Hatrack River Writers Workshop: F+SF Rejection Question

This is topic F+SF Rejection Question in forum Open Discussions About Writing at Hatrack River Writers Workshop.

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Posted by October (Member # 2012) on :

Okay, I just got my first rejection from F+SF. I'm wondering if this is their standard rejection form, or if it's more personal. I hope some of you out there have received rejections from these folks. Here
it is:
____________________________

Dear Mr. October,

Thank you for submitting "Strawberries," but I'm going to pass on it. There's nice writing here, but this tale didn't grab my interest, I'm afraid. Good luck to you with this one, and thanks again for sending it our way.
____________________________

A rejection is a rejection, and I don't let rejections get to me. But I am curious if this is a "personalized" rejection.

Any comments?

Posted by GZ (Member # 1374) on :

That's pretty much one of their standard rejections. The classic JJA "Didn't grab" phase.

The "nice writing" part isn't always on there though, so I'd say you could take that as the complement it sounds like. But personalized? Not in the sense most people are hoping for.

[This message has been edited by GZ (edited August 13, 2004).]

Posted by EricJamesStone (Member # 1681) on :

I'll just confirm what GZ has said. That's essentially the wording that was on my first rejection from F&SF.

Keep trying, and you might work your way up to an "alas" from Gordon Van Gelder, which was my most recent F&SF rejection.

Posted by Kathleen Dalton Woodbury (Member # 59) on :

Gordon is telling you that you have a chance though, and that you should send him other stuff that is as well written.

Posted by Survivor (Member # 213) on :

Note that he also implicitly states that it has a significant chance of finding a home somewhere else, so he thinks that it is publishable given the right market.

There are a number of standard rejection forms, after all. This one is quite a positive note.

Posted by MaryRobinette (Member # 1680) on :

Here's what John Joseph Adams has to say about his rejection system.

http://www.nightshadebooks.com/discus/messages/378/1713.html#POST31361

Posted by mikemunsil (Member # 2109) on :

WARNING! Don't click on the link above until we figure out what is going on! I did and got blown completely offline and had to reboot. Am using Windows XP Pro and IE6.

Clicking on the link resulted in opening 60+ instances of IE until system resources were completely overwhelemed. I'll be checking my system out, but you might want to avoid that link for now. If I find that it is my system that is at fault I will let you know.

Mike

Posted by MaryRobinette (Member # 1680) on :

It's your system. I just tried it with a different computer than the one I posted it with. It's fine. Unless, of course, I'm trying to take over the world.

Posted by ambongan (Member # 2122) on :

either way, I fear trying now

Posted by TheoPhileo (Member # 1914) on :

I opened it with no problems. Then again I use Firefox and not MS Internet Exploiter

Posted by October (Member # 2012) on :

Thanks all for the replies.

And thanks to Mary for the link. It was good to know that the phrase "nice writing" is something John Joseph Adams adds if he thinks the writing is particularly good.

Like I said, I don't take much stock in rejections. They're just part of the biz. But because of the phrase "nice writing," I think I'll chalk this one up as something positive.

Thanks again. I wish I could spend more time around here, but I hardly have enough time to write as it is.

Posted by Kolona (Member # 1438) on :

quote:
I hope some of you out there have received rejections from these folks.

October, you could have phrased that better.

Posted by Survivor (Member # 213) on :

Obviously he meant that he hoped that some of us had rejections similar to this but later sold the same story to someone else or sold a different story to "these folks", and thus could gage the effective meaning of this rejection.

Or just possibly he hopes that he isn't the only one that ever got rejected by them. Whether because he wants to be reassured that real writers actually submit to F+SF, or becuase he wants to be reassured that his writing isn't simply sub-par to be rejected by them, or because this rejection was such a positive experience Possible reasons this was a positive experience vary widely in amusment potential and plausibility, and probably none are very informative, so I will not attemt to list these.

In fact, this entire post has probably become a waste of your time...but I know that some of you declined to be sucked into playing N for hours and hours on end. So this is to make up for that

Posted by Gen (Member # 1868) on :

Definitely not the only one to get rejected by them. I certainly have been... although over time, I've shifted from the simple "didn't grab" to an "amusing, but didn't work" and then a "nice writing here, but didn't grab" and most recently, a "nice writing here, but didn't work," which made my day. In a rejection-letter-type way.

I'm sure rejectomancy gets less fun at some point, but if it does, I haven't hit it.

Posted by punahougirl84 (Member # 1731) on :

Maybe they just have a random generator for phrases that tactfully turn you down without making you angry! It really sounds like it.

I have a story I hope to send them soon - can't wait to see what their rejection letter will say!!!

Posted by wetwilly (Member # 1818) on :

Hopefully their rejection letter will say, "We like your story. Here's a couple hundred dollars."

Posted by Kathleen Dalton Woodbury (Member # 59) on :

I did some first reading for a different SF/F publication and they had a hierarchy of rejection letters. One was the standard "does not suit our current needs" rejection (for just about everyone). One was the "not quite right for us, please try us again" (for those who were close, but not close enough). One was the "not quite right for us, but we think you have potential and hope you will send us more" (for the really close stuff).

If I remember correctly, they all said something about "good luck with this elsewhere."

I rather doubt that Gordon has a hierarchy of rejections in that sense with "alas" being better than some other phrase. I would guess that the randomly generated but encouraging rejections are probably close to what he's doing.

If you get a standard rejection, don't bother with the rejectomancy--some editors don't have time for anything else. If you get an encouraging rejection, let yourself be encouraged.

Either way, don't give up. Keep writing, keep learning, keep improving, keep doing your marketing homework, and keep submitting.

Posted by cvgurau (Member # 1345) on :

Homework? Wait. What?

Dude, I'm out of high school.

Kidding. Of course.

I tried the link with both Mozilla and IE, and it worked both times. Sorry, Mike.

As for rejections, I'm proud to say I've never gotten a single one!

But then, I've never submitted, so...

To tell the truth, the entire idea gives me an anxiety attack, but I've got a finish short, and I've been doing my homework, and I think I'm ready for my first rejection slip. Yay me. :|

[This message has been edited by cvgurau (edited August 14, 2004).]

Posted by punahougirl84 (Member # 1731) on :

Thanks wetwilly! That would be the secret/not-so-secret hope.

I was just fine when I received my first rejection. Know why? It meant I had gone through the whole process of idea, research, organize, outline (or not!), write, edit, get reader comments, revise, more comments, more revision, write cover letter, get postage/envelopes in two sizes, weigh, package, and SEND!

I'll be fine with the one that should come soon, and the one that will come after that. Someday, I'll get an acceptance, and I'll burst into tears, dance, hug my kids, call my husband and my dad and my sisters, and frame it! Oh, and put the money into the kids' college fund (all $2.00 of it, after covering expenses).

It's still fun

Posted by Kathleen Dalton Woodbury (Member # 59) on :

My first sale was to a Writers of the Future anthology (I was a finalist who got included with the prize winners).

I started crying when I was signing my story in the book.