Last night I started sending out responses for the anthology. All acceptances have been sent out — that was the first order of business — and a good chunk of rejections, but there’s another good chunk (well, okay, massive chunk) of people that still need to be notified. For some reason I thought I could do it all in one night, I really did.
I know, I know — what a clueless idiot.
But I know how quickly news spreads on this neato little thing we called the Interweb, and word will get around that some people have been accepted or rejected, and then some people — that massive chunk — will wonder, Hey, what about me?
Don’t worry, nobody’s forgetting about you. Unfortunately, if you haven’t heard anything yet, it means a rejection is coming your way. Again, I wish I didn’t have to let some of you know this way, but I’ve been staring at the computer screen now for six hours, it’s about four a.m. right now, and I have to get up in five hours. I just. Can’t. Do. It.
By tomorrow night I hope to respond to everyone else — some seven hundred people — and I hope to put up a list of the stories and authors who will appear in the anthology. It won’t be an official table of contents, as that will be the next order of business (putting all those stories in some coherent order), but at least it will be something. Then, at some later point, I will post something about my experience, stuff I saw that I liked and didn’t like, common trends, etc.
What’s the main thing I took away from this?
If it ever happens again, I’m investing in a submission manager, that’s what.
Now I must step away. Hopefully I can make it to my bed without falling over and knocking my head open. I really, really do. G’night.
Well, I scurried to my email upon reading this. Rejection!
But you know what? I’m starting to look at rejections differently. Instead of seeing them as a shut door, I now see them as a sort of service medal. Paying my dues, so to say. Thanks for undertaking the monumental effort of notifying everone who entered the contest. I can’t wait to get my hands on the resulting anthology!
Ah, that does not promise a very good outcome, but in the end it was a fun thing to do. Thanks very much for the opportunity and the introduction to this new format. I would hope that when the anthology is done and you seek reviewers my name will pop up, cause I serve double functions on the web.
Robert, as I noted before, I’ve edited an anthology and it is so much harder than most folks realize. The really hard part (for me) was turning down pieces by writers I knew. In any event, congratulations on making your choices. How will you order the stories? Maybe you’ll come up with themed sections (murder, love, literature, dogs, other worlds, etc.). Perhaps you will be a bit more random. Fun choices. Also, you’ll be getting blurbs lined up. Cover art: do you get much of a say at Norton? What’s your target release date?
Inquiring minds want to know.
Congratulations!
Ah, just like the majority of people I’ve asked out over the course of my life–response: rejected.
I did want to wish you the best of luck on the anthology. It will be interesting to see what you came up with.
Congrats, man. The submission process is harder on the editor than most folks realize.
Too bad. My birthday was yesterday, so it would’ve been a nice surprise to know I was in the running but alas, it was not meant to be. Good luck with the rest of those emails! I’ll be on the lookout for my rejection
Congrats on making the final decision, Robert. Can’t wait for the TOC.
At least you’re letting us know quickly – and I can use my rejects to write longer pieces! Thanks for the opportunity!
I truly never expected to be selected. I did it because I wanted to submit, not so much to be chosen. I hope that doesn’t sound like sour grapes! I mean to say that just submitting mine was a neat thing to do. I gave it my best shot – thanks so much for the rejection note. I work in the employment industry and most job candidates don’t get any notice – I realize it takes a lot of work to notify so many people and you should be commended for doing so.
Thanks for the opportunity to submit, and thanks for giving us a new genre to consider. Hint fiction is a thought-provoking new form, and writing short, short pieces is really good practice. Good luck with the anthology! I look forward to reading it.
Thank-you for the opportunity to submit to your wonderful project.
From that opportunity came an inspiration to write pieces of (short) fiction and engage my writing brain in a different fashion.
I was inspired, I wrote and I submitted.
Unfortunately–I am also one of the ones who is now awaiting their rejection letter… but your project gave me inspiration and encouragement to write (and submit!) in the fiction genre and I am very grateful.
Good luck with the work ahead of putting together your anthology.
I look forward to reading it!
It does feel like a bit of a blow to be awaiting a rejection, but I do completly understand that you need the anthology needs to be the best of the best of the best; so I won’t take it personally.
I really do hope the anthology does well and I will be buying a few copies just to see what the finished product looks like, and I will try to keep my ego at bay and enjoy it.
Awwww, I’m so disappointed, but it was fun. Look forward to seeing the finished product.
CONGRATULATIONS on finishing! very cool! i’m looking fwd to seeing the finished product (and i’m sure you are, too).