We had someone this week who stated that since we had refused a submission, they reckoned that, in their experience, we would not accept any of their work.
I wanted to point out that we have had one author who took fifty-six attempts before we gave them an acceptance. We had another person who was on number seventeen, we have a writer who continual sends after sixty rejections. The legend that is Tom Sheehan, is well over two hundred stories – But guys, that amazing writer has had more rejections!!
To this person, I wanted to say that we consider every story as virginal! We don’t give a cat’s cock what has happened before – I think the person who had fifty odd rejections will testify that we do look at each and every submission as a separate entity.
It made me wonder if this is a correct way of thinking? I don’t mean us, but others. We find that it is quite a low percentage who make it on their first attempt, that means folks, like the writer I mentioned, is probably doing themselves a disservice. On the other-hand, if a site accepts the first submission and subsequent stories, does that mean that they are in tune with the writer, or is it one of those sites who will accept any submissions.
I think what I’m trying to say is I’m not sure we can get it right every-time…Writers and publishers.
Whilst I am writing this, I reckon we will get over the 750 000 hits mark. I will pass on to all of you what this means to me, Diane and Leila. We are humbled and thank every one of you who has taken the time to visit, as well as our wonderful writers and readers and a mix of either!
There isn’t much in this world that surprises me. In fact, I judge myself if I am surprised, today is a day that I judge myself and by fuck do I judge others! I have just seen/read a news report, I can’t give you the details as I COULD only glance and move on. Seemingly there are cunts in this world who pay for a live stream to watch monkeys being tortured. Are you fucking kidding me? These fuckers get their jollies watching this type of abuse and torture.
I looked up the seven most unpleasant diseases in the world and for all these mutants I wish them all to catch; Ebola, Kuru, Naegleria, Guinea Worm Disease, African Trypanosomiasis, River Blindness and Buruli. But I won’t stop there, I hope someone makes them into a human caterpillar (As per the film) just before their diseases kick in.
SICK.
SICK FUCKS!
We run a story website and no-one could make up something as horrific.
Okay, understandable rant over and onto this week’s stories.
We only had one stalwart this week, the other four were all newbies. To them, we send out a warm welcome and hope that they have fun on the site.
As always, our initial comments follow.
First up was our first new writer, Mirza Copi.
They got us up and running with, ‘Divinity And Impiety’
‘This is dense.’
‘Needs to be read carefully.’
‘Pretty operatic.’
On Tuesday, we were privileged to showcase Dave Henson for the thirtieth time.
If you have never read this imaginative writer, please check out all of his back-catalogue, you won’t be disappointed.
‘Well written with some nice touches.’
‘This has a depth and resolution.’
‘The question about a virus killing itself is an interesting one’
Our next new writer was Rinanda Hidayat. Their story ‘Smiling Mask Vendor’ broke the back of the week.
‘Odd and interesting.’
‘This has a lot going for it.’
‘This is like an ancient parable.’
New writer number three was Alyce Wood and she was next up on Thursday with ‘Government Assistance.’
‘Dangerous.’
‘Black-hearted.’
‘This makes me think on D’Arcy’s ‘Meat’.
And we finished off with James W. Morris and his story, ‘Nicholas’
‘This has a certain charm.’
‘Quirky’
‘Some really good touches throughout.’
The usual reminders guys, we have a ‘Sunday Whatever’, an old book / author feature and the re-run is still there if you wish to get involved. Either look back or send us an email if you want to get involved.
Please keep commenting. It was so refreshing to see Freshta receiving so many comments on Sunday, she thoroughly deserved them. Comments keep the site alive. I can’t thank the old hands enough but it would be great to see some new regulars!
And writers, please if you receive a comment, surely a thanks isn’t too much to ask…Remember the manners your grannies taught you!
I was pondering questions that make you ponder. I looked up a couple and added a couple of my own.
…Answers on a postcard. (Fuck, there’ll be a few folks who don’t understand that reference!)
1. Who or what taught a cucumber how to be cool? (Don’t be a dick and answer yourself!)
2. If you have a perfect body, should you take it out the freezer?
3. Is there any chance that a pot-ugly boss has slept their way to the top?
4. Do fish get cramp after food?
5. Why is a lethal injection needle sterilized?
6. Would it be hypothetical to ask; Hypothetically, what would we learn if there were no hypothetical situations?
7. If we had proof that god did exist, what would we have to doubt?
8. If god and the devil had sex, would the world end?
9. If a tree fell in the rain forest, would we hear the chain-saw that cut it down?
10. Is ignorance really bliss?
Just to finish and a nod to Leila and her lists, I give you what I think are the five best theme tunes for TV programmes.
Now I don’t like to say ‘Fuck off’ to anyone (…Well!!) but please don’t comment with ‘What about ‘Little House On The Prairie’ or ‘I love to crowd surf to ‘The Waltons’’ without expecting such a reaction.
5. The Professionals
4. The Protectors
3. Starsky And Hutch
2. The Sweeny
And without a doubt, the coolest tune ever…
Image – Image by Tayeb MEZAHDIA from Pixabay – accepted and rejected stamps.
literally stories 
Loved reading the initial comments on my piece. I’ll have to go and seek out “Meat”, as I’ve not read it. I think I’d have to request “Dangerous” and “Black-Hearted” on my tomb-stone if I were to be buried (but I plan to donate my body to science, so I guess there goes that idea).
Also, in response to rejection once = rejection forever, I think it’s worth remembering that it’s never as much about the author as it is about the story, and that is how it should be.
Alyce
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Hi Alyce,
It’s great to ‘see’ you around.
Thanks so much for the comment.
You are spot on when you state that it is all about the story. The one thing that we try and spot and that is if the writers views bleed into the story. It’s a difficult thing to decide on as what happens if your characters have the same view as you??
Who said this was easy?!!
Thanks again, much appreciated,
All the very best.
Hugh
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Definitely difficult! I do sometimes find that I’ll use my own experience when writing, and that’s what we were taught, isn’t it? I know that my English Lit teacher taught us to “write what you know”. Now, for legal purposes I must make clear that I know nothing about burning bodies… but I do use details from my own life in my own writing. This obviously differs from views. Your job is certainly not easy!
P.s. new submission coming soon, for sure. Same universe as Government Assistance. I hope you’ll like it!
Alyce
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Hugh
A very full program indeed. And congratulations to David!
I love the opening song and highly recommend the theme to “The Mighty Sons of Hercules.”
Pondering is good. My favorite is Who made God? I have also wondered if a ghost of a hypochondriac fears resurrection.
Leila
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Hi Leila,
Just had a listen.
…That is so bad it is spectacular!!
According to my bible (Memnoch The Devil by Anne Rice) god created himself. (If anyone is offended, fucking sue me, all you get in settlement is debt!!) From an entity, he decided to create the atom and those atoms attached themselves to the entity and he created himself.
Love the ghost line!
Thanks as always!!
Hugh
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As an editor once observed about writers, “they are looking for a yes in a no world.” Rejection is built into the pursuit of publication, and I sometimes wonder if I should go around seeking any more of it.
But I was thrilled beyond belief when my first submission was accepted. Then I got a rejection, with the nicest note ever from Hugh. Exceptional, in my experience.
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I try to use rejections as a metric for success. If I’m being rejected, I’m putting stories out. It makes it a little less disillusioning, haha.
(I was also a startled first time acceptance – not only for Literally Stories, but ever. I was beside myself).
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Just jumping in here.
Alyce, sometimes the second acceptance is harder simply because the writer has set their own bench-mark!!
I think there is only one writer who has written more than twenty stories without a refusal and that is Nik Eveleigh.
And our amazing fellow editor, Leila’s record of continual acceptances will never be beat!!
We did get accused of favouritism by someone who thought it was an insult that I mentioned that!
…It isn’t an insult, it is phenomenal!! We are harder on each other more than any other writer.
I hope in a year or so, I may be mention a record regarding your good self!!
Hugh
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Very true, Hugh!
I don’t know, it feels like an insult, but only to Leila’s writing! Continual acceptances surely must be hard work, and to denigrate the brilliance of that is simply rude haha. I don’t doubt for a second that you’re harder on each other than any “stranger”, as we all are. The closer you are to someone, the more comfortable you can be with making constructive critiscism!
Alyce
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Hi Bill,
I think submitting is like life, more disappointment than happiness!
Regarding the rejection notes. To be honest, the first we send out is a drafted email but if I recognise that someone has submitted before, I make sure that I give them the courtesy of a freshly typed response. A lot of them are similar, they couldn’t be anything else but at least I know that I have typed them.
Thanks for your time and comments!
All the very best my fine friend.
Hugh
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Agree with Bill: LS send the kindest rejection notes.
Question for pondering – Who authenticates authenticity?
Best them tune: King of the Hill cartoons
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Hi Mick,
HAH! I can hardly ask that question sober! I’d have no chance eight haufs in!!
I’ve never watched that cartoon but just had a listen…That is a dam fine tune!!
Another that I had forgot about was ‘Alias Smith and Jones’ and Jace Everett singing ‘Bad Things’, the theme tune to ‘True Blood’
Hope all is well with you my fine friend.
Hugh
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Hugh,
Being 3 for 23, with one pending, I can say your process is fair. When I think I have something you might publish, I send it in. I never argue with any decision made because I appreciate your willingness to consider my work. If you accept it, great. If not, I find another home for it.
It’s that simple.
Ed McConnell
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There’s been a couple of times that I’ve replied to a rejection which is dumber than trying to fight city hall. I used your approach too. Move on. I have a few “safety” publishers. Fine places and I will go there.
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Hi Ed,
That’s the best attitude.
It’s all a process / opinion / getting it right / getting it wrong!
Nothing is personal. Some folks may not believe this but we are always rooting for the writer!
Stay happy and well my fine friend.
Hugh
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My version of #2 – I’ve got the body of a thirty year old. I keep it in the refrigerator for midnight snacks. Dahmer memorial humo(u)r?
A late thanks to anyone who has commented on one of my LS stories. The comments here make it at the top of my list.
Counterpoint – I can choose from seven thousand (Duotrope number?) publishers. Why try journal x after a rejection and not one of the 6,999 others? I know some of the reasons, but …. . For years I’ve believed that within limits, it is wrong publisher, not wrong story.
Mr. Henson and I show up in some of the same places. We used to hike with the late Keith and Doris Henson (she from England). Cousins a hundred times removed?
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Hi, Doug. No relation as far as I’m aware, but hike back far enough and you never know.
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Hi Doug,
There are quite a few similarities between Dahmer and Dennis Nielsen (David Tennant starred in a brilliant dramatisation about Nielsen)
We all learn our own coping mechanisms for rejection. I did a wonderful apprenticeship regarding this when I was a teenager!
Interesting comment about not wrong story but wrong site – It is amazing how many folks send really specialised content to sites where they are not suitable – I think they have missed out of reading the guidelines!!
All my very best to you and yours my fine friend.
Hugh
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Hugh – Many years ago when I was finding out to do this writing thing wrong, I submitted to Lavendar, a Lesbian porn mag by mistake (the story was not Lesbian porn). Editors just sent a neutral rejection. I’ve had a rejection listing the ten* things wrong with another sub. As usual I ignored all of the critique, sent it somewhere else and it was accepted with something like “This was so good I read it to my children”. Still not Lesbian porn. I would say that I’ve used something from a rejection 1% of the time from my hundreds of rejections. I refuse to learn from my betters.
*Approximation or lie
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An interesting discussion of rejection (the cruelest word?). I admire the tenacity and apparent thick-skin of whomever persisted after 55 turn-downs. It’s an honor to have 30 stories on LS. I feel fortunate … and also a little lucky.
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Hi David,
Not fortunate! Not lucky! Just inventive and imaginative and more importantly – Talented!!!
All the very best my fine friend and here’s to number forty!!
Hugh
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Great post with encouraging insights about rejection from the perspective of editors who are also writers. Rejection stings but is maybe an invitation to rework the story or send it to another publication, or just let it rest and proof awhile lol. Not crazy about detective shows, but the Miami Vice theme song was pretty catchy back in the day!
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Hi Susan,
Thanks so much for your time and comment!
It would be so easy if all the submissions were successful but myself and Diane were on a site a while backs where they accepted everything. It became a total clusterfuck and to be honest, it did no-one no good. I will admit, the first few successes were good for the ego! But when you started to look at some of the quality of the stories, your ego became somewhat deflated.
I did like that tune but never saw an episode all the way through. No reason except that I think that was shown either Thursday or Saturday here and they were my two pub nights.
…I never saw much on a Sunday afternoon either!
Thanks again.
Hugh
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