Has anyone heard results from the WOTF Contest for the quarter ending in September? :-(
Posted by Silver3 (Member # 2174) on :
Nope, but from experience I always get mine 2-3 weeks after the deadline for the next quarter (which would make it mid-January).
Posted by luapc (Member # 2878) on :
I haven't recieved anything yet either. For every quarter this year mine have always come back by now--roughly by the 18th of the month. Two were quarter finalists and the third was a simple reject, but all three came back about the same time so who knows how it works? I do know that they've had some changes recently and that they seem a bit disorganized this quarter. It's also Christmas, and the last quarter of the year for the contest, so that might have something to do with it. You know, slow mail or something.
Posted by Silver3 (Member # 2174) on :
Mine are never back by this date, but that may be because I live in France, so there's the postage problem Posted by autumnmuse (Member # 2136) on :
I got an email late last night notifying me of quarter-finalist status. So they've definitely started letting people know.
Posted by Lazer (Member # 3098) on :
Would it be very silly to ask what WOTF is?
Posted by Minister (Member # 2213) on :
Stands for Writers of the Future, a major speculative fiction writing competition that publishes an anthology. Several of the writers here have entered, and at least one has won in the past. Winning this competition is very good for your career.
Posted by Kathleen Dalton Woodbury (Member # 59) on :
They have a website, if you'd like more information:
autumnmuse, congratulations!
Posted by luapc (Member # 2878) on :
Congradulations autumnmuse. From your posts I know you work very hard at writing so it is well deserved.
I hope you, and everyone else here, has entered a new story in the next quarter, and good luck to everyone!
As a final question, I was wondering if anyone has ever recieved an email for quarter-finalist status before? I also got an email this time for placing in the quarter-finals for the quarter, but this is the first time they've sent an email. The other two times I didn't find out until it came back in the mail. I'm just wondering what to expect.
Posted by ChrisOwens (Member # 1955) on :
I just received my quarter-finals rejection today also.
Quarter-finals are supposed to be in the top 10-15% range, which I guess would make it something like a C+ to a B-, at least according to my old high school's grading scale.
I'm kind of suspicious though, everyone seems to be in the quarter-finals. The cynical part of me wonders if everyone who doesn't make the cut gets a Quarter-finalist rejection.
Posted by Jeraliey (Member # 2147) on :
I know for a fact that isn't true, Chris...or at least it wasn't a couple of rounds ago; my first submission was flat-out rejected. Posted by luapc (Member # 2878) on :
I do know that the contest gets over 2500 entries every quarter so even if a story makes it to the quarter-finals, it still means it's somewhere among 250 to 375 stories or more. There's probably a higher percentage of writers on this forum that will place higher in the contest due to their commitment to writing, which might be one reason to see a lot of quarter-finalist finishes from here.
While I do know that a lot of stories are straight rejects (from personal experience), even making the quarter-finals may not mean a lot depending on whether the story is closer to the top or bottom of that still massive pile. All I know is that I'll keep trying as long as I'm elligible and hopefully my next story will be a semi-finalist, and from there to finalist and maybe even a winner. I hope everyone here does the same.
Persistence is the key to publication and improving a writer's skill, so the only thing to do is keep writing and keep submitting.
Posted by Silver3 (Member # 2174) on :
I had not realized they received so many subs. But yeah, I agree. I placed several times in quarter finals, and in my opinion some of the stories concerned were not so good, while one was seriously considered by several pro markets. Just goes to show that, yes, quarter-finals by itself does not mean much. No word as yet on my sub. Ah well, guess I'll have to wait for the mail Posted by Jeraliey (Member # 2147) on :
Me either, Silver. They just don't love us.
Posted by autumnmuse (Member # 2136) on :
On another site I belong to, a lot of people do get QF. It starts to become expected, so when someone you know is a great writer with publication credits doesn't even get QF, it kind of hurts.
As far as the quarter ending Dec. 31st is concerned, I went to the post office yesterday to submit my story, and found out I missed having it postmarked on time by one hour. AAARGH. So I didn't send my story, because otherwise it will be for the quarter ending March, and I'll have to wait absolutely forever to hear back.
In that same amount of time, I can send the same story to probably two markets, and if they both reject, then go ahead and enter it at WOTF. Besides, I don't think the particular story was a perfect fit for WOTF, but it was ready and available at the deadline when some other stuff wasn't.
Posted by MaryRobinette (Member # 1680) on :
You know, it might be worth emailing and explaining what happened. The contest administrator was really nice about letting me resubmit my story after it went missing in the mail.
Posted by Calligrapher (Member # 2985) on :
I received my rejection today. "Your entry did not place in the final selections for the 4th quarter 2005 (July 1 - September 30, 2005)."
But, there were three handwritten words of encouragement on the form letter! Now, I need to decide whether or not to post it on Fragments and Feedback, or to send it to a magazine.
Posted by Spaceman (Member # 9240) on :
Does that mean you were a semifinalist?
Posted by Calligrapher (Member # 2985) on :
Spaceman: No, just a plain vanilla reject! That's the way I interpret it, although it could have been written more clearly!
Posted by ChrisOwens (Member # 1955) on :
What were the words?
Posted by Calligrapher (Member # 2985) on :
ChrisOwens, here is the exact wording of the reject:
"Your entry did not place in the final selections for the 4th quarter 2005 (July 1 - September 30, 2005)."
Posted by Silver3 (Member # 2174) on :
I think he meant the handwritten words.
Posted by ChrisOwens (Member # 1955) on :
Thanks for the laugh, I needed it.
Now with some sleep, I'll offer my guess: Keep it up?
Posted by ChrisOwens (Member # 1955) on :
Hmmmm. Evidently there are quarterfinalists and then there are quarterfinalists:
"Don't waste paper." "Is this finished?" "Why waste stamps?"
Posted by Beth (Member # 2192) on :
"Needs more monkeys."
Posted by luapc (Member # 2878) on :
I vote with you, Beth. If you're going to get rejected, I'd much rather get a laugh out of it than have to cry over it!
Posted by autumnmuse (Member # 2136) on :
I'm with you Chris, on her comments. I saw that too and kind of went, "Hey!" but oh well.
Posted by ChrisOwens (Member # 1955) on :
Yeah, it's disapointing to learn that I'm in the group of "definitely" automatic quarterfinalists.
The higher quality quarterfinalists must be in the pool of potential semifinalists, which has to be reread and then weeded out, since there is only room for 10 semifinalists.
Perhaps there should be a category between quarterfinalist and semifinalists. Maybe semi-semifinalists?
Posted by Spaceman (Member # 9240) on :
That would be a 3/8-finalist
Posted by Silver3 (Member # 2174) on :
Or do eight-finalists and quarter-finalists. Although 3/8th certainly has a fun side to it Posted by RFLong (Member # 1923) on :
Can I just check? - are the replies you're getting just regular mail or email? I haven't heard anything yet.
R
Posted by ChrisOwens (Member # 1955) on :
Maybe that's good news, it hasn't been decided yet.
Mine came in email. I'm not sure if I'm to get a snail mail or not.
Posted by Spaceman (Member # 9240) on :
Today I got the same form letter with probably the same three hand-written words on the bottom postmarked on January 3. I'm out for Q4.
Posted by Silver3 (Member # 2174) on :
For QFs and rejects, if you included an SASE with your ms, you get snail mail. Otherwise you get emails. I believe SFs and Fs are notified by mail regardless of the decisions taken afterwards, but I could be wrong, since this never happened to me
BUT it may be different 'cause of the new postal rates.
Posted by Kickle (Member # 1934) on :
I haven't heard back yet. Are other people on the east coast or specifically in New England still waiting?
[This message has been edited by Kickle (edited January 12, 2006).]
Posted by autumnmuse (Member # 2136) on :
Kathleen posted on SFF forums that she has just finished sending out all the notices except the 12 semifinalists.
So if you're still waiting, either it is in the mail, or you are a semi-finalist at least.
Or it's lost in the mail or fell in a crack on her desk.
Posted by Jeraliey (Member # 2147) on :
::bites nails::
Posted by Silver3 (Member # 2174) on :
I vote for the crack in her desk And I'm used to waiting for them, although this has to be one of my longest waiting times (but not by much). Guess I'll get mine sometime next week.
[This message has been edited by Silver3 (edited January 13, 2006).]
Posted by Kickle (Member # 1934) on :
They must have looked in that desk crack. I got an email last night--my story has been selected as a finalist. I am just plain floored. The results will back within the next couple of weeks.
[This message has been edited by Kickle (edited January 21, 2006).]
Posted by Silver3 (Member # 2174) on :
Wohoo, Kickle ! Way to go !!
(I still have nothing. I vote for the crack Might have to email them at some point if I still don't get anything).
Posted by Jeraliey (Member # 2147) on :
YEAH, KICKLE!!! Way to go!
Silver, I'm still with you on the crack thing.
Posted by wbriggs (Member # 2267) on :
Boy, was I confused. I looked back at the mail I got 12/31. It said, Congratulations, you made it to the quarter-finals. So I thought it was still in the running. But then they said that if I sent an SASE they were returning it. It was a rejection letter so nice I thought it was an acceptance!
Posted by RedSakana (Member # 3127) on :
Congratulations Kickle!
(Man that must be a big crack in the desk...I think mine is lost in there too.)
[This message has been edited by RedSakana (edited January 21, 2006).]
Posted by autumnmuse (Member # 2136) on :
Kickle, congratulations! But for what it's worth, I know from the experiences of several of my friends that you should take 'a few weeks' with a very large grain of salt. In some cases it has taken months to find out the final rankings. And once you are ranked, if you end up as a finalist and not in the top 3, it could take as long as a year for them to decide whether to include your story in the published anthology. Just FYI.
Posted by luapc (Member # 2878) on :
Hey Kickle,
That's fantastic news! I know all of us here are envious, but pulling for you to win one of the top three places!
Hey wbriggs,
I was just wondering about something. I also got an email the same as yours about the same time, and was wondering if you got your manuscript back. I still haven't gotten mine and was thinking it got lost in the mail or something. Anbody else got theirs back?
Posted by Isaiah13 (Member # 2283) on :
Wow, great news. Congrats, Kickle!
Posted by Spaceman (Member # 9240) on :
quote:That's fantastic news! I know all of us here are envious, but pulling for you to win one of the top three places!
Unfortunately, I'm pulling for more people to win a place than there are places available, but you are one of those I am pulling for.
Posted by Jeraliey (Member # 2147) on :
I queried about my entry the other day, and I just received a response:
"There were a few stories that got delayed in judging. I just got these back and am sending out notifications at this time.
You should hear something soon. If you don't have anything back in a week, let me know and I'll follow up on it."
Posted by RedSakana (Member # 3127) on :
Well, looks like mine was one of the entries that was 'delayed.' Got an email rejection this afternoon Posted by Jeraliey (Member # 2147) on :
Me too.
One would think that a writing competition would have less ambiguous wording in their rejections. "Did not place in the final selections..." What does that mean? (Other than the obvious....)
Posted by ChrisOwens (Member # 1955) on :
Congrats, Kickle.
Even if you don't get 1st, 2nd, or 3rd, at least you know you made the Top 8. What's that? The top .4% percent?
Posted by MaryRobinette (Member # 1680) on :
Yay, Kickle!
Jerialy, it might mean you are a semi-finalist, but I don't know. I have no idea what the wording for that is.
Posted by Silver3 (Member # 2174) on :
Jeraliey: Calligrapher received the same rejection for his entry. It sounds like their "normal" rejection, but I could be wrong. If you're a semi-finalist, it's easy to see, because you receive a crit for your story (although from what I understood it can be months before it arrives).
(I'm still in the crack )
Posted by autumnmuse (Member # 2136) on :
And at least three other people i know also received that wording. It is a little odd, I admit. Perhaps it's worth querying to ask if you were at least a qf?
Posted by Jeraliey (Member # 2147) on :
It really sounds to me like the "normal" rejection. I figure I'll leave it be and enter again!
Congrats again, Kickle! Here's pulling for you! (What story did you enter?)
Posted by Elan (Member # 2442) on :
Good job, Kickle! You've got a great writing style, and this is proof!! Congratulations!!! Posted by Kickle (Member # 1934) on :
It is my historic fantasy about a woman glassblower that I put though F&F in July( and got great feedback). Honestly I am stunned. The only way I could be more thrilled would be if the finals had been swept by Hatrack writers. I rather lose to one of you--there are so many great writers here.
[This message has been edited by Kickle (edited January 22, 2006).]
[This message has been edited by Kickle (edited January 22, 2006).]
Posted by rcorporon (Member # 2879) on :
Congrats Kickle! Hope you get it!
Posted by Calligrapher (Member # 2985) on :
Congratulations, kickle. I suppose its too late to offer to critique?? :-) I'm going to look for your original thread to read your first 13. Can't wait to read your published version.
Posted by Kolona (Member # 1438) on :
And my congrats to you, Kickle! Fingers crossed for you. Posted by Silver3 (Member # 2174) on :
I remember critting this one. I loved the setting you drew. Fingers crossed for you !
Posted by Silver3 (Member # 2174) on :
I still have nothing
Jeraliey, where did you query? To the person who sent us the confirmation email, or is that an automated sender?
Posted by Jeraliey (Member # 2147) on :
I sent it to contests@authorservicesinc.com. Keep us posted!
Posted by Silver3 (Member # 2174) on :
Ok, thanks very much!
If I have nothing by the end of this week, I'm definitely querying.
Posted by MaryRobinette (Member # 1680) on :
Silver3, I'm also in a holding pattern, but it's really, really hard to not query.
Posted by Silver3 (Member # 2174) on :
Well, I asked for the answer by snail mail, so I figure I'm giving them the chance to post the thing and get it to France (ok, maybe Feb 1st or something).
But, yeah, the wait is killing me Glad to know I'm not the only one, Mary, and I sympathize whole-heartedly.
Posted by MaryRobinette (Member # 1680) on :
My mail has to be forwarded at the moment, so I've been trying to add two weeks onto the time everyone else is looking at. But it's hard. Oh the pain! The pain!
Posted by Silver3 (Member # 2174) on :
You can do it. Be strong. Posted by Jeraliey (Member # 2147) on :
Hang in there!
Posted by MaryRobinette (Member # 1680) on :
I finally queried. I'm a semi-finalist.
Posted by Calligrapher (Member # 2985) on :
Congratulations, MaryRobinette!
Posted by Silver3 (Member # 2174) on :
I still haven't done anything, but I think I'm gonna query.
Posted by Silver3 (Member # 2174) on :
Congrats, BTW, Mary !!!
Posted by MaryRobinette (Member # 1680) on :
Thanks! At this point it feels really good to have the waiting be over.
Silver, Do query. She says she was out of the office with the flu for a couple of days.
Posted by Kickle (Member # 1934) on :
Congratulations Mary. My understanding is that this was a particularly hard quarter to judge--too many great stories. I wonder how long it will be before you get the critique of your story?
Posted by Silver3 (Member # 2174) on :
I queried. I'm a Semifinalist too !!!!!!! Yipee !!!!!!!
Posted by autumnmuse (Member # 2136) on :
Hey, great job guys!
Posted by Kickle (Member # 1934) on :
Silver, I was hoping that was why it was taking so long for you to hear--congrats!
Posted by Silver3 (Member # 2174) on :
Thanks. As Mary said, it's good to know the waiting is over.
[This message has been edited by Silver3 (edited January 27, 2006).]
Posted by luapc (Member # 2878) on :
Congratulations, Silver3 and MaryRobinette! I figure that anything that makes it to semi-finalist was probably good enough to have won under different circumstances, so I consider you both winners already! Way to go!
And I'm not forgetting Kickle who still has a shot at it! Hope you win Kickle!
Posted by Jeraliey (Member # 2147) on :
Congratulations!
Posted by Isaiah13 (Member # 2283) on :
Congrats!
Posted by Kickle (Member # 1934) on :
I just got the news that I am not a winner for the last quarter of 2005. Well at least I made it to the finals and get a critique! I did not send a story in for the December 31 deadline, but I was wondering if any one has gotten back results for that quarter yet?
Posted by Spaceman (Member # 9240) on :
congrats on making it that far!
Posted by Silver3 (Member # 2174) on :
Sorry you didn't place.
I'm guessing we should start another thread for the ejects from the quarter ending December 31st, because that one is starting to get large and unwieldy (I'll do so ASAP). But no, no news for me.
Might have to email them at some point if I still don't get anything).
