Hatrack River Writers Workshop: Think before you send!

This is topic Think before you send! in forum Open Discussions About Writing at Hatrack River Writers Workshop.

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Posted by TMan1969 (Member # 3552) on :

I am that guy, you know the one who gets excited and then dashes of to show his work - without taking a second or third/fourth look at it. Needless to say a story got rejected and rightfully so, I didn't edit it or even look at it for months..just sent it on a whim..

Thank you for re-sending "Model Citizen" to Apex Digest--the story came through fine this time around.

Unfortunately, I'm going to have to pass on it. I appreciate the humor and the idea of mannequins as humans being punished, but the story lacked a cohesive feel and I found the language inconsistent and pretty rough in places. I'm sorry I don't have better news for you, but I wish you luck in placing this elsewhere.

Posted by Leigh (Member # 2901) on :

Well, as the saying goes:

"The truth hurts."

And that's what happened here. There are different ways you can look at this, one being your fault for neglecting the edits and just sending it out and another being just so excited and happy that you forgot about all of the editing due to bliss.

Either way you look at it, at least you sent it out, got feedback on what the publisher thought was wrong with it and at least you can have another go at it.

Bad luck on this account, don't let it get you down. Keep going!

Posted by TMan1969 (Member # 3552) on :

Thanks for the comment, I am taking the rejection as constructive and a very valuable experience - at least it ended positively..

Posted by JBSkaggs (Member # 2265) on :

I have been rejected by the best and maybe the worst of the business. I usually get reasons why such as:

Crayon and construction paper isn't appropriate.

Get the spaghetti sauce off the paper before mailing.

No, we couldn't see the white out you used on your word processor screen.

That 8x10 glossy photo of you in your wife's lingerie did not lend atmosphere to your romance novel. Although it is a great dieting aid!

Hey just because it's public domain doesn't mean you can scratch off Bram Stoker's name and write your's in!

No we won't give you Stephen king's home number- so quit asking.

As you can tell I have rec'd wonderful and helpful rejects and I have taken their suggestions to heart. Since my purchase of a color printer- no more boring black and white stuff! I'm sending my manuscript out in rainbow bubbles font in 8 pt text on neon orange paper!

Seriously rejections happen- rewrite and resubmit to another publisher. The market guide is 3 inches thick you won't run out of markets any time soon.

JB Skaggs

[This message has been edited by JBSkaggs (edited November 18, 2006).]

Posted by Robert Nowall (Member # 2764) on :

I used to dash thing off and send them out...with a speed matched only by the return trip.

Lately I've been sitting on a few drafts, trying to give myself some perspective before I inflict it on anybody. I can't say it's done that much good, but the end result seems a little better to me, at any rate...

Posted by TMan1969 (Member # 3552) on :

Thanks all for your encouraging insights and stories!