::headdesk::

[j_cheney]

I queried an editor who has had a story for 397 days.

I didn't actually intend to.

I located their confirmation e-mail yesterday just to check its date, and considered querying, but decided that their query e-mila addy wasn't likely to be the same as their automated confirmation addy, so I thought "I'll just close this and worry about it when it hits 400 days"

Except I must have hit "send" instead...

I got an e-mail from the asst editor today asking why I'd sent them a blank e-mail, so I figured I'd better go ahead and query...

Which means a rejection is soon forthcoming.

I feelz dumb.

Comments

[j-cheney.livejournal.com]

No point in it, really. If they reject it, they reject it. Must locate another market. This was market #9 for this story. I've never gone that high before. Yick.

[alaneer.livejournal.com]

So maybe it will stop at #9, as there's a 50% chance it will get an acceptance. :)

[ckastens.livejournal.com]

Only #9? I sold a story at market #23 once.

And I wouldn't worry about the blank message. At 397 days, you should be considering withdrawal anway, unless you really adore this magazine or they gave you a very clear hold notice along the way.

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

I love you. This is the sort of thing I need to read :-)

[j-cheney.livejournal.com]

Happy to entertain!

[ckastens.livejournal.com]

No problem, always happy to share. My stories of inspirational failure and rejection are endless. ;)

Here's a post I put up recently about my rejection averages over time:
http://ckastens.livejournal.com/26050.html#cutid1
Although I'll have to friend you to read it (done). Feel free to drop me a line if you ever need a push.

I don't know how many stories you've published (couldn't find it on your LJ), but from my experience, persistence is everything. It may take longer for some than others, but the writers who don't get published are the ones who give up.

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

Thank you!!

I don't have my sales anywhere on my profile; I only have two fiction sales so far--oh wait, make it three, though the third is very tiny.

One is a YA story that's in Coyote Wild, "The Oracle," (http://coyotewildmag.com/2008/august/forrest_oracle.html) and the other is a story that'll be coming out in Lace and Blade II--and the third is actually in the back pages of my journal; it's a flash thing called "Bridge to Nowhere" (http://asakiyume.livejournal.com/221961.html) that'll one day run in a little zine called Daikaijuzine.

But I have about twice that out searching for homes right now and racking up the rejections. What makes me happy about your stats was that you kept trying until you found a place--gives me the courage to keep trying for my own.

I'll friend you back--about the only thing I lock is boring stuff about my day job or writing samples; mainly it's pretty public :-)

[j-cheney.livejournal.com]

A good way to look at it...

[melissajm.livejournal.com]

What was my record? 25? 9 is no big deal.

[j-cheney.livejournal.com]

I know, but I'm running out of semi-pros...

[melissajm.livejournal.com]

Try contests or anthologies?

[j-cheney.livejournal.com]

Hmmm, maybe...