Proposal rejection

[mabfan]

Had a proposal rejected today for a project for which I had high hopes. It's somewhat discouraging -- no, actually, it's very discouraging. Despite the fact that I do keep selling and publishing short stories, something like this makes me wonder if trying to write another novel (the first one I completed never sold) is the right thing to do. And then I get into the whole spiral of looking at the current project and wondering if it's good enough, which makes it harder to write, and then I fall behind, which makes me discouraged again, etc. etc. etc.

Well, 1250 words done yesterday, and I'm already halfway to today's quota, so...

Comments

[scarlettina.livejournal.com]

Keep writing and keep submitting, Michael. You know as well as I do how subjective the editorial process is. One editor's rejection is another editor's gold. Don't let go; just keep going! Put it in the mail again.

[stakebait.livejournal.com]

*hugs* I'm sorry.

[terri-osborne.livejournal.com]

Like scarlettina said, every editor who's been in the business a while has the story of the bestseller they rejected. The "different editors like different things" rule even applies in a market as small as Trek. I know that from personal experience.

You're not alone, Michael. Know that. If it's any help, the longest piece of fiction I've sold to date is about 19K, and now looking at the prospect of writing a 100K novel after three years away from writing long-long-long fiction makes me wonder if I can even do it anymore. And you are far further down the path than I am. In the immortal words of Commander Peter Quincy Taggart, "Never give up! Never surrender!"

[shsilver.livejournal.com]

FWIW, you're one of the two short story writers I want to read a novel by, the other being Ted Chiang. A couple of others have relatively recently made the jump (Ian MacLeod, Jerry Oltion).

[zhaneel69.livejournal.com]

So keep writing! More publishers (fish) in the sea (NY).

As you've said to me: They made a mistake. Not you.

Keep it up!

Zhaneel

[mabfan.livejournal.com]

The problem is that this particular proposal was for a shared universe owned by someone else, so there really isn't another market for it. Which is a shame, because I really liked the proposal.

[mabfan.livejournal.com]

Thanks.

[mabfan.livejournal.com]

I appreciate the thoughts, Terri. I like to think that we're forming a kind of support group for each other...

I return the sentiment -- Never give up! Never surrender!

:-)

[mabfan.livejournal.com]

Funny, I'm also one of the two short story writers I want to read a novel by. :-)

Seriously, though, thanks. I appreciate hearing this.

[mabfan.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I do appreciate the support.

[terri-osborne.livejournal.com]

Hey, if there's one thing we humans do, it's build communities, right? :)

I figure if the fact that in one tie-in line that has a total of six editors, if I can't sell to one of those six to save my life, but have no problems with three of the others in the same line, doesn't illustrate the "different editors like different things" rule, nothing will. *chuckle*

Now, don't we have word count to attend to? ;)

[neilfein.livejournal.com]

Keep it up, Michael; you'll find a publisher, or vice-versa.

Looking through my bookmarks... in addition to you, I see lots of writers who either only write short stories (O. Henry, Ted Chiang), or tend to write shorter books (David Gerrold, Spider Robinson). It's only lately I've been reading stuff by Neal Stephenson and Dan Simmons -- i.e., phone-book like novels, and I can only read so many of those at once.

Babble babble.

[mabfan.livejournal.com]

I don't want to write a cinderblock per se; I'd much rather work in shorter lengths. But from a commercial perspective, if I want to make any sort of living at this I'm going to have to go the longer route...and 100,000 words is easier to sell than 80,000.

On the other hand, I'm not about to pad out a book. What I'm working on now should end up as 100,000 words, but if not, well, I'll let it find its natural length.

[mabfan.livejournal.com]

Indeed. Today's word count: 1500. I'm over quota for the day.

[vettecat.livejournal.com]

I'm no expert, but from what I hear writing short and writing long are very different skills. I'm sure you'll find your niche soon.