<\/p>I have a handful of short stories in my query list, ones for which I\u2019ve been trying to find homes for months now. Each time I\u2019d get a rejection, I\u2019d shake my head and submit that piece elsewhere.\n
Last week, I opened one of them to re-read it (it\u2019s been a while). What I found was that after sitting unviewed for a \u201cfermentation\u201d period, the story\u2019s rough spots jumped off the page and into my face screaming \u201cfix me!\u201d This caught me off-guard. I\u2019ve advised here in previous blog posts to let your work sit before reading it fresh and \u201ccompleting\u201d it. I thought I had done that. I honestly thought this story was the best it could be when I began submitting oh-so-long-ago. In truth, it didn\u2019t yet shine.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/LatherRinseRepeat.jpg?resize=640%2C427&ssl=1\")
You know the next part. I revised it, cut out bits that didn\u2019t work, tightened connections and flows between others that did. Let it sit another day or two. Re-read it and tweaked it even more. Now it\u2019s sitting while I begin another (exciting!) new project. I\u2019ll read it at my next break and make any changes that jump out. Lather, rinse, repeat.<\/p>\n
Once the story in question is (again) where I think it can\u2019t get better\/tighter\/stronger, I\u2019ll begin anew the submissions process. But\u2014and here\u2019s the thing\u2014those magazines to whom I\u2019d already submitted this story are no longer options for it at this point. Most markets don\u2019t want\/won\u2019t accept resubmissions even with revisions unless they specifically ask for them. Once they say no, it\u2019s a done deal. With all my prior choices off the table, I\u2019ll have to root out new markets whose editors have not yet seen prior incarnations of this piece and try with them.<\/p>\n
My point is this: Don\u2019t rush your work. Every story, every essay, every poem takes as long as it takes. Rushing them into production or a query process can burn bridges.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, start on your next project. Pull out another WIP that needs a fresh review. Read works in your genre. Read works in other genres. Do whatever it is that fills you and inspires you so that when you come back to review that story, you\u2019ll have fresh insight and see it with new eyes.<\/p>\n
Photo by Steve Johnson<\/a> I have a handful of short stories in my query list, ones for which I\u2019ve been trying to find homes for months now. Each time I\u2019d get a rejection, I\u2019d shake my head and submit that piece elsewhere. Last week, I opened one of them to re-read it (it\u2019s been a while). What I found…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1391,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[3,17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1390","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog-posts","category-on-writing"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/LatherRinseRepeat.jpg?fit=4528%2C3019&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p8n0kX-mq","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":297,"url":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/2017\/08\/21\/whats-in-a-number\/","url_meta":{"origin":1390,"position":0},"title":"What\u2019s In a Number?","author":"DremaDeoraich","date":"August 21, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Last night I finished the book I was reading (The Moon and the Other, see Reviews page), and started N.K. Jemisin\u2019s Fifth Season for the second time, so I can review it here. I loved it the first time, got so lost in it that I forgot to watch for\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Blog Posts"","block_context":{"text":"Blog Posts","link":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/category\/blog-posts\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1059,"url":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/2018\/09\/24\/helpful-ways-to-best-your-worst-enemy\/","url_meta":{"origin":1390,"position":1},"title":"Helpful Ways to Best Your Worst Enemy","author":"DremaDeoraich","date":"September 24, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"You\u2019ve written a novel, a handful (or a boatload) of short stories, flash pieces or essays. You\u2019ve queried, suffered rejection, and maybe been published. You\u2019ve enlisted beta readers and participated in critique workshops. Others (not just your mom) have complimented your work. So why do you still sometimes feel like\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Blog Posts"","block_context":{"text":"Blog Posts","link":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/category\/blog-posts\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/DogDisguise.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/DogDisguise.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/DogDisguise.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/DogDisguise.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/DogDisguise.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":213,"url":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/2017\/05\/29\/back-burner\/","url_meta":{"origin":1390,"position":2},"title":"Back Burner","author":"DremaDeoraich","date":"May 29, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Recently, I finished a speculative fiction short I\u2019ve shown to no one yet (except hubby). I haven\u2019t even looked at it myself in almost two weeks. I wrote, finished and set it aside. On purpose. I\u2019d heard of this tactic before, but never tried it. Then several short stories were\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Blog Posts"","block_context":{"text":"Blog Posts","link":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/category\/blog-posts\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":517,"url":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/2017\/12\/26\/greetings-from-slumpy-hollow-slumptavia\/","url_meta":{"origin":1390,"position":3},"title":"Greetings from Slumpy Hollow, Slumptavia","author":"DremaDeoraich","date":"December 26, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"So it\u2019s been several weeks since I\u2019ve touched my novel to any significant degree. Weeks. Maybe more than a month. I\u2019m beside myself. I\u2019ve tweaked and revised several short stories, spent time researching markets where I might submit them, attended several classes, re-sent book 1 of my novel series to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Blog Posts"","block_context":{"text":"Blog Posts","link":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/category\/blog-posts\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":2851,"url":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/2022\/08\/21\/the-chronicles-of-self-publishing-7th-part-of-my-journey\/","url_meta":{"origin":1390,"position":4},"title":"The Chronicles of Self-Publishing: 7th Part of My Journey","author":"DremaDeoraich","date":"August 21, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"(or How I Did It, a \".doc\"-umentary) Part 7\/? Latest update: Duncan finished the setup on my print version and sent me a proof to review. I cannot express to you the excitement of getting even that much closer to publication! I\u2019ve picked a tentative new publication date but am\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Blog Posts"","block_context":{"text":"Blog Posts","link":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/category\/blog-posts\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/SEOKeywords.jpg?fit=1200%2C798&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/SEOKeywords.jpg?fit=1200%2C798&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/SEOKeywords.jpg?fit=1200%2C798&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/SEOKeywords.jpg?fit=1200%2C798&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/SEOKeywords.jpg?fit=1200%2C798&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":131,"url":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/2017\/03\/09\/where-it-all-went-wrong\/","url_meta":{"origin":1390,"position":5},"title":"Where It All Went Wrong","author":"DremaDeoraich","date":"March 9, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"How hard can it be? 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After only a day or two of lingering freak-out, I took the figurative scissors\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Blog Posts"","block_context":{"text":"Blog Posts","link":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/category\/blog-posts\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1390","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1390"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1390\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1392,"href":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1390\/revisions\/1392"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1391"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1390"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1390"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1390"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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