Speaking of Oregon, writer David Michael Slater, who boasts 9 published books, including picture, young adult, middle school novel, adult short story collection, adult novel, among other, has a word or two on rejection in
this article. Here's a nice highlight:
And so one duly submits. But soon enough that seldom-heard mathematical voice muses from its long abandoned brainfold: Hmmm. Six months response time. So…hmm…we could submit this to…let’s see…two places a year. In ten years, we could have twenty readings! As a good, decent and patriotic citizen, one tries not to hear this number-crunching, statgeek voice, but it makes a compelling point in the end. And so I will admit to having started to slip the odd extra submission out, together-like. Just two or three per round. At first.
Dude, I always submit simultaneously, and always tell people that's what I'm doing. It makes people a little skittish, but ultimately, it's the only sane way to get the work out there and eventually (one hopes) into the world.
6 comments:
I can never bring myself to do this, for some reason. Has anyone ever gotten blacklisted or is that just a myth?
Don't worry about being blacklisted. You would have to get accepted at two simultaneously, and find a dick of an editor. It's hard enough to get two acceptances for one piece, much less simultaneous ones.
If one journal accepts you, then simply withdraw the piece from the other journals. You don't need to tell them why. Just tell them that you need to withdraw it. Although they might have a rule about no simultaneous submissions, they can't have a rule about second-guessing yourself and thinking that the piece needs another revision.
Yeah, one of the first pieces of advice I remember getting is, "If a publisher says it doesn't accept simultaneous submissions, simultaneously submit anyway."
to lit j, it's often plenty hard to get even get one acceptance!
Don't we all accept simultaneous rejections?
12:13, ha ha!
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