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Writing Magazine Submission Query
Good evening all,
A few months back I entered the crime short story competition - I believe it was the May edition with a June deadline. It was my first ever submission to a magazine and my second ever submission in my lifetime. From what I've read people generally receive back a "rejection slip" from publications.
To date I've heard nothing back and while I appreciate there's probably not enough paper to write all the rejections, let alone the time for it, one of the conditions was that you wouldn't be able to submit the story elsewhere for two months. Two months are now up. Is it safe for me to assume that I have been unsuccessful and move on to submit it elsewhere?
I'd really appreciate any advice as I'm very keen to circulate my work to a wider audience beyond my writing friends (who are all very good at lashing on the praise, but I'm left wanting of a critical eye).
Look forward to hearing from those in the know.
A few months back I entered the crime short story competition - I believe it was the May edition with a June deadline. It was my first ever submission to a magazine and my second ever submission in my lifetime. From what I've read people generally receive back a "rejection slip" from publications.
To date I've heard nothing back and while I appreciate there's probably not enough paper to write all the rejections, let alone the time for it, one of the conditions was that you wouldn't be able to submit the story elsewhere for two months. Two months are now up. Is it safe for me to assume that I have been unsuccessful and move on to submit it elsewhere?
I'd really appreciate any advice as I'm very keen to circulate my work to a wider audience beyond my writing friends (who are all very good at lashing on the praise, but I'm left wanting of a critical eye).
Look forward to hearing from those in the know.
Comments
Think you'll find that you MIGHT receive rejection slips when a piece of work is submitted for publication, but in the event of a competition entry (to which there might be hundreds, or possibly thousands) it is not logistically feasible to notify every entrant of their success or otherwise.
I think you will find it is only the winners and shortlisteds that receive acknowledgement.
Let that not be a turnoff, though. While we keep plugging away, we draw inevitably closer to success, in whatever form we seek.
We can assume that the crime competition to which you refer appeared in the August or September Mag, in which case you might review or rework your material and consider it for another competition or submission.
P
I thought that might be the case but certainly didn't want to assume, as I've never had an e-mail to say "thanks, but no thanks", again - the logistics of which would probably make someone at WMHQ break down and cry - I didn't want to send it elsewhere only to find they had intentions on using it later down the line.
From what you say it's probably best that I keep a log of the work that I've sent out, read the fine print and track a date when it falls back into my hands to send out to the world after some further consideration of the content.
Thank you again, very helpful and uplifting to think of the little cogs turning on my writing machine even though it felt like a loss initially.
Other comps vary but it will usually say in their T&C whether all entrants/shortlisted entrants/winners only will be advised of the results.
So that would make the June deadline shortlist 'due' in the November mag, out early October.
A non-recognised competition entry is not necessarily, by definition, bad; it is just that some else's has been judged just a smidgen better than ours!!
It finished by reminding me about the creative writing courses run by WM, so I suspect this was the real reason for the e-mail. But I was surprised nevertheless and wonder if rd-mc has received a similar message too?
Oh well, I've been busying myself with other stories. The competition edition of WM fell through the letterbox yesterday - I can't quite bring myself to read through the upcoming competitions just yet. I really don't know how people can manage to organise themselves, I find it hard enough just trying to organise the stories. I've a pile of ideas but I've set a restriction that once I work on something I stick to it!
I really need to pick a day to sit down and organise myself. That way competitions won't seem so daunting
But yes, I suspected about the 'ulterior motive'. But still, some of us are 'marketing' on here, aren't we?
The problem I have is that there was no recognition of us being a subscriber. Why say go and buy a copy? Just shows we are generic 'members'. (ready to accept flack)