Something has always puzzled me about the business of writing short stories. It’s a phenomenon that seems mostly to strike newer writers, but it seems that more experienced authors aren’t immune either from the way it has consumed enormous amounts of energy on writing related blogs, forums and discussion boards ever since writers discovered the internet.
I call it “submission angst”, and it goes something like this:
1/ Writer sits down at keyboard armed with a new, fresh, exciting idea for a story.
2/ Over a period of days/weeks/months the story takes shape. It is finely shaped, honed and crafted. It might just be the best story the author has written. It’s certainly the most recent, and therefore it is the one he is most excited about.
3/ Writer scours the market lists for the perfect venue for his story. Then he prints it out, straightens the paper clip, slips it carefully into an envelope and rushes it off to the post office. Watching it disappear into the little red slot, his heart is giddy. (I’m being intentionally traditional because the image is better, but same goes for e-subs).
4/ Writer waits. While waiting he imagines his title and byline on the contents page. He wonders if there will be accompanying artwork. The reader response and reviews will be universally positive. There’s a fair chance of being picked up by a Years Best anthology. The story might even feature on the awards shortlists…
5/ He tells himself to get a grip. Smiles at his foolish extrapolation, but that after all is supposed to be his stock in trade. Still, being objective, it’s a very good story. It’s certainly better than half the stories in any given issue of his chosen market. If the editor is as excited by it as he is, then it’s a shoe-in for publication.
6/ Days/weeks/months pass. Nothing happens. From week three, our author starts checking his email more frequently than usual. He’s often late because he waits for the postman to arrive before leaving for work every morning. Still nothing.
7/ Writer wonders: did my letter/email arrive? Have I been waiting all this time and they never got it? Or has the reply got lost in the mail? What if they sent a contract the same day and it never arrived? Should I send them a query, just to check – or will that earn me a black mark for being pushy?
8/ Writer checks the available information about the market. The website says they hope to respond within three months. That sounds rather woolly. Perhaps intentionally so?
9/ Author looks up what the online communities have to say about it and the seeds of doubt, worry and injustice that had begun to germinate during the Great Silence are fertilized by the mulch of communal dissatisfaction.
10/ Some time later…the story is either accepted or rejected. Writer either laughs at their own foolishness and forgives the overworked publisher for the understandable delay, or demotes them for future choice of market and picks the next market on the list.
Now, all of this is a tad exaggerated, but not that much. And I understand the frission of wondering what someone is going to make of your story.
But.
For the amateur writer (which, financially speaking, most of us are – let’s face it if you’re earning money you can live off from writing fiction your relationship with the slushpile is going to be different to the rest of us), does it really matter how long it takes? Really? Does it really matter that editor A replies to you three weeks (or six months) faster than editor B?
Long time ago I learned a useful trick that keeps the stories that are sitting on editors’ desks out of mind where they ought to be. It’s called “writing something else”. Best cure for submission angst there is – write a new story, and make it even better, fresher and more exciting than the one before.
And the added bonus is, when you finally get those replies in, they come as a nice surprise. I’ve received rejection letters from markets that I’d forgotten existed.
Feel free to disagree. Perhaps I’m not adopting a professional enough attitude. Perhaps I’m not treating my work with the respect it’s due (and if I don’t no-one else will)… but you know what? I write because I enjoy writing. Publication is great, but it’s secondary to the creative process itself.
Life’s too short to get upset about the length of time these things take.
Of course, when you’ve got someone waiting for you to deliver something it’s a different story.
And since this is my lunch hour, I should be working on the Nov.
So, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got better things to do…
ayeahmur 
I’m not sure if short stories can be seen as the first step for most new writers- it seems like new writers tend to produce large amounts of bad short stories, but that essentially, the good short story it is a form that has to fit with the writer’s tone/style. Example, I love Anne Beattie’s short stories, but I can’t finish any of her novels- they just don’t showcase her talent in the same way. Maybe new writers, dithering in sentence structure in an attempt to discover their tone- start with shorts then they move on to plots and characters and overall development. Personally- I’ve been writing short stories for eight years now and have no intention of moving on. BTW- you shouldn’t diss Nova Scotia, I may live in Washington but I have a lovely house up there and the “townies” that populate the valley are very sweet people: right about now they’re gathering at the local community halls for Strawberry Suppers and the Lawrencetown Exposition *they have something against the word Fair
I’m not sure if short stories can be seen as the first step for most new writers- it seems like new writers tend to produce large amounts of bad short stories, but that essentially, the good short story it is a form that has to fit with the writer’s tone/style. Example, I love Anne Beattie’s short stories, but I can’t finish any of her novels- they just don’t showcase her talent in the same way. Maybe new writers, dithering in sentence structure in an attempt to discover their tone- start with shorts then they move on to plots and characters and overall development. Personally- I’ve been writing short stories for eight years now and have no intention of moving on. BTW- you shouldn’t diss Nova Scotia, I may live in Washington but I have a lovely house up there and the “townies” that populate the valley are very sweet people: right about now they’re gathering at the local community halls for Strawberry Suppers and the Lawrencetown Exposition *they have something against the word Fair
Hi La Muse
I’m probably being thick, cos I’m not 100% how your thoughts here related to the original post – but I agree with them!
I’ve been writing short stories for a long time too and am comfortable with the form, but am finding the “first novel experience” exceptionally challenging (fun for sure, but challenging).
I’d never dream of dissing Nova Scotia. I co-edited an anthology of that name last year (although that was to do with new imaginings of Scotland rather than a province of Canada).
I’d love to know what “Strawberry Suppers” are? In any other culture than the one I live in it sounds lovely. In Scotland a Strawberry Supper would involve deep frying fruit in batter and serving with chips – I’m sure, despite the Scots-Canadian linkage, that’s not what they do over there!
Hi La Muse
I’m probably being thick, cos I’m not 100% how your thoughts here related to the original post – but I agree with them!
I’ve been writing short stories for a long time too and am comfortable with the form, but am finding the “first novel experience” exceptionally challenging (fun for sure, but challenging).
I’d never dream of dissing Nova Scotia. I co-edited an anthology of that name last year (although that was to do with new imaginings of Scotland rather than a province of Canada).
I’d love to know what “Strawberry Suppers” are? In any other culture than the one I live in it sounds lovely. In Scotland a Strawberry Supper would involve deep frying fruit in batter and serving with chips – I’m sure, despite the Scots-Canadian linkage, that’s not what they do over there!
Speak for yourself. I’ve had the same story rejected twice in the past week (and, no, it wasn’t a simultaneous submission). I hadn’t even started writing it at the start of the month. The chance to catch my breath would be nice. No, what really, really annoys me is when a story gets accepted when you’ve already thought though the next place to send it. Writing: it’s a Zen thing. I’ve also got the opportunity to pick up my mail early instead of waiting for the postman, but do I? No. Because I’ve already got enough to carry around with me. After a hard day’s work, there’s nothing quite like getting home to a nice cup of green tea and a rejection letter from a traumatised editor. Mind you, I’ve found that some writers have different oppinions about the whole business, so each to their own, I guess.
Speak for yourself. I’ve had the same story rejected twice in the past week (and, no, it wasn’t a simultaneous submission). I hadn’t even started writing it at the start of the month. The chance to catch my breath would be nice. No, what really, really annoys me is when a story gets accepted when you’ve already thought though the next place to send it. Writing: it’s a Zen thing. I’ve also got the opportunity to pick up my mail early instead of waiting for the postman, but do I? No. Because I’ve already got enough to carry around with me. After a hard day’s work, there’s nothing quite like getting home to a nice cup of green tea and a rejection letter from a traumatised editor. Mind you, I’ve found that some writers have different oppinions about the whole business, so each to their own, I guess.
What can I say? You’re clearly on the fast track, Jim.
Aren’t you intrigued by this Strawberry Suppers thing though?
What can I say? You’re clearly on the fast track, Jim.
Aren’t you intrigued by this Strawberry Suppers thing though?
ah strawberry suppers are usually in some empty meeting hall that serves as a meeting place for towns/communities along the road that runs in-between real towns. I’m thinking of Tupperville- mid way between Bridgetown and Annapolis Royal.. Everyone brings a meal, and then they have pounds of strawberry shortcake for the dessert…you pay at the door..everyone goes since it’s a yearly event…city people like me have a tough time blocking the masses of flies and prefer to go outside and pick their own strawberries- yet all the same its somewhat charming that everyone in the whole town shows up….
ah strawberry suppers are usually in some empty meeting hall that serves as a meeting place for towns/communities along the road that runs in-between real towns. I’m thinking of Tupperville- mid way between Bridgetown and Annapolis Royal.. Everyone brings a meal, and then they have pounds of strawberry shortcake for the dessert…you pay at the door..everyone goes since it’s a yearly event…city people like me have a tough time blocking the masses of flies and prefer to go outside and pick their own strawberries- yet all the same its somewhat charming that everyone in the whole town shows up….
That sounds delightful – apart from the flies of course.
“Pounds” of cheesecake you say? Well, it’d be a sacrifice, but I dare say my waistline could handle it.
😀
That sounds delightful – apart from the flies of course.
“Pounds” of cheesecake you say? Well, it’d be a sacrifice, but I dare say my waistline could handle it.
😀
oh no big diffference—not cheescake, strawberry short cake—-no where near the same thing. Shortbread, cut in half with fresh whip cream and stewed cold strawberries inside, then put back together with more whip cream and straberries added to the top…very imt not to confuse this in anyway with cheescake http://southernfood.about.com/cs/strawberries/a/shortcake.htm
oh no big diffference—not cheescake, strawberry short cake—-no where near the same thing. Shortbread, cut in half with fresh whip cream and stewed cold strawberries inside, then put back together with more whip cream and straberries added to the top…very imt not to confuse this in anyway with cheescake http://southernfood.about.com/cs/strawberries/a/shortcake.htm
Ah – my mistake. I read what I wanted to read. But this shortcake thing sounds good too. Are you sure all that whipped cream is really necessary though? 😀
Ah – my mistake. I read what I wanted to read. But this shortcake thing sounds good too. Are you sure all that whipped cream is really necessary though? 😀
A strawberry supper sounds great, but I think I’ll stick to a haggis supper. This is a Scottish delicacy that I’m sure that Neil is familiar with. Take one factory produced haggis and deep fry it until you get something that looks like a cosh with leprosy. Serve it with chips (or ‘fries’) that resemble fingers that have been severed by car doors. Add large amounts of salt and vinegar. Sit back and enjoy. The male life expectancy in Glasgow is 67.
A strawberry supper sounds great, but I think I’ll stick to a haggis supper. This is a Scottish delicacy that I’m sure that Neil is familiar with. Take one factory produced haggis and deep fry it until you get something that looks like a cosh with leprosy. Serve it with chips (or ‘fries’) that resemble fingers that have been severed by car doors. Add large amounts of salt and vinegar. Sit back and enjoy. The male life expectancy in Glasgow is 67.