and it was just in the form of email… Ironically, as I was sitting in the GPS writing session today my phone lets out this horrendous beeeeeeep, which echoes around the corners of the back room of the Scarborough Public library. It interrupted my typing so I pick it up and check it. Lo and behold it’s from The Pedestal Magazine. I eagerly check it, cringe then hand off the phone to Jamie so I don’t have to speak aloud the dreadful message.

THEY SAID NO! UGH! ok, got that out of my system. They also said…well I’ll just paste the damned thing:

Dear Cynthia:

Thank you for submitting your fiction to The Pedestal Magazine. We enjoyed reading it but after careful consideration have decided that we cannot use it at this time.

Please feel free to submit other work to us in the future.

Best,

The Editors

The Pedestal Magazine

They said they enjoyed reading it. And only one of the708 submissions made it. Did they even think of it as a finalist? according to their reading window, they had about two more weeks to get back to me. In my mind, the longer they hang onto it, the better my chances.

My other line of thought asks if this could be a form letter? I see the wording so much, and so few personal remarks that I’m beginning to think that is the norm now. Looking at what happened to Clarkesworld’s submission process, I can’t imagine other magazines won’t start doing that soon too.

This is rejection #4 for this story. I’m shopping it to all the SFWA approved, pro-rate magazines… and I’m starting to run out of relevant venues for this one. I’m almost ready to stick this at the bottom of a drawer somewhere buuut…

If the editors did enjoy it, but couldn’t publish it, I’m sure they had their reasons. But, I’d like to get paid for my products, especially if people enjoy it. That’s the way this business is supposed to work, am I right?

This story is going to rot my brain…

Currently Reading
Red Seas Under Red Skies by Scott Lynch

Submissions out
Flash: 0
Short:
Agent: 0

Workshoping:
Beyond the Cemetery
The Making
The Tribe Who Laughed

The bad: rejection from Beneath Ceaseless Skies.

The good: personal note and invitation to submit in the future.

It is as I feared (I should really start listening to those voices in my head): the pace is too slow. I need to change the beginning back to the way it was before. I can do that easily because I kept my submission to Flash Fiction Online.

I’m a little happy about this rejection though. Strange right? Right after I submitted it, I found another mag I think this story will really fit well with. So a few little tweaks and I think I’ll have it…

Currently Reading
Fantasy: The Etched City – K.J. Bishop
Scholarly: Wizardry & Wild Romance, A Study of Epic Fantasy – Michael Moorcock
Writing:

Submissions out
Flash: 0
Short: 0
Agent: 0
Workshoping:
Beyond the Cemetery

Dear Cynthia,

Thank you for the opportunity to read “On Fate’s Waiting List.” Unfortunately, your story isn’t quite what we’re looking for right now. Each month, we receive hundreds of submissions and while I may like many of them, I can only publish twelve of them per year.

In the past, we’ve provided detailed feedback on our rejections, but I’m afraid that due to time considerations, we’re no longer able to offer that service. I appreciate your interest in Clarkesworld Magazine and hope that you’ll keep us in mind in the future.

Take care,

Neil Clarke
Publisher/Editor
Clarkesworld Magazine
www.clarkesworldmagazine.com

Simple form letter… but that’s all Clarkesworld does anymore as I hear it.
__________________________________________________________
Currently Reading
Fantasy: Moonwise – Greer Gilman
Scholarly: Wizardry & Wild Romance, A Study of Epic Fantasy – Michael Moorcock
Writing:(I’m slacking here)

Submissions out
Flash: 0
Short: 0
Agent: 0

As you can see below, if you read from the bottom up, I currently have no flash submissions out.

I just got my rejection from Flash Fiction Online. I am positive though, for two main reasons, and a bunch of other ones.

Reason One:
It was a personal note, not a form rejection. They even said it had a strong start. This is good! It even asked me to consider them for future submissions. 🙂

Reason two:
With their suggested revisions, my story would be too long to submit as flash, but I planned for that with a submission schedule. So I know where it will go next, after I do some tweaking.

So, I’m not floundering, or desperate. I have a plan and am confident that I can sell this story (at some point).

Happy days ahead!

Currently Reading:
Fantasy: Chronicles of the Black Company – Glen Cook
Scholarly: The Mabinogi – Patrick K. Ford
Writing:(I’m slacking here)

Submissions out:
Flash: 0
Short: 0
Agent: 0