Because writing this meant I couldn't write the new forewords to the Malta re-launches that are due -- so now I'm behind on that dead-line. Among about six others.
And none of which matters anyway, because I wasn't the editor who read the Wyrd West stories -- that editor is building and formatting a book for release, and he's on a strict dead-line.
And -- before you get smart -- I'm writing this on my phone at my full-time day-job.
Is an explanation, "Hey, we're incredibly busy, doing this, this and these things, so we're not going to be able to send feedback" treating you like the enemy?
Listen up, Zippy: I don't provide explanations to my enemies. I don't take the time out of my day to recognize an issue and then craft an explanation as to the background of that issue.
Even right now you're not an enemy -- you're an annoying little oik who apparently has an overblown sense of entitlement. Who somehow believes that I -- or my press -- owes you something because ... you exist? You submitted a story?
We are too busy, Scooter. Period. That's not a reflection on you, or your story, that's a fact of our business.
My wife and I did a couple of anthologies this year. We were fortunate to only have half as many submissions as Rac Press did for Wyrd West. I decided before we started that I would set aside time so I could do my best & give feedback when I could, because I wanted to be an encouragement to some of the young writers who submitted stories to us. Here's what I discovered in that process:
Feedback is feedback. I spent just as long writing emails for accepted stories as I did for rejected stories. About 20-25 minutes on average. Keep in mind that this is on top of the time I already took to read through each story. Some got multiple readings as we worked to decide what fit, and what didn't.
I ended up having to go back and re-read my notes, and then skim back over the story. Because when you have 50 stories that you've read through over the course of a couple of weeks, they tend to run together. Then I had to put some time into thinking about what kind of feedback was required. Were there fundamental, structural problems with the story? Was it a matter of characterization, plotting, or description? Was the pacing off? If it failed to draw me in or pull me along, why was that?
It was bad enough when story was solid but for some reason just didn't click with us. Those took even more time, because I had to examine my own assumptions and try to explain a "gut feel" that made me shake my head. The absolute worst case was when the story was not just solid, but GOOD... but it was too similar to another story, or simply didn't FIT with everything else.
Sometimes I'd take 20 minutes to be sure that the only thing I could really say was, "Sorry, your story just wasn't what we were looking for."
Yeah, there were times I sent that one line email. It can take a lot longer than you think.
Thanks for the message explaining the situation behind the scenes. I think most if not all of your writers/aspirants have day jobs as well and can quite relate. Y'all are doing great work. Keep it up!
You don't have anything to apologize for. Y'all are doing the Lord's work in a big way in blazing a new trail for new authors who've been locked out of the market. You keep at it. Some of us might feel the sting of rejection, (I didn't send to this one, but I know some people did and were sad for a while), but we'll keep pushing on as long as you do too. I consider this to be a "good" problem. A pain in the ass, but good. It shows 107 authors trusted you and came out guns a-blazin to be part of what you're creating. This makes me glad. I'll be trying again in the future as well many others.
The one side question I have is how many of those subs were ChatGPT generated? We're hearing of magazines having to shut down their submissions list because they're getting spammed by a multiplier of 20-100 times their normal submissions thanks to people taking up the fradulent advice of "Use AI To Make a Quick Buck" BS all over social media.
Might I toss out the suggestion of if you need volunteers or more "interns" to help, put it out there. I'm certain there's more than a few of us able and willing to help for the experience and maybe however else it'd work out.
Anyway, this is me supporting you and letting y'all know you're appreciated. I look forward to my next submission and although it'll sting if I don't get accepted, you'll get another one and I'll try to find a different home for the story.
All good suggestions. We've managed to avoid the bots of AI for now, but we're definitely watching for that. And we're also putting SOPs in place for larger submission pools and extra editorial support. Constant learning, constant change. Everyday life at RP!!
If y'all want insight into your writing, there are groups for that.
Start with the WriterDojo on Facebook. It's more for discussions of craft in general, as opposed to feedback in particular. It is a great starting point though, especially if you are capable of reading some of the discussions and recognizing the reflection of your own weak points.
Monalisa Foster (Monalisa's Musings) and Robb Grindstaff (A Writer's Block) are both on Substack. These two have some EXCELLENT articles on the art & craft of writing. Take some time to look them over.
The Mad Genius Club is a blog by writers, for writers. It's an absolute treasure trove of good stuff. Again: go, read.
If you've sampled all that, and you can handle constructive feedback, then wander back to Facebook and ask to join the Alpha Mercs. The mantra there is "give to get", so you'll be expected to join in and learn how to give good feedback yourself.
If you're sitting there questioning whether something is outside the antho theme THAT much, guess what, it's probably outside the antho theme. Your instincts are probably right.
You must be new to the publishing world. Submit to any of the Big Five traditional publishers....and enjoy the years-long radio silence. Then try Analog. Or Asimov's. Or just about any other publisher. You won't even get the courtesy of an acknowledgement from so very many of them. We tell you the WHY. Which is far more than you'll receive just about anywhere else. And you're free to not submit here, or read our books. We're big fans of freedom of association.
Having submitted to Asimov's and Analog, nowadays You have to go check the web page to find out if your submission has changed from pending to rejected. They don't even send you an e-mail or a letter like they used to. It's beyond impersonal.
I will admit, that intimidates me enough to want to work with the circle of publishers with RacPress (Jumpmaster, Cannon, 3Ravens, Chris Kennedy, et all). Ambiguity on that degree would make my head explode. Hence why I've been an indie and am sllllllloowwwwwwllyyyyy trying to transition to hybrid with good people.
Not at the moment :( We've discussed some alternatives, but so far at least, there hasn't been enough of a demand for something outside of Facebook. There are plenty of solid writing groups out there, though. You might start looking at the https://authormedia.social/ message boards, or for author's groups on Discord if you use that platform.
Thanks for the mention of A Writer’s Block. My experience is that those who get mad because you didn’t provide feedback are the same ones who’d get mad if you did provide feedback.
I would but alas I don't have a facebook account and am really trying to avoid it all together - its all i can do to keep up with Discord and Substack! But I'll keep looking!
I totally get it. I mean, I'd shiv the last panda to find out of a story just didn't fit, or if it had a big, greasy plot-fart somewhere, but I've seen how the number of submissions has increased since I first started submitting. Add to that the rate at which y'all sling anthologies out the door, and they don't make enough Maalox for me to handle to stress you folks eat daily.
I remember an anecdote in which an editor would send a form letter submission, with different boxes for the type of rejection. "Good quality, but not our groove. Good quality, but we've had too many like it, good concept, but some problems with execution, you should get this dissected in a writer's group." Now, that type of rejection's more than most authors get from most any market. Anything beyond "Does not meet our needs at this time" is a pearl of great price, after all. But the big, frappy butt-bugling problem is that a surprising number of rejectees saw that as an invitation to argue or negotiate. "Well, okay, but what if I make it a horny were-meerkat instead of a horny werewolf story? Or if I give the vampire a robot eye?"
Heh! I honestly didn't expect to get in. This story was one that I outlined while feverish, then realized I hadn't read all the instructions...kept beating it with a succession of hammers until I thought it was OK. 😃
You are now where I was in 2018/2019. There's a reason I don't do slush or critiques any more. People's sense of entitlement and their outsized egos are apparently a constant in this "industry." This is why I despise the notion that anyone can (or should) write. It's the same issue as a right to be heard. No, you don't have a right to be heard. You have a right to speak, even speak stupidly and wrongly, but no one is obligated to listen to you or engage with you. You don't have a right to be read and I don't owe you anything, including my time, energy, or my peace of mind. Embrace the Eastern European notion of defensive grudge holding, aka "you are d*ad to me." (Nay, not just you, but your wife, your brother, your goat, everyone you've contaminated; dishonor on you, dishonor on your house, dishonor on your cow.)
Sorry to hear that some people are saying bad stuff! Everything you said in the post sounds very normal. As an author who has only now discovered your publishing projects - but has interacted with (and worked for) a number of other media outlets - being too busy to offer advice to those who didn't make the cut is very normal. Praying that y'all are able to work out your schedules for the stuff you actually do. :)
I just very much appreciate having the opportunity to submit! Sure, I was disappointed my entry didn't make it in, but I sure don't blame you guys (and hope I made that very clear in my comments on my own stack!) I can only imagine how insane it was to have to read through and pare down a list of 107 entries and do it in what - 2, 3 weeks? Especially with everything else you have going on! Feedback is nice when it comes, but I definitely do not expect it, either and understand you guys are incredibly busy! And I have a little comfort in knowing there were that many entries - my story was hopefully likely not a bad story - it just didn't fit. And I've learned to be okay with that. I'll save it for something else later and meanwhile, and I'll try again for another anthology! You guys are setting a bar and I figure if I keep practicing and trying, I may just get an idea one day that will work out for you!
Meanwhile, I'll keep buying your books and promoting you guys every way I can!
How about a HUG 💖 I love y'all, and you are doing great work. I know it can be so daunting, but please remember that so many of us care and are excited to see this come to fruition. I did not submit, but I do try to keep up, and I just wanted to let you know someone out there loves you💕
Zero.
Because writing this meant I couldn't write the new forewords to the Malta re-launches that are due -- so now I'm behind on that dead-line. Among about six others.
And none of which matters anyway, because I wasn't the editor who read the Wyrd West stories -- that editor is building and formatting a book for release, and he's on a strict dead-line.
And -- before you get smart -- I'm writing this on my phone at my full-time day-job.
And you're not extending the same courtesy, at all. So much irony.
You read that, and you got "treating you like the enemy".
Wow.
Is an explanation, "Hey, we're incredibly busy, doing this, this and these things, so we're not going to be able to send feedback" treating you like the enemy?
Listen up, Zippy: I don't provide explanations to my enemies. I don't take the time out of my day to recognize an issue and then craft an explanation as to the background of that issue.
Even right now you're not an enemy -- you're an annoying little oik who apparently has an overblown sense of entitlement. Who somehow believes that I -- or my press -- owes you something because ... you exist? You submitted a story?
We are too busy, Scooter. Period. That's not a reflection on you, or your story, that's a fact of our business.
My wife and I did a couple of anthologies this year. We were fortunate to only have half as many submissions as Rac Press did for Wyrd West. I decided before we started that I would set aside time so I could do my best & give feedback when I could, because I wanted to be an encouragement to some of the young writers who submitted stories to us. Here's what I discovered in that process:
Feedback is feedback. I spent just as long writing emails for accepted stories as I did for rejected stories. About 20-25 minutes on average. Keep in mind that this is on top of the time I already took to read through each story. Some got multiple readings as we worked to decide what fit, and what didn't.
I ended up having to go back and re-read my notes, and then skim back over the story. Because when you have 50 stories that you've read through over the course of a couple of weeks, they tend to run together. Then I had to put some time into thinking about what kind of feedback was required. Were there fundamental, structural problems with the story? Was it a matter of characterization, plotting, or description? Was the pacing off? If it failed to draw me in or pull me along, why was that?
It was bad enough when story was solid but for some reason just didn't click with us. Those took even more time, because I had to examine my own assumptions and try to explain a "gut feel" that made me shake my head. The absolute worst case was when the story was not just solid, but GOOD... but it was too similar to another story, or simply didn't FIT with everything else.
Sometimes I'd take 20 minutes to be sure that the only thing I could really say was, "Sorry, your story just wasn't what we were looking for."
Yeah, there were times I sent that one line email. It can take a lot longer than you think.
107! That’s absolutely crazy. The big times! 1939 in the pulps all over again …
Thanks for the message explaining the situation behind the scenes. I think most if not all of your writers/aspirants have day jobs as well and can quite relate. Y'all are doing great work. Keep it up!
You don't have anything to apologize for. Y'all are doing the Lord's work in a big way in blazing a new trail for new authors who've been locked out of the market. You keep at it. Some of us might feel the sting of rejection, (I didn't send to this one, but I know some people did and were sad for a while), but we'll keep pushing on as long as you do too. I consider this to be a "good" problem. A pain in the ass, but good. It shows 107 authors trusted you and came out guns a-blazin to be part of what you're creating. This makes me glad. I'll be trying again in the future as well many others.
The one side question I have is how many of those subs were ChatGPT generated? We're hearing of magazines having to shut down their submissions list because they're getting spammed by a multiplier of 20-100 times their normal submissions thanks to people taking up the fradulent advice of "Use AI To Make a Quick Buck" BS all over social media.
Might I toss out the suggestion of if you need volunteers or more "interns" to help, put it out there. I'm certain there's more than a few of us able and willing to help for the experience and maybe however else it'd work out.
Anyway, this is me supporting you and letting y'all know you're appreciated. I look forward to my next submission and although it'll sting if I don't get accepted, you'll get another one and I'll try to find a different home for the story.
All good suggestions. We've managed to avoid the bots of AI for now, but we're definitely watching for that. And we're also putting SOPs in place for larger submission pools and extra editorial support. Constant learning, constant change. Everyday life at RP!!
The Fox Gang is straight up getting shit done!! Get some!!!
If y'all want insight into your writing, there are groups for that.
Start with the WriterDojo on Facebook. It's more for discussions of craft in general, as opposed to feedback in particular. It is a great starting point though, especially if you are capable of reading some of the discussions and recognizing the reflection of your own weak points.
Monalisa Foster (Monalisa's Musings) and Robb Grindstaff (A Writer's Block) are both on Substack. These two have some EXCELLENT articles on the art & craft of writing. Take some time to look them over.
The Mad Genius Club is a blog by writers, for writers. It's an absolute treasure trove of good stuff. Again: go, read.
If you've sampled all that, and you can handle constructive feedback, then wander back to Facebook and ask to join the Alpha Mercs. The mantra there is "give to get", so you'll be expected to join in and learn how to give good feedback yourself.
WriterDojo: https://www.facebook.com/groups/writerdojo
Monalisa's Musings: https://monalisafostertheauthor.substack.com
A Writer's Block: https://robbgrindstaff.substack.com
The Mad Genius Club: https://madgeniusclub.com
Alpha Mercs: https://www.facebook.com/groups/416014257281554
If you're sitting there questioning whether something is outside the antho theme THAT much, guess what, it's probably outside the antho theme. Your instincts are probably right.
Next slide.
You must be new to the publishing world. Submit to any of the Big Five traditional publishers....and enjoy the years-long radio silence. Then try Analog. Or Asimov's. Or just about any other publisher. You won't even get the courtesy of an acknowledgement from so very many of them. We tell you the WHY. Which is far more than you'll receive just about anywhere else. And you're free to not submit here, or read our books. We're big fans of freedom of association.
Can confirm. All of the above.
Having submitted to Asimov's and Analog, nowadays You have to go check the web page to find out if your submission has changed from pending to rejected. They don't even send you an e-mail or a letter like they used to. It's beyond impersonal.
I will admit, that intimidates me enough to want to work with the circle of publishers with RacPress (Jumpmaster, Cannon, 3Ravens, Chris Kennedy, et all). Ambiguity on that degree would make my head explode. Hence why I've been an indie and am sllllllloowwwwwwllyyyyy trying to transition to hybrid with good people.
Thanks for the advice.
For the benefit of those of us not on Facebook, is there an alternative way to apply to join the Alpha Mercs?
Not at the moment :( We've discussed some alternatives, but so far at least, there hasn't been enough of a demand for something outside of Facebook. There are plenty of solid writing groups out there, though. You might start looking at the https://authormedia.social/ message boards, or for author's groups on Discord if you use that platform.
How about googling for local groups?
Great ideas!
Thanks for the mention of A Writer’s Block. My experience is that those who get mad because you didn’t provide feedback are the same ones who’d get mad if you did provide feedback.
I would but alas I don't have a facebook account and am really trying to avoid it all together - its all i can do to keep up with Discord and Substack! But I'll keep looking!
Well, that is certainly understandable.
And thank you for the update as to why, it should hopefully save some hurt.
Too late!
We all love you and greatly appreciate what you (Y'all) do!! Your explanation was well put!
I hate to hear it but I understand. I'm grateful for the feedback I received on my last submission.
I totally get it. I mean, I'd shiv the last panda to find out of a story just didn't fit, or if it had a big, greasy plot-fart somewhere, but I've seen how the number of submissions has increased since I first started submitting. Add to that the rate at which y'all sling anthologies out the door, and they don't make enough Maalox for me to handle to stress you folks eat daily.
I remember an anecdote in which an editor would send a form letter submission, with different boxes for the type of rejection. "Good quality, but not our groove. Good quality, but we've had too many like it, good concept, but some problems with execution, you should get this dissected in a writer's group." Now, that type of rejection's more than most authors get from most any market. Anything beyond "Does not meet our needs at this time" is a pearl of great price, after all. But the big, frappy butt-bugling problem is that a surprising number of rejectees saw that as an invitation to argue or negotiate. "Well, okay, but what if I make it a horny were-meerkat instead of a horny werewolf story? Or if I give the vampire a robot eye?"
Those numbers make me feel pessimistic about my odds in Coffee Adventures 2, but at least I know that it's a high mountain to climb.
Check your email, dear. ;)
Heh! I honestly didn't expect to get in. This story was one that I outlined while feverish, then realized I hadn't read all the instructions...kept beating it with a succession of hammers until I thought it was OK. 😃
Um, "never give up, never surrender!"
You are now where I was in 2018/2019. There's a reason I don't do slush or critiques any more. People's sense of entitlement and their outsized egos are apparently a constant in this "industry." This is why I despise the notion that anyone can (or should) write. It's the same issue as a right to be heard. No, you don't have a right to be heard. You have a right to speak, even speak stupidly and wrongly, but no one is obligated to listen to you or engage with you. You don't have a right to be read and I don't owe you anything, including my time, energy, or my peace of mind. Embrace the Eastern European notion of defensive grudge holding, aka "you are d*ad to me." (Nay, not just you, but your wife, your brother, your goat, everyone you've contaminated; dishonor on you, dishonor on your house, dishonor on your cow.)
Sorry to hear that some people are saying bad stuff! Everything you said in the post sounds very normal. As an author who has only now discovered your publishing projects - but has interacted with (and worked for) a number of other media outlets - being too busy to offer advice to those who didn't make the cut is very normal. Praying that y'all are able to work out your schedules for the stuff you actually do. :)
I just very much appreciate having the opportunity to submit! Sure, I was disappointed my entry didn't make it in, but I sure don't blame you guys (and hope I made that very clear in my comments on my own stack!) I can only imagine how insane it was to have to read through and pare down a list of 107 entries and do it in what - 2, 3 weeks? Especially with everything else you have going on! Feedback is nice when it comes, but I definitely do not expect it, either and understand you guys are incredibly busy! And I have a little comfort in knowing there were that many entries - my story was hopefully likely not a bad story - it just didn't fit. And I've learned to be okay with that. I'll save it for something else later and meanwhile, and I'll try again for another anthology! You guys are setting a bar and I figure if I keep practicing and trying, I may just get an idea one day that will work out for you!
Meanwhile, I'll keep buying your books and promoting you guys every way I can!
How about a HUG 💖 I love y'all, and you are doing great work. I know it can be so daunting, but please remember that so many of us care and are excited to see this come to fruition. I did not submit, but I do try to keep up, and I just wanted to let you know someone out there loves you💕