I submitted a short-story today. 18 minutes later I received a response. Rejection: liked the story concept but noted uneven prose, and a few moments of incorrect grammar. Hmm.
Now this particular story is one I’ve had on the rejection circuit for a few years. I wrote it half a decade ago, practically a different lifetime by my measure. It’s a different sort of story than I write now, written differently than I write now, by a different writer than I am now. I’d call it out of date but I’m still the author. Immaturity is no excuse for inadequacy. It’s my story to take credit for, and shame.
In 18 minutes I’ve learned a few interesting things. Firstly, that this particular publication is impressively well-staffed or manned by some bored hobbiest (more likely). It was not a long story and I imagine they did not read all the way through, but I doubt most publications even check their email daily let alone hourly or better. Intriguing.
Second, I’ve learned that all my friends are assholes. Generally speaking I do not show people stories. It’s bad luck. It’s awkward. I don’t like it. If and when they are published – sure. Before that, the story is something for me to fuss over and everyone else to know nothing about it. No one can be blamed there – except this story was different. Unlike almost everything else I’ve written, this story did actually make the rounds. I had a half dozen, maybe a dozen, separate acquaintances read over this particular story and pass it off as all good. Did they not read it at all or have no opinion (and apparently no eye for grammar)? Unsure, but it does not matter really. Now I just have additional reason to cloister the good stuff. Perhaps someday I’ll have a cadre of friendly-editors on staff to do the boring work but until then it seems I’m on my own. Fair enough.
Thirdly and most importantly – impatience strikes again. With novels, I write and I wait. I take months off between edits and have no rush to get something final together. It’s just a different sort of task. With short stories – harried from the start. Hell, just this weekend I finished up a short story, slept overnight, did a final edit, then submitted it this morning. Done to sent – thirty-six hours tops. Did it need additional editing? Yeah, maybe? Almost assuredly actually, but I wanted it submitted. It needed to go out and so out it went. No time for anything else. That particular process obviously needs to be corrected.
I keep a ledger of stories and submissions. It shows me which stories I have, where and when I’ve submitted them, and keeps me from hitting multiple or simultaneous submission barriers. It also lists what’s been sold where and for how much (a short column). As a corrective, I think I’m going to create a pending column. This is where stories will go once they are finished, but before they are submitted. Maybe this holding pen will be a month with the notice that the story will get reread and edited each weekend during that period. That way I can be roughly guaranteed that any story was perused at least three or four times after the final draft but before it goes off to the 18 minute rejection. Something workable or farcically bureaucratic? We’ll see.
And that’s enough for today. Originally I had a writing exercise planned. Maybe next week. No need to cram too much into a single entry. If I’m going to do anything with words tonight, I’d much rather tear apart my story. Uneven plot. Minor Grammar hiccups. I’ll fix that…hopefully soon. Already antsy to get it back in the ring…
