Going purely from what you’ve said in your post, I wouldn’t, at least not yet. For one thing, it sounds as if the stories require a good deal more checking and editing. At the very least I would leave them for a couple of months and read them through twice more, and aloud at least once. Ideally, it would be good to have someone else who was skilled read them as well. A good writers’ group could help here, or the critiques part of this board, once you are able to post there.

However, I would strongly suggest that you are braced for rejection. The odds are always against someone submitting a manuscript: the best you can do is to make them as favourable as you can. If getting rejections is going to trigger the depression then I wouldn’t do it now, frankly. I would hold off until you’re better placed to deal with the rejection, but obviously that’s a decision you’d have to make. Good luck with everything!

 

[RightersBlock]

Thanks everyone

So glad to be writing again

 

[sknox]

It's the flavors of rejection that can get under one's skin. There's Utter Silence--you send off your submission and never receive a reply. There's Form Rejection--a canned response that says nothing at all about your story and gives no clue as to why it was rejected. There's the Polite Rejection--your story does not fit our requirements at this time, and variations on the theme. Then there's the Evisceration Rejection. That's the one that really does tell you exactly how your story doesn't measure up. Finally, there's the FacePalm Rejection--your story was in the wrong genre, wrong length, or otherwise broke the rules they clearly laid out for you. *doh*

I don't think we handle each form the same way. Silence is deadly; it can eat away at you. I can tell myself I'll not be sending any more submissions *there* but a small voice whines in the background that I might try just once more. The evisceration can indeed be devastating. I don't have any advice for you that I know will work. Some people are simply more sensitive than others to this sort of thing. BTW, the evisceration does not need to be mean; indeed, it's rarely meant that way. It just feels that way. Someone suggested you try to get some beta readers. That might help. For myself, years of graduate school helped, or I think it did. I learned not merely to accept criticism, but to look forward to it. Praise didn't help me; only the critique did, for that marked out where I might improve. Then again, maybe that was simply my personality. I remember fellow students who would get deeply upset at certain criticisms.

It sounds like you recognize in yourself a certain sensitivity. Maybe you can aim at de-sensitizing, which means writing as much as you can and getting as much feedback as you can. Try to find people who are better at suggesting improvements than in finding fault (critiquing is both an art and a skill, and it's difficult to find people who are good at it). And keep upgrading your armor class.

 

[Paul Meccano]

The three principles tells us that we make the mistake of experiencing the world from the outside in, thinking, that everything out there effects us inside.
It can't. ( honestly unless its physical ) It really can't.
When we experience the world from the inside out we are experiencing our truth one moment at a time. we can decide how we want to feel.

A thought is as such...just a thought. It is produced by you, plucked from the stream of thought that flies through your head every day. That stream will run dry if you cast all thoughts aside other than the one's that suit your story. Allow some fresh thoughts to run in the stream.

Choose a different thought if the one ( I'm not worthy ) your thinking makes life crap.
Choose to think ( It doesn't matter because I'm enjoying writing) something that suits the effort you are making and stick some pieces in for critique.
If you FEEL rejected it says more about yourself, your thinking, than the rejection because we cannot be effected by things around us. Only by our own thinking.

Stay in the moment, don't look to the past for reference and remember the future is not here yet ( Cant imagine which of the futures we could look forward to from this site, probably something proper fun and weird).

If someone says your bloody amazing for getting through a hard time then take it and crack on. I have been through the hardest time.

Your amazing!!!!

now crack on.

By the way check out - The Three Principles. ( they are principles after all and great for helping anyone through a crisis)

 

[Susan Boulton]

Write a story. Edit a story. Edit it again. Submit it. Forget about it. When it is rejected, look at it, edit it if you feel it can be improved. Re-submit. Don't get hung up on stories being rejected. Don't question the editor, or throw a wobbly, (hissy fit). Move on.

 

[AlexH]

Some publications receive hundreds of short-story submissions a month. Even some of the most well-known short story writers have stories rejected and rejected, so they move onto the next place or the next story. If you want to be a professionally-published writer, you have to accept rejection is part of that.

It depends what you want out of your writing - if you want to be published I agree having your work critiqued will help, and realise nothing is personal from a good editor - they're there to help you make your story as good as it can be.

If you enjoy writing and aren't bothered about publication, just keep writing because you enjoy it. It's great to read you're glad to be writing again - that's why I do it, with aims of publication too!

 

[Neurotibot]

Meh. We all have rejections. I have hundreds of them. They’re not about quality but marketability

They're usually about quality. Most of what's submitted is crap.

@OP

I began submitting stories at age seven or eight years ago. Only last year did I make my first sale. It takes time, and if you're a beginner, you probably suck. But keep trying and maybe, one day, you'll be good enough to sell something.

 

[Neurotibot]

It depends what you want out of your writing - if you want to be published I agree having your work critiqued will help, and realise nothing is personal from a good editor - they're there to help you make your story as good as it can be.

Well, that hasn't been my experience. I've seen success just by writing on my own. (Granted, I've received rejection letters with valuable feedback, but those were rare.)[/

 

[Jo Zebedee]

They're usually about quality. Most of what's submitted is crap.

@OP

Once you get past a certain writing level they are often about marketability more than quality. Which isn’t to say that most of the slushpile isn’t crap. But it’s not the only reason for rejection.

 

[Neurotibot]

Once you get past a certain writing level they are often about marketability more than quality. Which isn’t to say that most of the slushpile isn’t crap. But it’s not the only reason for rejection.

But the OP is clearly a beginner. Otherwise, he wouldn't be asking such questions. The person who tried to console the OP with niceties is doing a disservice, in my opinion.

 

[Jo Zebedee]

But the OP is clearly a beginner. Otherwise, he wouldn't be asking such questions. The person who tried to console the OP with niceties is doing a disservice, in my opinion.

Well he’s been writing at least 9 years from his post. And is worried about his mental health being affected. There are times to be harsh and times to be supportive and this is one of the latter. In my opinion.